7 Easy Yoga Poses for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

yoga for irritable bowel syndrome

When something does not feel right in your gut, it generally is a sign that something is not right with your life. In case you are one of those people suffering from IBS and you experience chronic abdominal pain with digestive distress then you should try out some yoga poses given below.

7 Easy Yoga Poses for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

1. Half Wheel Pose

half wheel pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Lie down on your back and then bend your knees.
  • Bring the heels close to the hips where the fingertips are hardly able to graze the heels. Your feet have to be about a hip-distance apart.
  • Soles of the feet on the ground and place your palm down on side of your head with a shoulder-width distance. Make sure that your fingers point towards the shoulder and the thumbs close to the ears.
  • Start lifting the hips by pressing on the arms and legs evenly and firmly.
  •  Keep extending your hips while elongating the arms.
  • Hold for as long as you can and breathe slowly.
  • Move back to position gradually.

Number of Repetitions: Do this twice holding it as long as possible.

How it Helps: The pose is corrected posture and can treat irritable bowel syndrome. It can also improve blood circulation and ease menstrual discomfort.

[ Read: Yoga Asanas to Relieve Constipation ]

2. Padahastasan

Padahastasan pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Stand straight, keeping the feet parallel to each other.
  • Inhale and lift your hands in the air with your fingers pointing upwards. Your feet should be placed a shoulder apart.
  • Exhale to bend from the joint of your hip. The motion should look like the head, hand, and torso are a unit.
  • Let the hand meet the toe, and the nose or chin touch the knee. Slowly slide in your finger under the toes.
  • Maintain the pose for 5 breaths and move back to position.

Number of Repetitions: Do this 5-10 times holding the pose for 5 breaths.

How it Helps: It eliminates fatigue and stress and is beneficial for people suffering from gastric issues.

[ Read: Yoga Poses for Bloated Belly ]

3. Triangle Pose

triangle pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Stand in mountain pose and place your feet 4 ft. apart. Stretch out your arms on your side keeping it parallel to the floor and keep the palms down.
  • Turn in your left foot a little towards the right and the right one out at 90 degrees. Make sure that the left heel and right heel is in alignment. The right knee cap should be in line with the right ankle.
  • Exhale to extend the torso to the right just over the right leg’s plane by bending it from the hip joint.
  • Allow your hip to come a little forward while lengthening your tailbone towards your back heel.
  • Rest the right hand on the floor or on the ankle without any distortion on the torso side.
  • Make sure that the left arms stretch towards the ceiling. Maintain this pose for 30 seconds and inhale to come up.
  • Repeat it on the other side.

Number of Repetitions: Do this at least 5 times on each side holding the pose for 30 seconds.

How it Helps: It can stimulate the abdominal organs and also improve digestion.

[ Read: Yoga Poses To Boost Your Immune System ]

4. Seated Forward Bend Pose

seated forward bend pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Sit straight and keep both legs stretched out in front of you. Keep the heels pressed to the ground and flex the feet.
  • Now, inhale for extending the hands over the head and sit straight.
  • Exhale and hinge at the hips for folding forward over the legs and maintain some length along the spine. Hold on to something that you find in front of you.
  • As you inhale, keep bending.
  • Maintain the pose for 5-20 breaths and then come back to position.

Number of Repetitions: Do this 5-10 times holding the pose for 5-20 breaths.

How it Helps: The pose can stimulate your internal organs while improving digestion.

[ Read: Yoga Poses for Hips ]

5. Cobra Pose

cobra pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Lie down on your belly and place the palms just beneath the shoulder.
  • Keep feet top flat on the floor.
  • Engage the abs drawing in the belly button and tilt the section of your pelvis.
  • Press the palms and then spread the fingers.
  • Bring the shoulders back.
  • Push the upper part of the body off the surface while keeping the arms straight.
  • The legs, hips, and feet have to be planted on the floor firmly.
  • Chin should be tilting and shoulder up.
  • Hold this for 30 seconds.

Number of Repetitions: Do this 5 times holding it for 30 seconds each time.

How it Helps: It stimulates the abdominal organs and stretches the abdomen.

[ Read: Yoga Poses for Tight Hips ]

6. Locust Pose

locust pose for IBS
Shutterstock

How to Do:

  • Lie flat on your belly.
  • Stretch the arms along the body and rest the face and forehead on the floor.
  • Now inhale and lift up the chest legs, heads, and arms off ground.
  • Your legs have to be straight and keep the arms flat on your side.
  • Spread out the fingers and toes.
  • Hold the pose for 30 seconds.
  • Come back to position.

Number of Repetitions: Do it 5 times holding the pose for 30 seconds.

How it Helps: The pose can treat constipation and stimulate abdominal organs.

[ Read: Yoga Poses for Swimmers ]

7. Fish Pose

How to Do:

  • Lie on the floor on your back and bend the knees. Keep the soles on the floor.
  • Slide in the hands under the buttock by lifting up the hip. Keep the palms facing down as you draw in the elbow and the forearm towards the body.
  • While you inhale, bend elbows and then press strongly into the elbows and forearms for lifting the head along with the upper body further up from the floor.
  • Make sure the shoulder blades are firm and lift the chest higher as you elongate the spine.
  • Now, slowly release the crown of the head back on the floor and place minimum weight on the head.
  • Stay in this knee bent position for 5-10 breaths.
  • Come out of the position slowly.

Number of Repetitions: Do this 5-10 times.

How it Helps: It offers a great stretch to the chest, shoulder, and the abdomen. The pose can be beneficial for people suffering from IBS.

Yoga serves as a remedial therapy for managing irritable bowel syndrome. However, this should be followed along with a proper diet program.

You Might Also Like:

Was this article helpful?

Advertisement2