What do you do when you ate too much? You go on a Verdauungsspaziergang, of course!
A Verdauungsspaziergang is a walk that you take to get you moving and help you digest your food more quickly.
This colloquial term comes from the words Verdauung (“digestion”) and Spaziergang (“a walk”). A direct translation would be a “digestion walk”. After stuffing yourself, it may be wiser to go for a Verdauungsspaziergang instead of lying down, which would ultimately make it more difficult to get moving again. By getting some fresh air and moving your body, you are speeding up the digestion process.
In German, there’s a saying that emphasizes this belief: Nach dem Essen sollst du ruh’n oder tausend Schritte tun (“After eating you should rest or take a thousand steps.”) This phrase originated in Ancient Rome, which suggests that people have believed in the benefit of a “digestion walk” for centuries.
So next time you eat too much, avoid the temptation of lying down – and go for a walk instead!
By Nicole Glass, German Embassy
