Weight loss: 4 pilates moves to speed up your digestion process

Good health is all about good digestion. Poor digestive health can lead to nutrient deficiency, irregular bowel movement, hormonal imbalance and can even affect your brain chemistry and mood. Not only this, proper digestion of food is even more essential when you are trying to lose weight. While, there is no dearth of tricks to ensure good digestion, if you are looking for something new, pilates can be an excellent alternative.

Our digestive system is surrounded by four muscles and proper digestion of food is aided by the movements of these muscles. While performing pilates, these deep core muscles are targeted, which ensure easy digestion of food. This can be quite helpful when trying to shed kilos. You can do these exercises in the morning before having your meal or at night at least an hour after your last meal.

The pelvic clock is a typical Pilates mat exercise. In this exercise, you have to slow down and focus on your body. The gentle movement helps to position the pelvis and engage the abs.

How to do it: Lie down on the floor with your arms straight and resting by your side. The soles of your feet should be placed flat on the floor. Engage your abdomen to bring your button down to the spine and lengthen your spine to create a pelvic tilt. Now circle the pelvis on the floor just like a clock. Inhale and exhale while doing so. Go in the clockwise direction first for 5 times, then go anti-clockwise.

The hundred is an excellent pilates exercise for the abdominals and lungs. While doing this exercise, it is important to keep close coordination between your breath and movement.

How to do it: Lie down on your back and raise your legs at a 45-degree angle. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and neck off the ground. Your arms should be by your side slightly above the ground. Now start pumping your arms up and down while breathing in and out. Repeat this 10 times.

This exercise works on your core and upper back muscles, which is good for accelerating the digestion process.

How to do it: Get on all fours with your hands underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips. Press the left hand into the floor for support and lift your right arm out up towards the sky to twist the torso as much as you can. Hold the position for a while and then repeat the same with the other hand.

Breathing is one of the best techniques to increase your digestion process. Simply focus on your breathing while sitting in a relaxing posture; tighten your tummy and increase your digestion.

How to do it:

Sit down crossed-legged on the floor with your spine straight. Breathe in through your nose and feel the air moving through the body to the pelvic floor relaxing your abdominal muscles. When you exhale, you should feel your muscles tone. Continue to breathe slowly with that focus and follow this mindful breathing technique at least for a minute.