These easy yoga positions may help relieve discomfort from gas
If you’ve experienced it once, you definitely remember it. We’re talking about gas, and the aches in your stomach that come along with it. It can be a pretty uncomfortable feeling, and can often make you want to curl up in a ball, no matter where you are.
Luckily, there are methods for reducing and ultimately relieving the discomfort. If you’re looking to use medicine, try Gas-X Extra-Strength SoftGels, the No. 1, OTC doctor-recommended gas relief brand. Why is it so good? Gas-X products contain simethicone, which is an antifoaming agent that can reduce the buildup of intestinal and stomach gases.
If you’re holding off on using medicine, there’s a natural remedy you can try: yoga! It turns out that “mild physical activity” may actually help “clear” intestinal gas and relieve the symptoms of bloating, and slowly moving from one easy yoga pose to another is a kind of mild physical activity that almost anyone can do.
“So many of the yoga postures put pressure on the internal organs, which can help relieve symptoms, as well as reduce stress, and help us listen to our bodies better in general, so we may be able to figure out what caused the discomfort in the first place,” explained Kristin McGee, 200-hour Katonah Yoga, 500-hour Pilates Mat, ACE personal trainer, and celebrity yoga trainer based in New York City.
Want to give it a go? We asked McGee to share the top three poses to help calm that nagging gas discomfort.
Top Yoga Poses That Can Help Ease Gas Pain
1. Apanasana Wind Relieving Pose
Lie flat on your back, legs extended, arms at your sides. Bend your right knee and bring it up toward your chest. Hug your knee with both hands while pressing your back, shoulders, and neck into the mat. As you exhale, bring your forehead up toward your knee. Hold for a few breaths. Release, then repeat with the opposite leg.
“By hugging your knees to your chest, you put pressure on the abdominals, which can help relieve discomfort from gas,”- Kristin McGee, Celebrity Yoga Trainer
Come to the floor on your knees and sit down fully so your glutes rest on your feet. Shift your weight to lift your glutes up off your feet and to the right side, so you’re sitting on the ground, legs on the opposite side. Take your left leg and, using your hands, lift it and place your foot on the outside of your right knee. Extend your arms out to sides, and then twist to the left, placing your extended right arm on the outside of your left leg. Hold for a few breaths. Release, then repeat with the opposite leg.
“Twists in general are great for massaging the internal organs,”- Kristin McGee, Celebrity Yoga Trainer
3. Bridge Pose
Lie flat on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet about six or so inches in front of your glutes, arms flat at your sides. Keeping your glutes and core tight, push through your heels and lift your glutes, hips, and back off the ground so you’re resting on your shoulders. Hold for a few breaths, then release and repeat.
“This position helps take pressure off the back and abs, while also stretching the front body, which can play a role in relieving gas discomfort and bloating,”- Kristin McGee, Celebrity Yoga Trainer
