IBS has been my constant companion for over 3 decades. Abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and nausea. So I tend to view new treatment therapies with more than a dose of scepticism. While the science falls short of endorsing yoga as an IBS therapy, the evidence base is growing. But the only way of finding out if yoga can help your IBS is to try it. This blog reviews the scientific evidence to date and provides a free min yoga practice so you can find out yourself if yoga improves your IBS.
I LOVE people who do yoga. Seriously, they are some of the happiest and most content people I know. Or so I thought! I used to find it slow and repetitive and the classes seemed so long. It could be as simple as adding a few yoga poses to your post workout cool down or doing a few nightly poses while watching TV. Scientists now believe that IBS is the result of miscommunication between the brain and the gut.
Yoga has both exercise and stress reduction benefits. And these could help with IBS through a range of pathways including a reduction in stress-induced activity of the parasympathethic nervous system and the interactions between the hypothalamusβpituitary and adrenal glands. In addition, yoga may improve symptoms through changes in immune function and inflammatory processes. Scroll to the bottom of the blog for a more indepth review of the latest clinical data.
The main yoga movements for IBS are easy and manageable to achieve and involve three basic shapes β knees-to-chest, forward bends and twisting. Not a downward dog or headstand in sight! While lying on the floor, bring your knees into your chest and give them a hug. You can achieve the same effect while sitting in a chair.
Just bend forward as far as you can comfortably go and breathe. Twisting your body has a wringing effect on the abdomen which can help move things along. You can try a seated spinal twist in a chair or on the floor. The aim is to twist your torso slowly to the left and hold and then repeat on the other side. You could add these to your post-workout cool down or get into the habit of doing the 3 poses nightly while watching TV. Sold on the benefits of yoga therapy and want to do more?
