Why does exercise relief stomach pain/bloating

Question

I have chronic stomach discomfort especially after eating. Why does even little exercise relief my stomach discomfort? I also suffer from IBS, does this mean that the gas inside the stomach goes away while exercising or is it something else that helps the relief. Likewise, my GERD get's better but only after intense workout...

Answer 1

Exercise helps move the gas out of your body:

• the study found that walking helped move food through the stomach much more quickly. When the stomach empties faster, gas is able to move more quickly into your small intestine and cause less distress.

• "Simply lying down often provides relief from bloating," Palmer says. "But the thing about gas and bloating is that when you lie down, gas is less likely to be able to pass out of the body. You might feel better, but you’re actually trapping more gas."

So the posture of exercise(walking, bending) could be why it offers relief, as well.

The effect of physical exercise on parameters of gastrointestinal function.

While exercise can be a cause to aggravate heartburn, walking after dinner can be beneficial for symptoms. I do not know what intense workout entails for you, however.

• Walking and chewing reduce postprandial acid reflux

• Lying down after dinner can aggravate acid reflux. So should be avoided for at least 3 hours.

• Exercises that promote the gastric content movement should be avoided as they can aggravate symptoms

So the posture may help the GERD symptoms as lying down can causes gastric movement in the wrong direction.