Chair Yoga Exercises And Simple Health Tips To Reduce Bloating

Festive season special 🎉🎁

Dining together with family is common all around the world during the festival season. It’s lovely to spend time with loved ones and food brings the family closer. It’s easier to forget about your diet or fasting plans because you want to enjoy yourself. Modifying meals is probably not the first thing that comes to mind in connection with holidays and celebrations. But overeating is one of the most common causes of bloating. Not just overeating, but there are many foods that may cause bloating even if consumed in small portions. Other reasons of bloating include stress eating.We can still keep the meal traditions and remain healthy.

Disclaimer: The views and exercises mentioned in this post are for general health information only. Please consult your doctor or your coach before trying any of the exercises. There are no affiliate links attached to this blog post.

What are the causes of bloating?

“A bloated stomach is first and foremost a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended (swollen) abdomen.”

The most common cause of bloating is digestive issues due to unhealthy food that takes time to digest. Drinking cold water after heavy meals also makes digestion difficult. Besides that, hormonal fluctuations are caused by periods. A sedentary lifestyle is the biggest problem that leads to weight gain and, therefore, bloating and gas problems. Ideally, recovery from bloating and digestive disorders should be within 2 or 3 days. But if it persists for a week or more, then an immediate check-up from a specialist doctor is highly recommended.

“Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter.”

Why Chair Yoga poses for reducing bloating?

Exercise is a wonderful way to reduce bloating. Apart from curing digestive issues, exercise also maintains body mobility, keeps the heart healthy, and activates the brain cells. Chair Yoga is simply a modified version of everyday yoga. It helps in the same way and as effectively as normal yoga. Chair yoga has been widely adopted by people because it is very convenient to do. It can be done by all ages and is especially helpful for the elderly, who often have movement restrictions because of weakness. Chair yoga is also recommended for office workers who have to spend most of their time sitting at their desks. It only requires a chair, but the exercises can also be done sitting on a sofa, a bed, or a yoga mat. Therefore, these yoga exercises can be done anywhere, in between office breaks or while watching television.

Chair Yoga poses and stretches for reducing bloating

All of the chair yoga poses should be done at least 4 to 5 times, depending on your health condition. While doing each exercise, breathe deeply. If you feel nauseated or uneasy, immediately stop and simply walk slowly for 5 minutes.

Seated Forward Fold

This is a modified yoga pose of toe touch. You may want to close your eyes if the pain is unbearable. It is not necessary to hold your legs with your hands. You can simply bend and keep your hands hanging loose on the floor. Repeat this yoga pose 4 to 5 times.

Seated Spine Twist

The Seated Spine Twist promotes bowel movement. Keep your feet comfortably on the floor all the time. It is not necessary to keep your knees together. Gently twist your spine first to the right side, stay in this position for 10 seconds, and then come back to the starting position. Do this yoga pose on the left side in a similar way. Repeat 4 to 5 times on each side.

Cat Cow Stretch

The Cat/Cow stretch is the simplest yet most effective in improving mobility. This exercise stretches the neck, the shoulders, the spine, the hip muscles, the chest, and the abdominal area. You can do this stretch during office breaks and relieve back pain. When you do the Cat/Cow stretch, the tightness in the abdominal muscles is reduced. Repeat 4 to 5 times forward and backward.

Seated Knee to Chest

Seated exercises are best for beginners who want to do leg exercises. It is much easier to maintain correct form and balance while doing exercises on a chair. This exercise activates the hip muscles. Whether you do the knee to chest exercise while lying down or standing up, it is a good exercise to reduce bloating. Repeat 4 to 5 times on each leg.

Seated Forward Bend Pigeon Pose

The pigeon pose is a challenge for some beginners because of tight hips. The easiest way to start is by first practising it while sitting on a chair. This exercise gently allows the hip muscles to open up along with the knee movement. Repeat this stretch 4 to 5 times on each leg.

BONUS: After the guests have left and you are done with cleaning and washing dishes, you only feel like lying down. When the stomach is unable to digest foods easily, the body beomes lethargic. While the stomach feels tight because of heavy meal, try these 3 easy yoga poses for reducing bloating you can do before going to bed.

Supine Knee to Chest Pose

Legs up the wall (alternative option – legs on a cushion or on a chair)

Child’s Pose

Simple and effective ways to prevent bloating

Walking for 30 minutes after having a meal is a great way to activate your digestion. Walking also balances the heart rate which may sometimes fluctuate because of overeating. It is a habit that can be easily adjusted in daily life. You can walk at your own pace inside or outside your house.

Mindful eating – You may or may not have heard of mindful eating, but it is a practise that is quite difficult to adapt to. Slowly eating your meals while engaging your senses to register the complete flavours of the food is very difficult to do. But if you practise it once, you will see the benefits very soon. Mindful eating means chewing the food properly and, therefore, easy digestion. 

Portion control – The Japanese concept of portion control aids not only in weight loss but also in reducing bloating. Instead of overeating, try small meals after 3 hours. During the festive season, this method may seem like fasting, but it’s not. It is simply scheduling your eating habits that gives the stomach enough time to digest the food properly.

Probiotics or digestive tablets – If you are feeling uneasy and have severe tightness, then taking probiotics is a great idea. It rebalances the gut bacteria and gives relief from gas problems. 

Drink water rather than soda or alcohol – It is difficult to avoid alcohol and other soda drinks at a party. But too much of anything is obviously bad for your health. The easiest way to stay healthy and reduce bloating is to drink water more often. 

Use healthy ingredients for baking – YouTube and Pinterest are filled with chefs who love to promote healthy foods, especially baked goods. The festive season is made for baking, and you don’t need to compromise on your or your family’s health by indulging in unhealthy food. Explore the healthier options for cakes, muffins, and pancakes. When you watch those videos, you will realise that it’s not that difficult to bake a healthy cake that is also delicious. 

References:

Bloated Stomach, Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/10/2021.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21740-bloated-stomach