Can yoga really help to reduce your bloating AND boost your metabolism? Oh yes, it can!
After the completely unexpected popularity of my infamous anti-bloating tonic, I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t the only one suffering from bloating!
While changing up my diet has been awesome for my gut, movement can also play a huge role. Which is why I’ve always enjoyed sharing yoga for just that (like my Detox Yoga PDF).
Yoga for Gut Health?
As I’ve shared before, body movements don’t actually “detox” the body. At least, not in the same way you’d think, i.e. cleansing out your toxins.
Specific elements of yoga can, in fact, aid in digestion and reduce bloating. Here’s some examples:
- Yoga twists: These movements can provide an internal massage on your organs, such as the liver and kidneys. At the same time, they can activate your metabolism.
- Build the heat: While aerobic activity (such as yoga) doesn’t seem to change metabolism, doing anaerobic activities (such as strength training or cardio) does increase metabolism through increasing muscle mass. A yoga class that “builds the heat” can act more like an anaerobic workout, such as this class.
- Yogic breath: Practicing pranayama throughout yoga practices has a huge improvement to your digestive health. By breathing deep into the belly, we enter our more relaxed nervous system, which aids in digestion.
Furthermore, a randomized trial showed that yoga practices show promise in reducing IBS symptoms (along with anxiety) in youth. Additional studies show the benefits of yoga practices to reduce the risk for metabolism syndrome and obesity.
40-Minute Yoga for Bloating
Alright, ready to get on the mat? For this class, all you need is a yoga mat and maybe a pillow or think blanket handy.
Don’t have time for the 40-minute class today? Head over to my Detox Yoga Sequence for ideas on poses you can try to help with your bloating.
Curious about what diet changes you can make to reduce constant bloating? Gut-expert, Laura Martin, recently shared her top tips and a delicious vegan kitchari recipe on the blog. Go check it out!
What yoga classes would you love to see? Leave a comment below so I can get it added to our list.
Cheers to less bloat!
