"So maybe you think exercise is only good for toning muscles or improving endurance, but there are actually dozens of reasons to exercise, and one of them is to reduce bloat. That’s right: These exercises for bloating can help eradicate that uncomfortable pain after eating a big meal or overall improve digestion. In fact, celebrity trainer Lia Bartha has an entire method, B The Method, meant to help women look and feel their very best, whether it’s improving sexual pleasure, reducing risk for injury, or alleviating bloat.
Bartha has worked with supermodels and actors alike to strengthen, restore, and protect their bodies through pilates-based, low-impact movements. Whether you’re looking for some go-to remedies when dealing with that uncomfortable fullness after eating or you just want to incorporate more movements into your regular routine that will help improve digestion, read on for five moves Bartha recommends to reduce bloat.
1. Roll down exercise
“This popular B The Method exercise is wonderful for getting rid of bloat because it mobilizes and stretches the lower abdominal region, creating a massage-like element of the gut. Also, it’s my all-time favorite move!”
2. Twisting side leg series
“Twisting is great for relieving bloat and inflammation. I always recommend adding this element to your workouts as frequently as possible. The side of your transverse abdominis muscle rests on the ball but is actively engaged while rotating through the center of the body. The oppositional reach of the arm and leg, through the twisting movements, creates mobility in the muscles and spine but also deep into your digestive organs as well. It releases anything that may be feeling ‘stuck,’ if you know what I mean.”
3. Rocking diamond
“Laying on your back during this exercise, in a neutral pelvis, creates a deep connection with the lower abdominals and pelvic floor. The rocking motion adds the rotation/twisting element that supports digestion and circulation.”
4. Bridging twisted hip dips
“The same concept applies here when your hips are elevated toward the sky in a bridge position. The neutral pelvis element (this is key, and make sure not to tuck the pelvis, gripping the glutes) along with the rotation and dip of the hip will mobilize your digestive track and increase circulation in the entire body.”
5. Quadruped extension
“The oppositional reach of the arm and leg, starting in a quadruped stance, will create space and length in the spine and core. It forces you to connect to a deeper layer of the core by using isolated stability and balance. This ‘length and reach’ aspect can help alleviate inflammation.”