We all are aware that Acidity or Acid Reflux is one of the most common medical conditions that is caused due to poor food habits and an unhealthy lifestyle. If you find yourself going through the feeling of burning sensation in the lower chest area after eating, also known as heartburn, you might be going through acidity.
In today’s busy world, it is very difficult for us to get time for ourselves and to focus on our health. We neglect our body by not doing even the basic exercises necessary to keep our health in check, we simply ‘don’t have enough time’ to do so.
What people do wrong is that they go to the other extreme and start doing heavy impact activities which usually backfires and make the acidity or acid reflux worse. Doing lower-impact activities is what one should do to prevent or reduce the effects of acid reflux or gerd. Following mentioned are 7 tips or lifestyle changes you must do in order to get rid of acid reflux:
1. Maintaining a Healthy Weight
As cliche as it sounds, maintaining a healthy weight is important for one’s health due to several reasons and it can be achieved by some basic activities. Your weight increases pressure on your abdomen, the extra fat around the belly squeezes your stomach so more fluid travels upwards into the oesophagus. Not wearing tight clothing around your waist also helps.
2. Taking Smaller and Balanced Meals At The Right Time
Instead of having 3 big meals in a day, it’s better to consume 5-6 smaller and balanced meals throughout the day. This won’t only help you be mindful about the kind of food that you’re eating but can also help you assess what triggers your acidity the most.
3. Walking
Walking after a meal or once a day is the most common form of exercise and the most convenient one as well. Some people go on walks not for exercise but just for pleasure since they enjoy such activities. It can massively aid digestion and reduce the symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux. But avoid doing any sort of walks or exercises before going to bed.
4. Light Jogging
Exercises like light jogging may help prevent or relieve the symptoms of acid reflux by helping you lose weight and supporting good digestion. More low impact exercises can be quite beneficial for people suffering from acid reflux or gerd.
5. Yoga
We Indians are well aware of the power or multiple health benefits of performing yoga regularly. Different asanas like kapalbhati and agnisar kriya may be particularly helpful as it can increase diaphragmatic tone, thus decreasing reflux from the stomach. Some more asanas which can be helpful for acid reflux or heartburn are; plough pose, camel pose, diamond pose, wind removing pose and cat stretch pose.
6. Stationary Biking
Similar to the exercises mentioned above like light jogging and walking, stationary biking also helps in maintaining a healthy weight which controls acid reflux. But at the same time, doing high impact endurance workouts can trigger acidity or gerd, so one should do it in moderation.
7. Swimming or Water Aerobics
There are various health benefits of swimming. Going to swim once a week is more than enough for living a healthy lifestyle. It strengthens the diaphragm, reducing heartburn or acidity risk by 50%.
8. Light Weights
As it is mentioned above for the other exercises, moderate and light impact exercise can be quite beneficial for people suffering from acid reflux or gerd. But one should make sure that they are not using heavy weights since it can backfire and worsen the situation.
Apart from everything mentioned above, one should also focus on other aspects while doing these, like; the amount of time to take after having a meal and before exercising, what to eat, taking appropriate medicine etc. One of the most important things which is underestimated by people is to remember to drink enough water.
Besides the activities and lifestyle changes mentioned above, you can add an ayurvedic cure to acidity, i.e., Acid Balance by LYEF. It is a combination of unique ayurvedic ingredients blended together using ‘bhavana’ technique, which can improve your digestion and neutralise hyperacidity. Making it a part of your lifestyle can have a positive impact on your wellness and help you get rid of acid reflux.