Gastroesophageal Disease and Exercise - How Is It Related?

How to Understand the Relationship between Exercise and GERD?

Almost 58 percent of the world’s population suffers from issues like chest pain, indigestion, heartburn, and regular acidity. The most common cause of this problem is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In GERD, the acid within our stomach crosses the junction (lower esophageal sphincter) between the stomach and the food pipe and goes upward.

Most of us believe that the acid reflux problem can be solved only by taking medicines. Recent studies show that an increase in pressure in our gut can lead to GERD. Several factors and diseases can also lead to this increase in gut pressure. This increase in abdominal pressure can be attributed to exercise, as observed in certain athletes. If you are already suffering from acidity-related issues, extensive exercise can worsen them.

According to some doctors, if you are obese, the fatty tissue around the stomach and the food pipe is the reason for such a rise in pressure. Additionally, exercise enhances blood flow to your stomach and stimulates the nerves in that area. This causes excessive acid secretion and leads to increased acidity. On the other hand, exercise may strengthen our diaphragm and create a barrier for acid reflux.

Also, certain types of regular exercise can reduce excessive weight, stress, and help us manage severe anxiety and GERD. That is why understanding the relationship between exercise and GERD is essential.

What Can Exercise Do for GERD?

Exercises have the following effects on your GERD:

1. Exercises improve your digestive system and metabolism. As a result, it can cure issues like indigestion.

2. Exercises help to lose weight and reduce fat. As obesity is one of the important factors for regular acidity, losing weight can help you with your GERD symptoms.

3. Exercises improve the movement of the food tract. This prevents the backflow of the stomach contents.

What Are the Exercises for GERD?

The following exercises can really help you with GERD.

1. This exercise strengthens the junction between your foodpipe and stomach. Individuals should start doing this exercise after breakfast and lunch. While doing this exercise in a kneeling position, the head is kept below the level of the stomach to provide resistance. Initially, you can practice with dry swallowing or taking a small amount of food. You have to sit on a platform that is 7 feet high. After kneeling, take a typical mouthful, chew it as necessary, and get ready to swallow. You should finish swallowing while resting your head on your hands, with your forearms placed flat on the floor. With practice, the patient might be able to start and finish swallowing in this position.

2. Additionally, traditional exercises such as yoga and pranayama are effective in managing GERD. Yoga for heartburn includes poses like Supta baddha konasana, Parsvottanasana, and Trikonasana.

3. Doctors do not recommend high-impact exercises for individuals with GERD. One can start with exercises like walking, swimming, stationary biking, and cycling. Such exercises help increase metabolic activities and weight loss.

4. Specific yoga exercises are very useful in GERD. This includes Supta baddha konasana, Marjaryasana, Ardha matsyendrasana, and Paschimottanasana.

What Are Risks and Warnings for Exercise in GERD?

Recent studies suggest that physical activity may exacerbate GERD symptoms. However, most doctors believe that routine activities do not affect your acidity. Even a gentle walk reduces the duration for which the food pipe is subjected to acid from your gut. On the other hand, intense exercise or a meal before exercise not only increases your acid production in the stomach but also causes indigestion.

What Are the Effects of Breathing Exercises on GERD?

As is already known, the diaphragm, located between the chest and abdomen, plays a crucial role in gastroesophageal reflux. This skeletal muscle prevents the upward movement of acid into the food pipe and creates a barrier. You can control your diaphragm through your breathing exercises. Diaphragmatic breathing training (DBT) could provide relief for certain GERD patients experiencing severe symptoms.

Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, activates the additional muscles responsible for our breathing. This causes more pressure on the food pipe and increases the efficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Throat exercises for GERD are also effective in controlling acid reflux and GERD symptoms. These GERD exercises help reduce symptoms, such as sensations of a lump in the throat. These exercises include various neck movements for postural correction and swallowing exercises for reducing discomfort.

What Are the Tips for Exercising with GERD?

GERD exercises are not always practical. Sometimes, these exercises may worsen the symptoms, such as morning heartburn and heartburn after running. Certain easy measures can be effective in such cases. The following tips will be helpful;

• Do not take food just before the exercise. Additionally, after exercise, it is necessary to have adequate rest before eating.

• The gap between exercise and meals should be at least one to two hours.

• Avoid high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or cardio exercises if you are already suffering from GERD.

• Avoid strength training, such as powerlifting and weightlifting. Such exercises increase pressure in the abdomen and induce acid reflux.

• Drinking adequate water while exercising can reduce your symptoms.

• Avoid wearing tight clothing, especially tight waistbands, when exercising.

• Avoid lying flat while exercising, as it may exacerbate acid reflux.

• Regular yoga and pranayama can improve your symptoms.

Conclusion

If you engage in high-intensity and heavy exercises, it can exacerbate your GERD symptoms. Heavy exercises can worsen your acid reflux complications, like heartburn, chest pain, and sourness in the mouth. However, mild or low intensity is suitable for you. It not only keeps you healthy but also can help you lose extra weight. Apart from these, you can do LES resistance exercises, which can help address the root cause of your regular acid reflux. Apart from these, these exercises are also risk-free and offer numerous health benefits.

Key Takeaway From iCliniq

• If you have GERD or other acid reflux issues, you should be cautious about exercise.

• Specific GERD exercises include mild physical activity, throat exercises, and yoga.

• You must avoid heavy exercises.

• If you ever need help or have questions about your complications, you can always consult our iCliniq gastroenterologist for guidance.