“I’m a Pilates instructor, and here are six movements I do when I have digestive issues.”

IIndulging in decadent food is a great way to treat yourself, connect with friends and family, nourish your body, or all of the above. Also, a hearty meal may make you feel thirsty, but afterwards you may experience bloating, gas, fullness, and lethargy. But intense exercise, like running or HIIT-style training, probably doesn’t seem like an appealing way to tone your stomach.

Enter Pilates. Pilates was originally created as an exercise that focused on breathing, flow, and concentration, but some of its movements also help keep the gastrointestinal (GI) tract “awake” and ready to process food. There are some foods that help digestion by keeping them ready. Here’s a breakdown of why Pilates is good for your digestive system and six of the best moves to try at home.

What is the connection between Pilates and improved digestion?

“Pilates is a low-impact, core-focused exercise system that improves overall body strength, flexibility, and endurance by targeting the body’s deepest core muscles, the transversus abdominis.” says Becca Revere, Pilates instructor at Lifetime in Lakeville. Minnesota. “As a result, Pilates can stimulate the intestines and improve digestion.”

Additionally, Revere notes that breathing is an important part of good Pilates practice. The various breathing techniques in Pilates are aimed at calming the mind and supporting proper movement form. As a result, cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels may decrease. According to the Cleveland Clinic, spending long periods of time with high cortisol levels can affect your hunger and ability to get enough sleep, both of which can affect your digestion.

Actually, one small thing, 2014 surveyA paper published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry1 suggests that practicing Pilates regularly can increase metabolism and “good” cholesterol, which can positively impact digestion and overall health. I am. small Controlled clinical trials in 20222nd place for clinical and experimental hypertension found that regular Pilates lowers blood pressure

According to Harvard Health Publishing, when your blood pressure is in a healthy range, your digestion often improves. This is because your body flushes extra blood into your digestive tract after a meal to aid in digestion. If your blood pressure is too high or too low, you may experience dizziness, nausea, and other negative symptoms during digestion.

6 Pilates moves to help with digestion

1.100

Pilates 100 warms up your body and prepares you for the rest of the Pilates moves or another workout. Pump your arms and breathe to stimulate circulation in your body. Curling up using your abdominal muscles can also help stimulate your digestive system.

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Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet together on the floor. Extend your arms to the ceiling at shoulder height with your palms facing down. Keeping your legs together, use your core to lift your legs to tabletop position. Lift your feet off the mat and place your knees over your ankles, aligning your ankles with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Round your head, neck, and chest into a “crunch” position, extend your arms toward your legs, and extend your legs long on a diagonal at about 45 degrees. If you feel strain in your lower back, lift your legs a little higher and return them to a tabletop position, or lower them to the floor. Keeping your wrists and fingers straight, begin moving your arms up and down in quick, short movements while inhaling for a count of 5 and exhaling for a count of 5. Repeat the breathing pattern 10 times until you reach 100. Bend your knees and return to a tabletop position while lowering your head, neck, and shoulders back to the floor. Or hug your knees to your chest for a recovery stretch.

2. Standing rolldown

The rolling down movement helps relieve tension in your back, and engaging your abdominal muscles helps stretch your digestive tract.

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Stand against a wall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms extended in front of you. Peel the spine away from the wall bone by bone until you reach the top of the pelvis. Slowly rotate your spine bone by bone back to the starting position. Repeat as many times as necessary.

3. Stir your knees

Rotating your legs strengthens your lower abdomen and increases circulation in your digestive system.

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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out to the sides of your body. Pull your right knee toward your chest. From your right hip, rotate your right leg in one direction 3 to 5 times. Then rotate your legs in the opposite direction three to five times. The pelvis should not move. Pretend that you are balancing a glass of water on your stomach. Place your right foot back on the floor and switch legs. Repeat as many times as necessary.

4. Single leg stretch

By hugging your knees straight to your chest, your body moves along the path of your digestive tract.

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Lie on your back with your legs stretched out. Stretch your arms out to the sides of your body. Raise your head, neck, shoulders, and feet a few inches off the ground. Keeping your left leg straight, pull your right knee toward your chest. Next, straighten your right knee and pull your left knee toward your chest. Repeat alternating as many times as necessary.

5. Saw

Twisting this motion squeezes out the organs, and curling forward helps massage the organs.

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In a seated position, spread your feet wider than shoulder width apart. If your back or legs are stiff, bend your knees until they’re comfortable. Stretch your arms out to the sides like the wings of an airplane. Twist your torso to the left, fold forward, and extend your right hand to your left little finger. Lift your torso back to the starting position. Twist your torso to the right and fall forward to reach your left hand to your right little finger. Repeat as many times as necessary.

6. Roll like a ball

Rolling massages your spine and also your internal organs.

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Sit on the floor and hug your knees to your chest. Rotate back to the shoulder blades. Then return to the starting position, keeping your knees tucked into your chest. Repeat as many times as necessary.