8 Exercises For The Gut: What Works & Why
What is gut-muscle talk and why will it benefit you? Which exercises for the gut work? The answers to these important questions are connected to a healthier you.
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Encouraging thoughts:
Exercising is a passion of mine, so I love diving deeper to find ways to best benefit my body. I know that fitness has a positive impact on our mood, mindset, internal functions, and helps prevent illness and disease.
However, sometimes we need more information than just that exercise is good for you. This is a statement I believe most know. But you will not reap the benefits from just knowing.
Consistent and regular exercise is important for true gut health to take hold. Therefore, relating the information to a want or need for change will start you in the right direction.
If you already exercise for enjoyment or out of pure discipline, then implementing these exercises may be simpler.
However, if you need a push, think about what exercises you can begin with that may have the biggest impact on healthy digestion and overall health.
What is Gut-Muscle Talk
A healthy gut microbiome benefits muscle health. Research shows energy, endurance are better with a healthy gut, and fatigue lessens. This is one aspect of gut-muscle talk.
A second aspect is the effect that increased muscle and physical activity has on the gut. Appropriate muscle activity aids in blood sugar regulation, decreases inflammation, and increases postbiotics, which are shown in studies to improve grip strength, endurance, and muscle mass.
We know there are many benefits to exercise. However, the impact it has on gut motility and gut microbiota is being increasingly studied.
Why is Exercise important for Gut health
"The discovery of interorgan cross-talk offers a framework for understanding how PA transmits many of its beneficial effects on whole-body metabolic health" (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2025).
The above quote indicates that the gut, actually the digestive system as a whole, benefits from physical activity (PA).
These benefits include positive adjustments to the gut's microbiome (the gut's ecosystem).
The gut (along with the whole body) receives helpful metabolites when proper exercise is performed, which promotes a healthy body and gastrointestinal tract.
Also, a longer life span and disease prevention are both associated with the findings of exercise performance and gut health.
This is because exercise can positively affect bacteria and microbial diversity in the gut.
The contraction of the muscles releases myokines from the skeletal muscle. These myokines signal anti-inflammatory actions and boost metabolic health.
Exact outcomes are based on one's individual makeup and circumstances of course.
However, the best results are seen with a consistent exercise routine lasting at least two months or more.
What A healthy gut means for you
- Better digestion
- A diverse, healthy microbiome filled with balanced gut microbes, gut bacteria and fungi
- More energy
- Better mood and concentration
- Less inflammation
- Fewer skin issues and/or rashes
- Healthy elimination of waste from the body
- Lowers stress levels, which helps with digestive issues by allowing digestive organs to function properly
- Increases blood flow, which is important for overall gut health
Can exercise Have a negative impact
Yes. Overexertion can cause cortisol levels to rise in certain individuals. This will be based on how your body handles stress. But you will want to be aware of performing an intense workout.
Autoimmune disorders, poor liver conditions, and a sluggish lymphatic system, along with other conditions, all need to be factored in. You want to help chronic inflammation, not increase it.
Therefore, it is best for a person who has never exercised regularly to increase exercise gradually over time and work towards a consistent routine.
Participating in appropriate exercise, recognizing your limits, and knowing when to push them is important to maximize gut health.
However, if you are aware of these things and work out at or a little above your fitness level, then the benefits of exercise should override the negatives.
Exercises For better gut health
1. Yoga
The first great fitness activity for gut health is yoga. Studies show yoga can increase beneficial microbes in the stomach that strengthen the gut lining, improve gut-brain axis function, and aid in the production of healthy bacteria.
Additionally, yoga decreases stress and promotes relaxation techniques that support healthier digestion as well.
Yoga Poses include:
- Cobra Pose, Belly Twist, Child's Pose, Forward Fold, Bridge Pose, Downward Dog, Triangle Pose, Bow Pose, Camel Pose, Seated Twist Cat Cow, upward dog
2. Strength Training
Strength training has been shown to promote healthy and diverse microbiota in the gut, improve gut lining permeability, and reduce inflammation with moderate and appropriate strength training exercises.
Important things for strength training to effectively help gut health:
- Rest between sets
- Set a weight that is comfortable yet challenging (do not overexert)
- Use a variety of exercises
- Proper technique
- Proper posture
- Effective breathing
Another reason strength training benefits the gut is because of the activation of liver performance. This type of exercise supports the liver, and liver activation supports gut health.
