Want to get rid of digestive issues? Do THIS exercise for 15 minutes daily

Digestive ease is nothing less than a blessing for every individual who eats anything with the fear of "Let's skip it, what if I can’t digest?”. People often feel shy discussing these issues, but living in a world where every now and then we are dependent on junk food, what if this problem can be solved in just 15 minutes through a Yoga exercise?

Pavanmuktasana, as the name is a collection of three words — Pavan-Mukta-Asana — which typically translates to Air-Release-Pose. It primarily helps by exerting gentle pressure on the abdomen (the part of the human body below the chest that contains the stomach, bowels, etc.), which massages the internal digestive organs and stimulates them to function more efficiently. This action helps in the release of trapped gas, alleviates bloating, and can relieve constipation by promoting bowel movement and improving overall digestion.

How to do it

Ekpada Pavanmuktasana

• Lie on your back with your feet together and arms beside your body.
• Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend your right knee and bring it toward your chest.
• Clasp your hands around the shin (the front part of your leg from your knee to your foot), pressing the thigh into the abdomen.
• Optionally, raise your head toward your knee for a deeper abdominal massage.
• Maintain this posture for 30–60 seconds, breathing deeply and rhythmically.
• Release and repeat with the left leg.
• Perform 3 rounds on each side.

Dvipada Pavanmuktasana

• Lie on your back with your feet together and arms beside your body.
• Bring both knees toward the chest, and clasp your hands just below the knees.
• Optionally, lift your chin/knees closer together.
• Hold for 30–60 seconds, ensuring steady breathing.
• Release and repeat 2 times.

Credit:iStock

What changes does it bring to your life

• Helps reduce gas and bloating: While doing this asana you are compressing the thighs against the abdomen, it pushes out digestive gases. That’s how the body can be relieved from the sensation of being bloated.
• Digestion becomes smoother: The posture of the asana helps in better functioning of the digestive organs, breaking down food more efficiently and supporting gut health.
• Less probability of facing frequent constipation: If your washroom chores take too long to finish ? This asana can come to your rescue, helping to stimulate bowel movement by activating and massaging the intestines, the long tube in the human body that carries food away from the stomach to the place where it leaves the body, thus promoting regular evacuation.
  Credit: iStock
• Strengthens core and abdominal muscles: If one can invest 15 minutes from their everyday routine to this asana , it’ll help toning and strengthening the abdomen, leg, and hip muscles, supporting digestive health and posture.
• Enhances circulation: The posture involved in this asana encourages better blood flow to abdominal organs, further aiding digestion and metabolic function.
• Eases lower back pain: If one starts practising it from an early age, later in life the probability of having lower back pain can be reduced. By stretching and relaxing the lower back and abdominal area, it helps to reduce stiffness and discomfort.