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Do These 5 Yoga Poses Before Bed If Thanksgiving Dinner Has You Bloated
Whether you hit the turkey a little too hard or just want to give your gut a hand in digesting Thanksgiving dinner, there are a ton of stretches and yoga postures you can do to help beat bloat—and some of them can even help you get to sleep easier, too.
This quick 5-pose yoga sequence can be done just before bed (and actually right in your bed, if you wanted) so you can fall asleep without feeling stuffed.
Seated forward fold:
- Come into a seated position, with legs stretched out long (bend your knees if needed).
- Stretch your arms overhead, then hinge at your hips and allow your arms to fold over your legs.
- Hold for at least 30 seconds.
- When you're ready, make your way to your back for half-wind-relieving pose.
Half-wind-relieving pose:
- Lie on your back.
- Hug your right knee into your chest. Hold your knee close to you, and start to sway it side to side. Create circles with your knee, massaging out your belly.
- Repeat for five to eight breaths. Then repeat on the left side.
- Continue to reclined twist.
Reclined twist:
- While lying on your back, bring both knees into your chest.
- Slowly allow them to fall to the right side. Let your left hand extend out to the side, and bring your gaze to your right hand.
- Hold for five to eight breaths, then slowly bring your legs back up to center, and repeat on the left side.
- Bring your knees back to center, and roll side to side for a couple of moments.
- Make your way to child's pose.
Child's pose:
- From tabletop, sit back onto your heels with the toes together and the knees out wide.
- Reach and extend your fingertips forward, allowing your forehead to rest on the mat.
- Lengthen from the hips up to the fingertips.
- Breathe here for as long as you like.
Legs up the wall:
- Start by sitting down facing a wall, with a block or folded blanket underneath you if desired.
- Lay your upper body down, and extend your legs up the wall.
- Your sitz bones don't need to be touching the wall, so adjust to a length that feels comfortable for you.
- Legs should be relatively active but not completely stiff.
- Hold for around 10 minutes, breathing gently.
The takeaway.
Nothing can keep you tossing and turning quite like feeling stuffed or bloated. If that's sounding all too familiar post-Thanksgiving dinner, this quick sequence will help you digest, de-bloat, and get to sleep with ease. (And if you need some extra help in the de-bloating department, check out our favorite probiotics, chosen by a nutrition Ph.D.)
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