Working with weights, both directly and indirectly, helps support the gut and digestive system, making it a valuable fitness activity.
Strength training Options Include:
- Squats, Rows, Presses, Extensions, Pulldowns, Curls
3. Walking
Another form of exercise that has proven beneficial for the microbiome is walking. This is an easy exercise to implement. However, brisk walking or "walking with a purpose" is what will get you the benefits for gut health.
It is shown that individuals who walk benefit from good microbiome changes. However, when the same participants stopped, the microbiome reverted to how it was before walking.
4. Pilates
With the gut microbiome being linked to health disorders, symptoms arise that are uncomfortable, problematic, persistent, and at times even life-threatening.
Irritable bowel syndrome (where you have irregular bowel movements) can be one of the frustrating symptoms of an unhappy gut.
Pilates shows beneficial outcomes when it comes to IBS. Additionally, depression and anxiety improved in individuals and energy levels increased.
We know that the neurotransmitter serotonin plays a big role in issues with anxiety, depression and mental health. Pilates' potential to help with this indicates its positive impact on the gut.
5. Resistance Training
Although strength training falls under the category of resistance training, resistance training encompasses more.
Using a resistance band and one's own weight are great ways to exercise the body as well.
Using less weight and increasing your reps will supply the body with increased oxygen, mitigate inflammation, and set up a healthier gut environment.
Resistance Training Options Include:
- Rowing Machine, Band Exercises, Kettleball Exercises, Fitness Machines, and anything giving opposing force
6. Calisthenics
Calisthenics is another great exercise type to use that does not require the use of weights. This alternative will also provide benefits to the gut microbiome.
Exploring exercise programs will increase your chance of finding one that you will stick to. This is important because consistency plays a key role in exercise, impacting the digestive system in a healthy way.
Calisthenics can be performed easily because you do not need to use equipment. This makes it readily available to be used anywhere.
Calisthenic Options Include:
- Pull-ups, Push-ups, Sit-ups, Crunches, Squats, Floor Work
7. Core Work
A core workout has been shown to help colon motility. The colon is the tail end of the digestive tract.
Working the abdominal muscles gets things moving in the gut. It is important that the body is able to eliminate waste properly to maximize gut and digestive health.
Core Work Includes:
- Bird Dog, Plank, Bridges, Core Rotations, Pelvic Tilt, Scissor Kicks, Heel Taps, Bicycles, Diaphragmatic Breathing
8. Rebounder Workout
Lastly, using a rebounder is an effective way to help your GI tract. Rebounding is when you perform specific exercises while jumping on a mini trampoline.
Blood flow is increased for better digestion. Also, results show inflammation, bloating and constipation to be lessened due to increased gut motility.
This post explored the important reasons to exercise and the positive impact it has on digestion and gut health.
Exercise, the Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Diseases: Therapeutic Impact and Molecular Mechanisms, Hawley, John A. et al.
Boytar, A. N., Skinner, T. L., Wallen, R. E., Jenkins, D. G., & Dekker Nitert, M. (2023). The Effect of Exercise Prescription on the Human Gut Microbiota and Comparison between Clinical and Apparently Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 15(6), 1534. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061534
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.628629/full
The effects of 6 wk of resistance training on the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic health in young adults with overweight and obesity John M. A. Cullen, Shahim Shahzad, Jill A. Kanaley, Aaron C. Ericsson, and Jaapna Dhillon Journal of Applied Physiology 2024 136:2, 349-361
Dalton, A., Mermier, C., & Zuhl, M. (2019). Exercise influence on the microbiome-gut-brain axis. Gut microbes, 10(5), 555–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2018.1562268
Swarup, S., Gupta, A., Chung, M., Radhakrishnan, V., Davis, V., Lynch, M. D. J., Charles, T. C., Cheng, J., & Mendoza, G. (2025). Rapid shift of gut microbiome and enrichment of beneficial microbes during arhatic yoga meditation retreat in a single-arm pilot study. BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 25(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04783-4
https://www.jeoct.com/article_207415_088b70021698e5a91b64f53cfaf0037c.pdf
https://www.archivesofphysiotherapy.com/index.php/aop/article/view/3228
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a67949181/resistance-strength-weight-training-differences/
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