Do you often suffer from various digestive problems like constipation or gas? Digestive problems arise mainly when eat what we want without any concern about our health. Our lifestyle can greatly affect our digestive system and its functioning. Regular exercise can help in keeping your digestive system healthy.
The Digestive System:
Our digestive system is quite complex. It consists of winding intestines, the bowels and the stomach. It is in your digestive system that the food you consume breaks down. The nutrients in the food get absorbed by the body in the digestive system. It is also here that the energy you need is allotted to your body. Your lifestyle, working habit and diet can have adverse effects on your digestive system. This can make your digestive system function poorly and can lead to many complications.
You can make your body absorb more nutrients through various relaxation techniques, physical activities and exercises. So, exercises are really effective for a healthy digestive system. Below are given some ways that will show you how effective exercise is for your digestive system.
Top 2 effects of exercise on digestive system:
Improves blood circulation:
By doing exercise, you can increase the flow of blood in your body. This includes your digestive system also. Try to exercise regularly and keep your body in motion. This helps in digestion, because this ensures that your digressive tract is in motion and not kept lazy. If you have a slow digestive system, it is important that you exercise regularly. You can also get rid of various problems related t digestion, like heartburn, gas, stomach cramps and constipation by doing exercise. Sine exercise increase your blood circulation, it is also good for your heart as well as blood pressure and other conditions of the artery.
For Better Provides Digestion:
You have seen that exercise is essential for your digestive health. Along with exercise, proper diet is also very important. Doing exercise and following an unhealthy diet is not the right way to keep your digestive system healthy. So, have proper food as well. Remember to consume foods that are free from fat, and rich in fiber and nutrients. You can have green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli, as well as carrots. Spices like ginger and garlic are also good for your digestive system. Try to combine them with proper routine to keep your digestive system in proper condition. It is also important that you give your body enough time to digest your food rather than simply reducing the portions of food that you consume. Another thing to keep in mind is to drink lots of water. It you drink less than 2 bottles of water per day, try to drink more of it. Exercise can sap the water from your body. Sweating can get rid of the water you need for the proper digestion of the food you consume. So, drinking less water can lead to further complications. As you know, you have to make sure that your digestive system is functioning properly. So, exercise and make sure that you consume the right food. Also drink lots of water. This way you can make sure of the health of your digestive system.
Yoga for digestion:
Yoga is one of the best exercises for digestion. It is a low energy exercise and focuses on providing a good stretch to your muscles in addition to making your muscle stronger. This way it helps in promoting digestion. Camel pose is one of the best poses for digestion.
Camel pose – Ustrasana:
Camel pose is great for improving digestion and for proper movement of the bowels. This yoga asana appears to be a difficult pose to do, and it is also said that it can affect your back adversely. However, studies made have shown that ustrasana can strengthen your back muscles as well as ease stomach problems, and helps in good digestion.
How to do ustrasana?
- Stand on your knees on a yoga mat, and keep your legs hip-width apart. You have to place your hands on your hips, with your thumbs on your sacrum, which is the bony plate at the base of your spine. You have to keep your hips on your thighs and internally rotate your thighs, squeezing them towards each other.
- Now inhale to engage your lower belly and then reach your tailbone towards your knees. This creates a space between your lower vertebrae.
- Now you have to lift your sternum and bring your elbows toward each other. This allows your rib cage to expand.
- Keep your chest raised and your core engaged. Your spine should be kept long and your chin tucked as you take your hands to your heels.
- You have to press your hands into the heels of your soles and drape your fingers around the soles. Keep lifting through your sternum.
- Lift your shoulders, so that the trepezius muscles rise up and cushion your cervical spine. Lower your head and neck back gently, and look at the tip of your nose.
- Stay for a few second in this position and then you can release from the pose by bringing your chin top your chest and your hand s to your hips. Come up slowly.
Caution:
Moderate and light exercises like yoga, that you perform routinely, help in boosting digestion. But it is important that you know your limits. Make sure that you do not exert yourself when you do it. This can harm you body. It is a gradual exercise and you will get the results also gradually. You cannot expect immediate results with yoga. You need to practice it regularly for days together to get the desired results.
Never practice yoga when your stomach is full. It can lead to a lot of complications like nausea, breathlessness, vomiting and at times even light-headedness. If you have has a good meal, you should take a walk or you can do some basic digestive yoga poses. Walking is one of the exercises that are very effective and not heavy on the body. It can help in improving digestion.
Now that you have seen how you can improve your digestion with exercises and yoga, try them out. You will soon be able to get rid of all digestive problems.
