Moderate exercise alleviates digestive complaints

Regular physical activity is key to getting the gut moving, yet during Ramadan it can be difficult to exercise due to the lack of regular fluids and food. Depending on what the body is used to, light exercise such as walking or yoga should be tolerated.  Within clinical research, scientists discovered that exercise has several short- and long-term physiological effects on the gastrointestinal system. It appears that heavy exercise worsens digestion, whereas regular moderate exercise is beneficial for gastrointestinal health, including the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).1

1Long-term effects of regular exercise on digestion:
  • Gut microbiome: increased proportion of butyrate-producing bacteria (there is link between the presence of these bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and various health benefits)
  • Gastrointestinal immune function: regular exercise may reduce chronic inflammation and possibly increase immune response to enteric pathogens

1Stachow, E. (2019). Exercise and the gastrointestinal system. InnovAiT, 12(9), 517-525.

Yoga improves symptoms of IBS

Slow movements in yoga poses stimulate the digestive system as they gently stretch and massage the organs while creating space in the abdomen. This relieves bloating and pain caused by intestinal distress or overeating. The following are yoga postures specifically tailored to improve digestion during Ramadan and gently relieve the symptoms of IBS. Try to do these poses at times when you can drink fluids.

Cat-Cow

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Begin on hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Place your shins and knees hip-width apart. Put your head in a neutral position and let your gaze wander downwards. 
  2. Start with Cow Pose: Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat. Lift your chin and chest and look up towards the ceiling. Widen your shoulder blades and pull your shoulders away from your ears.
  3. Get into Cat Pose: as you exhale, pull the abdomen towards the spine and turn the back towards the ceiling. The pose should look like a cat stretching its back. Release the crown of your head toward the floor, but do not press the chin to the chest.
  4. Inhale as you return to the cow pose and then exhale as you return to the cat pose.
  5. Repeat the pose 10-20 times and then rest by sitting on your heels with your upper body upright.
     

Supine Twist

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Lie on your back and stretch your arms out horizontally to your sides in line with your shoulders. Stretch your left leg out in front of you, bend your right knee and pull it towards your chest.
  2. Inhale and with the exhalation slowly cross the right knee over the centre line onto the floor on the left side of the body. Turn your head to the right and look at your right palm. Make sure that both shoulder blades touch the floor, even if this means that your knee does not quite touch the floor. As you turn, one shoulder blade lifts slightly off the ground.
  3. Feel the stretch in the thighs, groin, arms, neck, abdomen and back as you hold the pose. Relax deeper into the pose with each exhalation. Hold the pose for several minutes.
  4. Slowly turn the head back to the centre and straighten the upper body and legs.
  5. Repeat the pose on the left side.
     

Downward-Facing Dog

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Get on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Bend the toes down and press back with the hands to raise the hips and straighten the legs. Spread your fingers and press your palms against the floor. Turn your upper arms outwards to widen the collarbones.
  2. Let your head hang and move your shoulder blades away from your ears towards your hips. 
  3. Pull your quadriceps strongly to relieve the arms of the weight of your body. This action contributes greatly to making this posture a resting position. Turn your thighs inwards, keep your buttocks up and lower your heels to the floor.
  4. Check that the distance between the hands and feet is correct by moving into a plank position. The distance between hands and feet should be the same in these two postures. Do not step with the feet towards the hands in Downward Dog to bring the heels to the floor.
  5. Exhale and bend the knees to release and come back onto the hands and knees.
     

Bridge Pose

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Lie on your back, bend both knees and place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Bring the arms beside the body with the palms down. The fingertips should lightly touch the heels.
  2. Press the feet into the floor, inhale and lift the hips, rolling the spine off the floor. Keep the knees hip-width apart.
  3. Press the arms and shoulders down to lift the chest. Tighten the legs and glutes to raise the hips higher. 
  4. Breathe and hold the breath for 4-8 breaths.
  5. Release: Exhale and slowly roll the spine back to the floor.
     

Child’s pose

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes and sit on your heels, then spread your knees about hip-width.
  2. Exhale and bend forward; place your upper body between your thighs. Widen the back of your pelvis at the sacrum and lengthen your tailbone away from your back. Tuck your chin in slightly.
  3. Bring your hands forward to assume the extended child's pose. Alternatively, stretch your arms back towards your feet and place them on the floor beside your torso, palms up, releasing the fronts of your shoulders towards the floor. Allow the weight of the shoulders to pull the shoulder blades far across the back. 
  4. Stay in this resting position for between 30 seconds and a few minutes.
  5. To stand up again, first lengthen the front of the torso and then, with an inhalation, lift the tailbone as it presses down and into the pelvis.
     

Extended puppy pose

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Get onto all fours with your shoulders over your wrists, hips over your knees and the tops of your feet relaxed on the mat.
  2. Slowly begin to stretch the hands out in front of you and lower the chest to the floor. Keeping your hips above your knees and your arms shoulder distance apart, gently lower your forehead to the floor.
  3. Activate your arms by pressing into your palms and lifting your elbows and forearms off the floor. Draw your shoulder blades to your back and stretch your hips up towards the ceiling.
  4. Relax your neck and breathe into your back to lengthen your spine in both directions.
  5. Remain in this posture for 5 to 10 breaths, then gently raise your forehead and bring your palms back to your body to press up to the starting position.
     

Eucarbon®

A herbal remedy to naturally regulate digestion and relieve constipation and flatulence.  

Regulative  I  Mildly laxative  I  Carminative

About Eucarbon® 

www.eucarbon.com

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