10 Natural Ways to Improve Your Digestion (#4 Is Already in Your Kitchen)

8. Practice Gentle Yoga for Digestion

Yoga is a natural fit for digestion because it combines gentle movement, abdominal massage, and relaxation. While more research is still needed, many people find that certain poses help with gas, bloating, and sluggish digestion, and yoga’s stress-reducing effects likely help too.

Some popular poses include Pawanmuktasana (wind-relieving pose), where you lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest, seated spinal twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), cat-cow, and child’s pose. One pose is traditionally done right after eating: Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose), where you sit on your heels with your back straight.

How to do it: Hold each pose for 5 to 8 slow breaths. Practice on a mostly empty stomach, or wait about two hours after a big meal before doing twists and forward bends. Listen to your body, move gently, and stop if you feel pain or discomfort. If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor and a qualified yoga teacher first.

9. Keep Regular Meal and Sleep Times

Your digestive system runs on a rhythm, just like the rest of your body. Eating at irregular times, skipping meals, and then eating huge dinners late at night can leave your gut confused. Late, heavy meals are also a common trigger for acid reflux because lying down soon after eating makes it easier for stomach acid to rise.

Poor sleep matters too. Short or irregular sleep is linked with digestive complaints and with changes in gut bacteria. Your gut does important repair work while you rest, and a regular schedule helps it function predictably.

How to do it: Try to eat meals at roughly the same times each day, and finish dinner at least two to three hours before bed. Make dinner lighter than lunch, and aim for seven or more hours of sleep on a regular schedule.