Exercises to Reduce Stomach Bloating: A Complete Guide

Bloating is one of the most common digestive complaints. That swollen, tight, or uncomfortable feeling in your abdomen is usually caused by excess gas or water retention. While bloating often resolves on its own, it can be frustrating when it lingers or becomes painful. The good news is that simple movement and specific exercises to relieve gas and bloating can help you feel better quickly. 

Recognising the Symptoms of Bloating

Bloating is more than just a full stomach. Common symptoms include:

• A tight or swollen belly
• Abdominal discomfort or cramps
• Excess gas or frequent burping
• A visibly distended abdomen
• A heavy or sluggish feeling after eating

If bloating becomes persistent, severe, or accompanied by unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, or ongoing pain, it’s important to seek medical advice.

Common Causes of Bloating

Bloating can develop for many reasons, but the most frequent causes include:

• Constipation when the bowels move slowly, gas gets trapped.
• Dietary triggers are foods high in salt, artificial sweeteners, or carbonated drinks.
• Food intolerances such as lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity.
• Swallowed air often from eating too quickly, chewing gum, or drinking fizzy drinks.
• Hormonal changes especially during PMS or menopause.
• Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Understanding what’s behind your bloating is the first step to choosing the right remedies.

How Exercises to Relieve Gas and Bloating Work?

Movement stimulates your digestive system, helping trapped gas move through the intestines. This makes exercises to relieve gas and bloating one of the fastest natural remedies. Even a short session of activity can:

• Improve blood flow to the digestive tract
• Help food and gas move through the intestines
• Reduce abdominal pressure
• Provide quick relief from discomfort

Cardio: The First Step to Debloating

Whether you prefer a brisk walk, a gentle jog, a bike ride, or time on the elliptical, cardiovascular activity is one of the best exercises to relieve gas and bloating. Aim for at least 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity. Cardio works by stimulating your bowels and encouraging trapped gas to escape, leaving you feeling lighter and less uncomfortable.

Walking is particularly effective as a standing exercise for bloated stomach, making it a simple and accessible option for most people.

Yoga Poses for Gas and Bloating

Yoga combines movement, stretching, and mindful breathing, making it a powerful exercise for bloating in stomach. The following poses gently massage the digestive tract, encouraging gas release and improving circulation.

1. Cat-Cow Pose

• Start on all fours with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips
• Exhale as you round your back, drawing your navel towards the ceiling (Cat)
• Inhale as you arch your back, dropping your belly towards the floor (Cow)
• Repeat for 1 minute

This dynamic movement stretches and compresses the abdomen, stimulating digestion.

2. Torso Twist

• Sit with your legs extended and arms bent in front of your chest
• Lift your knees, balancing on your tailbone
• Twist your torso left, then right, keeping your core engaged
• Do 2–3 sets of 10 reps

Twists help release trapped gas and improve circulation.

3. Extended Triangle Pose

• Stand with feet wide apart, left foot turned outward
• Extend your right arm forward, hinging at the waist to reach for the floor
• Keep your chest open and your left arm extended upward
• Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides

This stretch elongates the torso and helps relieve abdominal tightness.

4. Sphinx Pose

• Lie face down, elbows bent with palms beside your chest
• Slowly lift your chest by pressing into your forearms
• Keep glutes relaxed and hold for a few seconds
• Repeat 5 times

This gentle backbend stimulates abdominal organs and aids digestion.

5. Extended Puppy Pose

• Start on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips
• Walk your hands forward and lower your forehead to the floor
• Keep hips lifted as you stretch your arms out
• Hold for 30–60 seconds

This relaxing pose eases abdominal pressure after a heavy meal.

Quick Remedies to Relieve Bloating

Alongside exercises to relieve gas and bloating, these quick tips can speed up relief:

1. Take a short walk stimulates bowel movement
2. Use peppermint oil capsules to relax intestinal muscles and relieve IBS-related bloating.
3. Try simethicone tablets anti-gas medication that breaks up gas bubbles.
4. Abdominal massage following the path of the large intestine helps gas move along.

Nutrition Tips for Preventing Bloating

Diet plays a huge role in bloating. Here’s how to support digestion:

• Eat smaller, slower meals prevents swallowing excess air.
• Limit fizzy drinks to carbonated beverages can worsen bloating.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners, especially sugar alcohols, which ferment in the gut.
• Keep a food diary helps identify trigger foods like dairy or gluten.
• Stay hydrated as water keeps digestion moving.

Research shows that peppermint oil, probiotics, and low-FODMAP diets can help reduce bloating in those with IBS.

When to See a Doctor

Occasional bloating is normal, but see your GP if you experience:

• Severe or persistent bloating
• Rapid abdominal swelling
• Unexplained weight loss
• Ongoing pain or changes in bowel habits

These may indicate an underlying condition needing further investigation.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to live with a bloated stomach. Regular movement, including cardio, yoga, and gentle stretches, offers some of the best natural exercises to relieve gas and bloating. Try walking as a simple standing exercise for bloated stomach, or use yoga poses as an effective exercise for bloating in stomach. 

Combine these with mindful eating, hydration, and identifying dietary triggers, and you’ll be better equipped to manage or prevent bloating. If symptoms persist, don’t hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional. Relief is often just a few mindful movements away.