Struggling to Poop? Try These 3 Core Workouts to Get Things Moving

Core workouts can assist in improving constipation by stimulating ab muscles to keep things moving.
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When your bowels are backed up, an ab workout might do wonders to get things flowing.

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Indeed, exercise, in general, increases colonic motility (which accelerates transit through the gut) and stimulates your abdominal muscles to help stool move into the rectum, Nikhil A. Kumta, MD, a gastroenterologist and associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

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But core-based exercises can be especially helpful to combat constipation. Here's why: Since your abs are activated during bowel movements (and when you pass gas), engaging these muscles through core training can assist in stool passage, especially when used in combination with a fiber-rich diet and adequate water intake, Dr. Kumta says.

So the next time your bathroom habits are at a halt, try these three ab-focused workouts that'll simultaneously strengthen your six-pack muscles and help you produce regular poops.

Warning

If you experience symptoms including weight loss, bloody stools, iron deficiency anemia or worsened GI symptoms at night, or you have a family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, your constipation might be the sign of a more serious health issue that requires an evaluation by a medical professional, Dr. Kumta says.

1. 10-Minute Pilates Core Workout With Amy Jordan

There's no better way to set your abs ablaze than this Pilates-based plank series. You'll hold 10 deep core-activating plank variations for about a minute each, using deep breathing to lengthen the spine and intensify the contraction of your abdominal muscles on your exhale.

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Incorporating breathing techniques can also relieve constipation since it helps relax the anal sphincter, Dr. Kumta says.

2. 10-Minute At-Home Core Workout With Luke Milton

Ab exercises that involve sustained twisting of the core muscles are particularly effective for promoting poop, Dr. Kumta says. And this 10-minute core circuit, which consists of tummy twisting moves like bicycle kicks, will stimulate your stool's movement down your digestive tract.

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And if you really want to get things moving, go for a short stroll after this ab workout. Walking for 30 minutes a day has been shown to improve constipation and abdominal bloating symptoms, Dr. Kumta says.

3. 10-Minute Core Workout With Ingrid Clay

All you need is a mat for this quick workout that cycles through 10 ab-focused exercises in 10 minutes. Isometric holds heat up your core between ab-wringing exercises, like sit-up twists, split leg V-ups and Russian twists, that simultaneously burn out your obliques and speed up stool passage through your gut.

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For an even bigger bowel movement boost, you can stack this core routine with a lower-body workout. Moves like squats, donkey kickbacks and glute bridges strengthen the pelvic floor. And improving coordination of the pelvic floor muscles assists with evacuation of stool, Dr. Kumta says.