Increasing bowel movement Exercises

I teach Yoga, but one of the classes I sometimes teach is "anti-constipation".

So I thought I'd post 3 of the exercises I do in that class, and hope it helps you all. Most problems come due to constipation, and that usually is because either lack of water, lack of air, or lack of blood circulation as well as a poor diet. So below, are 3 simple exercises to do in the morning. I have students who only go #2 once every 3 days!! That's amazing to me, because if you keep that up, might as well write "cancer" on your forehead!! They have to take a large amount of laxitives to go to the bathroom. Since they have been doing these exercises, they have been doing well, going regularly. I hope this will benefit those on the board as much as it has benefitted me.

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When you are a baby, you use 98% of your lungs to breath, as you get older, you use only about 60% or so, and so the bottom 40% of your lungs don't get used. So the first exercise is to full your entire lungs with air. This will help with constipation, improve digestion, blood ciculation, and give you energy and vitality.

1) Locate your belly button, and put an index finger in it. With your other hand, put three fingers (like a boy scout), place the 3 fingers horizontally, and place it below your belly button. Now move the finger that was in your belly button to that location that is vertical to the belly button, but directly below your three fingers. (If your fingers are similar in size to mine, then you should be about 2 inches or so below your belly button.) Now press on this location with your finger. This location is called your "Sea of Energy", and very important in Chinese Medicine. (Called "Dan Tien" Meaning "Single Field") Now, inhale through the nose, and try to fill your entire lungs with air. When done correctly, your stomach should PUFF up. Most beginnners cannot do this correctly, so I always tell them, try to inhale and PUSH with your stomach, against your Dan Tien. Again, your stomach should puff up, and you should be using your stomach to push against your finger. This is the easiest way to check that you are doing it correctly. The first time you do it correctly, you might feel light headed because you are not use to filling up the bottom 40% of your lungs. Repeat this exercise 5-10 times. It is easy to do first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. It's easier to do it lying flat. Do it before you wake up, and right before you go to sleep, it helps with blood circulation. NEVER do it within 2 hours after you have eaten. You might throw up, as it forces blood to race around your body, and if you were digesting at that time, that's a bad thing..

** CAUTION
**None of these should be done within 2 hours after eating or you might get sick...
** CAUTION


2) "The Stomach Flattener" ~ Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and relax. Now inhale deeply through the nose, and once your lungs are full, try to BLOW it out your mouth with all your strength, but KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED SO NO AIR ESCAPES. Make a fist with both hands while you are doing this, and push with all your might, but resisting at the same time. Hold like this for 5~6 seconds. Then let out the air. This will rearrange your internal organs into the correct position, as well as cause blood to rush to your lungs and strengthen your "powerhouse" the group of muscles that hold you up. Repeat this exercise 5~10 times. This will make you light headed the first time you try it. Don't do it when you are overly hot or outdoors under the sun..

We try not to breath in through our mouth, for two main reasons: 1) The nose has filtration qualities, it filters and slightly moisturizes the air. 2) When you inhale deeply through the mouth, most end up swallowing air; and if you exercise later, you will end up getting a "side stitch". Those usually from a pocket of air that was swallowed while exercising, and then stuck in the stomach. This is why when you exercise, you should not drink from a drinking fountain, as you will end up swallowing air.

3) "The Vacuum" ~ With your legs shoulder width apart, hands at your waist, bend forward as if you are trying to touch the floor, and bend forward as far as is comfortable. Now, exhale through your mouth, as much air as you can. When you have exhaled all that you can, hold your breath and SLOWLY stand back up. When you are fully erect, keep holding your breath for 5~6 seconds. Then inhale normally again through the nose. Repeat this 10 times or so. This is one of the very few exercises that works your inguinal ligament. The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. This is the ligament, that when it is too weak, you will end up with a hernia...


DISCLAIMER: Definitely if you are seriously ill or very old, I probably wouldn't recommend these, or at least in low reps and slowly build up to them. If you have high blood pressure, or have had an anurism before; I don't recommend the stomach flattener. Before you do these exercises, please really assess your current medical condition. These exercises might not be right for you.


I would love to get some feedback on these exercises from those who do it. Thanks!!

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