8 Simple Stretches That Can Help With Belly Bloating

Every Monday on AiF Health - a new set of exercises for beauty and health. This week - a set of 8 exercises that will help improve intestinal function, strengthen the abdominal muscles and improve blood circulation in the abdominal organs.

The remains of digested food lingering in the intestines poison the body with toxins, cause headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and can cause more serious health problems. A single case of constipation is not so terrible, but if it becomes chronic, immediate action must be taken.

Simple ways to reduce flatulence.

What are we preparing for the holidays?
More of everything, but fatter. The result is severe discomfort in the abdominal area after a feast. On such days, we usually overeat, because we celebrate events surrounded by family and friends among an abundance of delicious food. If you're experiencing bloating or discomfort from overeating, a few simple stretches can help improve your digestive system.

Attention: If you often experience bloating, you better consult your doctor for advice.

Causes and symptoms of bloating

Some foods cause increased fermentation

The human gastrointestinal tract is designed in such a way that it cannot function normally without the help of a number of bacteria.

Many microorganisms inhabit the stomach and intestines of a healthy person. As a result of their vital activity, up to 1 liter of gases accumulate in these organs (mainly methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide).

During normal functioning, some of these gases are removed from the body during and in addition to bowel movements. If any pathologies are observed, the volume of accumulated gases in the stomach and intestines increases to 3-5 liters. In this case, characteristic symptoms arise:

1. belching;
2. hiccups;
3. feeling of heaviness and fullness in the stomach;
4. cramping pain;
5. diarrhea or constipation.

The most common causes of intestinal bloating are poor nutrition and the resulting dysbiosis.

Hasty snacks, consumption of carbonated drinks and foods that cause fermentation processes, talking while eating - all this leads to an increase in the volume of gases in the intestines, and, consequently, to the development of flatulence (bloating).

Also among the causes of flatulence there are a number of pathologies:

• Chronic pancreatitis.
• Intestinal obstruction resulting from the formation of tumors and polyps.
• Lactose (milk sugar) intolerance.
• Celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

Mostly, symptoms of bloating appear after eating. Foods are poorly digested, begin to ferment, as a result, gases begin to form, the stomach becomes distended, and pain appears.

Seated Spinal Twist

Spinal twists relieve tension from the back muscles, train the abdominal muscles and improve intestinal function.

• Sit on the mat with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right heel as close to your right sit bone as possible. There should be at least 20 centimeters between the right foot and the left inner thigh.
• Move your right hand behind your back and place your palm on the floor. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee - with your left hand you will slightly help rotate the spine.
• Stay in this position or complicate the pose by clasping your hands. If it’s easy for you, clasp your right knee with your hands more tightly, holding your left wrist with your right hand and pulling the toe of your left foot towards you (as shown in the photo).
• Hold this position for 5 breaths, relax and change sides.

Happy Child Pose

This simple pose relaxes the lower back and abdominal muscles.

• Lie on your back with your lower back pressed to the mat. Pull your knees toward your stomach and grab the outer ribs of your feet with your hands.
• Use your upper body muscles to open your knees as wide as possible, bringing them closer to your armpits. Try not to tense your shoulders and chest - keep your upper body relaxed.
• Stay in this position for 5 deep breaths.

Lying spinal twist

• Lie on the floor or bed, spread your arms to the sides. Bring both knees toward your chest and then lower them to the left toward the floor. If you are doing the exercise on a bed, allow your knees to hang slightly to increase the stretch.
• Turn your head to the right.
• Stay in this position for 30 seconds or more. Feel your spine lengthening and twisting. Don't be alarmed if you hear clicking sounds.
• -Use your abdominal muscles to return your knees to the center and repeat the same movement on the other side.

Gymnastics for bloating[edit | edit code]

Optimal types of load[edit | edit code]

• walking
• run
• a ride on the bicycle
• yoga
• qigong
• Pilates

Bloating

An uncomfortable and sometimes painful feeling of bloating caused by excess gas inside the intestines. Increased gas formation and colic are usually symptoms of digestive system disorders as a result of overeating, stress or intolerance to certain foods. Normally, food is digested and absorbed in the small intestine, but if intolerance interferes with this process, undigested food enters the large intestine, where it is decomposed by bacteria, resulting in the formation of gas, causing bloating.

Bloating is a common complaint among people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, as their body is sensitive to even normal amounts of gas. The feeling of bloating that many women experience shortly before or at the very beginning of menstruation is due to fluid retention caused by unstable hormonal levels. Occasional bloating is normal and usually goes away on its own within a few hours. If this condition persists for 4 days or more, consult a doctor.

