8 Moves for Digestive Relief

What do you do when you just need to toot? After reading this, your answer will be “I do the fart stretch!” That might sound like a corny dad joke, but we’re not kidding.

Specific stretches have the ability to help relieve gas or bloating—two things that can make you annoyingly and stubbornly uncomfortable.

Stretching increases circulation, which delivers more oxygen throughout your body, including to digestive organs. This results in more efficient digestion and less chance of experiencing GI issues (like the need to pass gas stat!). Manipulating your body into the stretching poses themselves also plays a role in helping you feel better.

“Gentle physical activity has been shown to support intestinal motility (hence why walking helps with digestion). And with stretching, the specific poses assist too—gentle twists, hip openers, and folds create subtle movement through the abdomen and pelvic floor that may make it easier for trapped gas to pass,” explains Lindsey Benoit O’Connell, C.S.C.S., founder of The LAB Wellness and a certified meditation teacher and breathwork facilitator.

Stress can also trigger GI issues, and a relaxing stretching session is a wonderful way to dial it back, she adds.

We all need to fart sometimes, so we asked O’Connell to create a stretching routine that will help you do just that. Next time you need to let one rip, try these stretches for better digestion.

Meet the Expert: Lindsey Benoit O’Connell, C.S.C.S., founder of The LAB Wellness and a certified meditation teacher and breathwork facilitator.

Stretches for Better Digestion

Try all of the stretches to see which help you pass gas in the moment, then aim to do the full routine at least once a week to regularly support good digestion. Perform each stretch for 30 seconds to one minute (or longer if it feels really amazing).

1. Knees-to-Chest

1. Lie faceup and gently hug both knees to chest.
2. Hold and focus on breathing. Stay still or softly rock from side to side if it feels good on lower back.

2. Supine Twist

1. Lie faceup and hug knees to chest.
2. Slowly allow knees to fall to one side while keeping shoulders relaxed on the floor. Extend arms out to a T position. Hold. Think of this as a gentle wring of the torso, not an aggressive twist.
3. Then switch sides.

3. Cat-Cow

1. Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, back flat.
2. Inhale and gently arch back, lift chest and tailbone toward ceiling for cow.
3. Now exhale, rounding spine and tucking chin to chest and tailbone toward floor.
4. Alternate between the two poses.

4. Child’s Pose

1. Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists and knees under hips.
2. Sit hips back toward heels, stretching arms out in front of you (if it’s more comfortable to rest arms by sides, do that instead). Hold. Try lifting hips up into the air a little bit to encourage gas to pass.

5. Happy Baby

1. Lie faceup and bend knees in toward shoulder pits.
2. Grab the outsides of feet or shins, whichever feels most comfortable.
3. Let knees open wide and, if it feels good, gently rock side to side.

6. Garland Pose

1. Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart. Bring palms together in the center of chest.
2. Sink into a squat, going as deeply as you can comfortably go, with the goal of elbows reaching inside of thighs. Keep weight in heels and chest up. Hold.

7. Reclined Bound Angle

1. Lie faceup. Bring soles of feet together and let knees fall open to the sides.
2. Place pillows or folded blankets under knees if that feels better, and place arms down by sides.
3. Hold.

8. Seated Forward Fold

1. Sit with legs extended straight out in front of you.
2. Gently hinge forward from hips, reaching arms out, letting them rest wherever feels comfortable. Relax shoulders and let head hang heavy.
3. Hold.