Yoga for Constipation: Effective Poses for Digestive Relief
By Dr. Aastha Manchanda +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Aastha Manchanda
Last updated: Apr 22, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Aastha Manchanda +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Aastha Manchanda
Last updated: Apr 22, 2024Table of Contents
Good digestive health is key to a happy life. Constipation, a very common gut problem, can be a pain and mess with your daily tasks. Among many approaches to relieve, yoga is a natural way that may ease constipation. In this article, we will look into how yoga may help with your gut health. We will also suggest the best yoga poses said to ease constipation. We will also share some more ways to keep your gut healthy. Lastly, we will discuss important safety notes and tips to be made note off.
Yoga is a great old practice. It has various potential benefits for gut problems like constipation. The potential benefits are reduced stress, better blood flow, and increased strength and flexibility. These may help to improve digestion and ease constipation.
Stress often disrupts your digestion by affecting the blood flow and gastric juice secretions. This can lead to constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Yoga may help you manage stress, which in turn improves your mind-body link. This fosters a good gut system.
Yoga combines body poses, deep breaths, and meditation. This makes a setting where the body and mind can calm down, thus lessening stress. Certain yoga poses and routines help the body let go of strain. They calm the nerves and endorse relaxation.
Good blood flow is key for a good gut system. Yoga, by boosting blood flow to the gut organs, may help them work better. It helps make bowel movements regular.
Sufficient blood flow to the gut organs ensures they get key nutrients and oxygen. These are needed for good functioning. When blood flow is better, the gut system works more effectively. It breaks down food better and removes waste well, which may reduce constipation.
Certain yoga poses aim to improve blood flow all over the body. These poses often involve going upside down, forward bends, twists, and stretches which may help improve the blood flow to areas with less blood flow.
Strong core muscles are key to a healthy gut. Stronger muscles that support the gut organs make them work better. More flexibility in the belly area may allow for better movement. ris
A strong core lets gut organs work well. It may help reduce constipation. Working the belly muscles may help move waste through the gut better, ensuring regular bowel movements.
The table below lists several yoga poses. They explain how to do each pose and how it helps digestion.
| Yoga Pose | Steps to Perform & Benefits for Digestion |
| Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana) | Lie on your back with your legs extended. Hug one knee at a time to your chest, holding for several breaths before switching legs. This pose aids in releasing trapped gas and stimulates the colon. |
| Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) | Lie on your back, hug one knee to your chest, and twist your lower body to bring the bent knee across your body. Hold for several breaths before changing sides. This motion helps massage the digestive organs, promoting healthy bowel movements. |
| Crescent Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana) | Start in a lunge position with the front knee bent, hands in prayer position, and twist your upper body towards the bent leg. Hold for several breaths before switching to the opposite side. This pose stretches the intestines and improves digestion. |
| Child’s Pose (Balasana) | Start on your hands and knees, then sit back on your heels, lowering your chest to rest on your thighs and forehead to the floor. Reach arms forward or back by your side. This pose helps relieve gas and bloating as well as promotes relaxation. |
| Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) | Lie face down on the ground, hands positioned under your shoulders, legs straight behind you. Press into your hands, lifting your chest and torso off the ground as much as comfortable. This pose helps improve circulation to the digestive organs. |
| Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) | Lie on your back, scooting your hips close to a wall, and extend your legs up the wall. Hold for several minutes to help with digestive flow and relaxation. |
| Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) | Lie face down on the floor, reach back, and hold onto your ankles. Arch your back and lift your chest off the ground. Hold for several breaths before releasing. This pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and aids digestion. |
| Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) | Sit with your legs extended in front of you. Slowly hinge forward at the hips and try to reach your toes. Hold for several breaths. This pose provides compression in the abdomen area, aiding digestion. |
However, if you are practicing yoga for the first time, it’s advisable that you do it with a trained professional to avoid any undue stretch on muscles and risk of any injury.
Besides yoga poses, more techniques may also support digestive relief. Deep breathing exercises and self-massages may stimulate the gut and help you relax.
Breathing exercises may aid digestion by prompting your body’s relaxation response. It syncs the nervous and digestive systems.
Moderating and controlling your breathing may endorse relaxation and digestion. Deep breathing is said to oxygenate the blood, reduce stress, and improve the cooperation between the digestive and nervous systems.
You can try out different deep breathing exercises to see which one suits you best. Some ideas are diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, or the 4-7-8 technique. Each one focuses on fully inhaling and exhaling.
A belly self-massage may add to yoga poses in helping constipation and improving digestion.
Massage may enhance blood flow to the gut, help abdominal muscles relax, and aid bowel movements. It may also relieve trapped gas.
Gentle round strokes, starting from the belly button and going outward, may help. They should follow the natural route of the colon. Always speak with a healthcare expert first to make sure it’s safe for you.
Yoga is known for its immense benefits on our overall health. However, researchers have found that yoga if not done the right way, can result in tiredness, muscle soreness or muscle injury. I recommend one should consult a certified yoga instructor to avoid any injury.
Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D
To get the most out of yoga for easing constipation, keep in mind certain tips and precautions.
Doing yoga at the right time may ensure the best results, without messing with digestion.
Avoid doing yoga straight after a meal. Waiting for at least two hours after eating lets your gut process the food.
Morning practice may kick off your gut system. Evening practice may help you let go of stress picked up during the day.
Avoid forcing yourself too much by tuning into your body’s cues.
If a pose is painful or causes discomfort, ease off a bit or try an easier version of it.
Always check with a healthcare expert before starting yoga if you have existing conditions or are injured. Choose gentle poses and focus on the correct alignment for your body.
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Seek help from a healthcare expert if constipation continues despite changes in lifestyle and diet or if other health conditions may be present.
Continued constipation may point to bigger health problems. A healthcare professional should look into this.
If you have had gut problems such as IBS or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), speak with a healthcare expert. They can help you with suggested practices for yoga for constipation relief.
Yoga may offer relief for constipation, help digestion, and give more health benefits. Reducing stress, bettering blood flow, and boosting flexibility are the key elements in fostering gut health. The yoga poses listed above along with deep breathing exercises and self-massage, may help keep a healthy gut system and avoid constipation. But, remember to listen to your body, do yoga at suitable times, learn from a trained professional and check with a doctor when needed to make sure you’re practicing safely and getting the best results.
Many yoga poses and stretches aimed at the gut may help with constipation. They include spinal twists or the wind-relieving pose.
Studies suggest yoga may help ease IBS symptoms, like constipation. It aids this by managing stress and promoting relaxation.
Doing yoga poses and stretches that target the belly might help ease symptoms of IBS with constipation.
Deep breathing exercises, self-massage, and yoga poses, such as the seated forward bend, might bring on a bowel movement.
Certain yoga poses may stimulate the gut, bring on bowel movements, and relieve constipation.
Massaging your perineum, the area between your private parts and the back passage might help. This may stimulate the large bowel, which may trigger bowel movements and ease constipation.
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