Why train[edit | edit code]

The old Chinese proverb “100 steps after eating” succinctly reflects the connection between physical activity and normal digestion: a short walk after eating will have a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive system. Movement promotes the production of enzymes and hydrochloric acid necessary for the digestion and absorption of food eaten. Light rhythmic movement - for example, walking - also stimulates the muscle contractions necessary to move its remains in the intestines and get rid of large gas bubbles. But intense exercise should be avoided until two hours after eating, otherwise the blood will drain from the digestive organs, where it is needed at that moment.

Yoga offers a number of simple poses that have a massaging effect on the digestive organs and relieve bloating. Qigong also has a positive effect on internal organs and stimulates blood circulation, which facilitates digestion. Both yoga and qigong calm the mind and reduce stress, and many digestive difficulties have emotional causes, primarily anxiety and fear, leading to abdominal pain and inability to eat.

Exercise will also relieve the discomfort women experience on the eve of menstruation and caused by fluid retention. Staying physically active for digestive health becomes even more important in old age when enzyme and acid production naturally declines. Physical activity will help to dilate blood vessels and more effectively deliver fluid to the kidneys, from where it is then excreted.

Walking is one of the best ways to ease digestion and prevent bloating.

How often?[edit | edit code]

• Walk after eating for 20 minutes. Walking at a brisk pace for 20-30 minutes 4 times a week will improve bowel function.

• The overall health of the digestive system will be improved by qigong (20 minutes every day).

• As a preventive measure, exercise for at least 30 minutes 5 times a day.

• Try to attend a yoga or Pilates class at least once a week.

• A 30-minute workout or brisk walking 3 times a week will help get rid of fluid retention in the body.

Yoga: poses to relieve bloating[edit | edit code]

SIMPLE TWISTING

Sit on a chair with a straight back and no armrests, with your feet on the floor. Keeping your back straight and your pelvis motionless, rotate your body so that your upper torso faces to the side. Help yourself with your hands by holding the back of the chair. Exhale as you twist. Repeat on the other side.

These asanas have a massaging effect on the internal organs and endocrine glands and improve the processes of digestion and excretion. Perform them in the given sequence 2 hours before or 2 hours after meals. Skip the shoulder stand and plow pose if you have high blood pressure.

POSITION TO EASILY EXHAUST GASES

Facilitates the release of accumulated gases and stretches the lower back.

1. Lying on your back, inhale and pull your right knee toward your chest. Interlock your toes and support your leg directly under your knee.
2. Tuck your chin to your chest, lifting your head slightly, and gradually pull your knee up, pressing your thigh toward your chest.
3. Breathe deeply, pressing your thigh to your chest as you inhale. Hold for 7-5 breathing cycles.
4. Exhale, release your hands, place your foot on the floor.
5. Repeat on the other side. Perform each leg 5 times or more depending on your condition.

Stomach Twist

Facilitates the release of accumulated gases and stretches the lower back.

1. Lying on your back, place your arms at your sides, palms down. Bend both knees and pull them towards your chest.
2. Exhale and lower your knees to the side of your torso, twisting your spine and lower back. Pull your knees as close to your hand as possible. Look in the opposite direction at your fingertips.
3. Press your shoulders to the floor, close your eyes and relax. Let your knees fall even lower under the influence of gravity.
4. Breathe and hold the position for 6-70 breaths.
5. Inhale and return your knees to a vertical position.
6. Repeat on the other side.

SHOULDER STAND

1. Lying on your back, extend your arms along your torso, palms down. Place a rolled up towel or mat under your neck. Bend your knees and jerk them towards your forehead. Place your palms under your thighs.
2. Straighten your legs up, straight above your head. Make sure your body weight is on your arms and shoulders. It is important that the load does not fall on the neck.
3. Breathe and maintain the position for 7 O breathing cycles.
4. To come out of the pose, bend your knees and draw them toward your forehead, then carefully and slowly rotate your spine and lie down on the floor. As an option, before doing this, lower your legs behind your head and touch your toes to the floor (“plow pose”).

PLOW

This pose helps improve the functioning of the kidneys, liver and pancreas and improve digestion.

Do not perform the exercise if you have sciatica, back pain or high blood pressure.

1. Lying on your back, arms extended along the body, palms down. Bend your knees, lift your body, and jerk your legs up. At the moment when your legs are in a vertical position, round your back so that your legs are behind your head and your toes touch the floor.
2. Don't bend your legs. Support your hips with your hands.
3. Breathe and maintain the position for 7 0 breaths.
4. Bend your knees, pull them towards your head and carefully and slowly turn around to the starting position.

Try something new[edit | edit code]

Simple qigong movement to improve digestion.

1. Standing, place your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your lower abdomen.
2. Focus on your palms. Imagine a warm golden light (“qi”, life force) emanating from them.
3. Inhale calmly, without tension, and move your palms in a circle up the left side of your abdomen. Exhaling, make a circle with your palms down the right side. Repeat this figure eight - inhaling up on the left, exhaling down on the right - 20-30 times. Imagine how golden rays of energy flow from your palms to your stomach. Golden energy, qi, fills the internal organs, removing all obstacles and tension.
4. Change direction. Inhale as your palms move up on the right, and exhale as they move down on the left. Do 20-30 repetitions and imagine how qi flows throughout your body, removing blockages and diseases.
5. Chi now emanates from your body and surrounds you in a golden cocoon.
6. Place your palms on your stomach again and imagine that you are holding a ball of golden light in your hands. Stand still for 1-2 minutes and then release the ball of light into the universe.

Cobra

This load on the abdominal muscles will improve the functioning of the digestive system.

• Lie on the bed, roll over onto your stomach and stretch your arms out in front of you. If you are tall, hang your legs over the edge.
• Keeping your hips and pelvis on the mat or mattress, begin to slowly “walk” your palms toward your chest line. As your torso begins to lift off the mat/bed, bend your elbows slightly. Continue walking with your arms until you feel your abs stretch. Relax your shoulders and stretch your neck. If the pose does not cause you discomfort, try to reach your shoulder blades with the back of your head. You will feel your chest and neck stretch.
• Stay in this position for 30 seconds, and then return your body back to the bed or mat.

Advanced deep squat

This relaxing yoga pose will ease the discomfort of flatulence.

• Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend your knees, lower your pelvis down. If your heels don't touch the ground, place a rolled-up towel or part of a mat underneath them.
• Place your palms together at chest level and press your elbows tightly to the inside of your knees - resting on your knees, your elbows should spread your legs to the sides.
• After 5 breaths, lower your hands to the floor and walk your palms forward to deepen the stretch in your hips and lower back. Stay in this position for another 5 breaths.

Exercises for pregnant women

Exercises for bloating are ideal for expectant mothers. You should not take medications while expecting a baby, so many pregnant women resort to simple exercises when experiencing flatulence. They help not only relieve bloating, but also facilitate subsequent labor.

The “Cat” pose can help cope with flatulence during pregnancy. It is ideal in the 1st and 2nd trimester, but not in the long term: an enlarged belly gets in the way. If it is not comfortable to change the position of the lower back, you can only perform deflections.

An excellent exercise on a special ball - a fitball - will help. You need to sit on the ball, place your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Place your hands on your torso. Perform rotating movements forward, backward, left, right using the pelvis. The upper body should not move.

Visiting water aerobics will help get rid of constant bloating. It is indicated for all pregnant women, unless the pregnancy is complicated. Special exercises in water can be performed throughout the entire period of waiting for the baby. An experienced instructor will select the necessary complex that will not only help you get rid of flatulence, but also prepare you for childbirth.

Before performing any exercises or going to the pool, you should consult with a gynecologist observing your pregnancy.

Physical activity may be contraindicated for expectant mothers due to complications during pregnancy. If postures or exercises against flatulence are accompanied by discomfort, you should immediately stop such exercises.

Bend forward with legs wide apart

Prasarita padottanasana, as this movement is called in yoga, strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves bowel function.

• Stand straight with your feet about 120 centimeters apart. Turn your toes slightly inward. Place your hands behind your back, clasp them or form a double fist.
• Take a deep breath and slowly lean your body forward, lowering your arms as low as possible. Keep your back straight! Hold at the bottom for 5 deep breaths, and then, using your leg muscles, slowly rise up.

How to massage babies under 3 years old

Healthy physical activity is an excellent preventative against constipation. But while the child is small, he should regularly massage his tummy and do exercises with a special set of exercises. The purpose of such exercises is to improve intestinal motility.

Massage for constipation is very simple. Soft circular strokes clockwise around the navel, as well as movements directed from the sides to the navel, are sufficient. This massage should be done daily (up to 4 approaches), repeating each movement up to 10 times.

As soon as the baby grows a little (2–3 years), he needs to be provided with maximum physical activity. Its daily exercise should include a set of special exercises that will help improve intestinal function.

• To strengthen the abdominal muscles, you need the baby to pull his tummy in deeply and then slowly release it. You need to repeat the exercise 2 sets of 10 times.
• To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, you can perform the following exercise. The child should be placed on his back or placed in a high chair. Then raise his leg as high as possible and fix this position for a few seconds, the second leg should hang freely. Returning to the starting position, repeat the exercise with the second leg. During charging, it is advisable to perform this movement 5–10 times for each limb.
• To improve the movement of feces through the intestines and speed up their removal from the body, you can do very light pushes with the tummy. To do this, ask the child to inhale and draw in his stomach, then exhale and push it out. This should be done at least 10 times in the morning and evening.

If your baby doesn’t like such exercises, you can go swimming, it also helps get rid of constipation.

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