How to Fart When You Have Trapped Gas: 7 Tips and Exercises

When gas gets stuck in your digestive system, several simple methods can help you find relief. These techniques work by relaxing your muscles and helping gas move through your body naturally.

1. Child's Pose

This basic yoga position helps relax your lower back and hips while creating gentle pressure on your abdomen. According to Medical News Today, child's pose works by relaxing the hips and lower back, which helps gas move through the bowels.

1. Kneel on the floor and place both palms down directly below your shoulders

2. Lean backward, pushing your hips and lower glutes onto the back of your feet

3. Stretch your arms out in front of your body, keeping your palms on the floor

4. Let your forehead rest on the floor while your torso rests on your legs

5. Take deep breaths and relax until the gas passes

2. Wind-Relieving Pose

This pose directly targets trapped gas in your digestive system. Healthline explains that this pose helps relax your abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks.

1. Lie on your back and bring your legs straight up to 90 degrees

2. Bend both knees and bring your thighs into your abdomen

3. Keep your knees and ankles together

4. Bring your arms around your legs

5. Clasp your hands together or take hold of your elbows

6. Lift up your neck and tuck your chin into your chest or bring it onto your knees

3. Happy Baby Pose

This position helps stretch your lower back and groin area to release trapped gas. Medical News Today reports that the happy baby pose relieves pressure in the lower back and groin area, helping to release trapped gas from the bowels.

1. Lie on your back and lift your knees up to the sides of your body

2. Keep your knees bent and point the soles of your feet toward the ceiling

3. Grab your feet with your hands, allowing your back to relax on the floor

4. Pull your feet down slightly with your hands to create tension

5. For extra stretch, pull your feet apart and to the side

6. Rock gently from side to side for additional relief

4. Knee-to-Chest Pose

This simple pose helps stretch your lower back and hips while applying pressure to your abdomen. Medical News Today notes that this pose effectively stretches the lower back and hip muscles.

1. Lie on your back and bring your legs up

2. Bend your knees to form 90-degree angles

3. Grab the front of each knee or upper thigh

4. Pull your thighs close to your chest

5. Tuck your chin into your chest while holding this position

5. Walk Around or Exercise Lightly

Movement is one of the best ways to help trapped gas escape. SELF magazine explains that moving your body is highly effective for clearing gas from your digestive system because when your colon contracts during movement, it pushes waste, fluids, and gas toward the exit.

Take a short walk for 10-15 minutes, or try gentle stretching. Even marching in place can help get your digestive system moving and encourage gas to pass naturally.

6. Massage Your Stomach

Gentle abdominal massage can help move trapped gas through your intestines. SELF recommends starting with gentle circular motions on the right, lower side of your belly near your pelvis bone, then slowly working your hands up toward your rib bones and continuing straight across your abdomen.

Use light pressure and massage in circular motions following the path of your large intestine. This technique helps guide gas toward the exit point.

7. Practice Deep Breathing

Relaxation techniques can help your body release trapped gas more easily. The same source explains that relaxation is important because when you are more relaxed, your external sphincter muscle becomes more at ease, which is essential for releasing gas.

Focus on relaxing all your abdominal muscles while breathing. This helps your body's natural gas-release mechanisms work more effectively.

Understanding why gas gets trapped can help you address the problem more effectively. Several factors can prevent your body from releasing gas naturally, and here are some of them:

1. Muscle Tension Blocks Gas Release

Your body has special muscles that control when gas can escape. SELF explains that when the external sphincter muscle is not relaxed, especially during stressful situations, it tightens up and prevents air from leaving your body.

Stress and anxiety can make these muscles tight, preventing gas from passing. When you feel stressed, your external sphincter muscle may clench up and trap gas inside.

2. Constipation Creates Blockages

When waste builds up in your intestines, it can block gas from moving freely. Everyday Health notes that constipation causes a backup of waste matter in your intestines, making it difficult for gas to pass through properly.

This creates a traffic jam in your digestive system where gas cannot find a clear path to escape. Treating constipation often helps resolve gas problems too.

3. Eating Habits Affect Gas Movement

How you eat and drink can impact your ability to pass gas. The National Institutes of Health explains that people swallow more air when they chew gum, suck on hard candy, drink fizzy beverages, or eat and drink too quickly.

Swallowing too much air while eating can create more gas than your body can easily release. Poor eating habits can also affect how well your digestive system processes food.

4. Medical Conditions Can Interfere

Certain health problems make it harder for your body to process and release gas normally. According to the NIH, digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal bloating, functional constipation, and functional dyspepsia can cause problems with gas symptoms.

These conditions affect how your brain and gut work together, which can disrupt normal gas movement through your intestines.

Preventing gas problems is often easier than treating them after they occur. Simple changes to your daily habits can reduce how often you experience trapped gas.

1. Change Your Eating Speed and Habits

Eating too quickly causes you to swallow extra air along with your food. The NIH recommends eating more slowly and sitting down to eat instead of eating while rushing or standing up.

Chewing your food thoroughly and taking breaks between bites gives your digestive system time to process food properly. This reduces both gas production and air swallowing.

2. Avoid Gas-Producing Foods

Certain foods naturally create more gas during digestion. Medical News Today explains that eating too many foods high in complex carbohydrates can lead to excessive gas and bloating, including fruits and fruit juices, carbonated beverages, vegetables, whole grains, and milk products.

You don't need to avoid these foods completely, but eating smaller portions or preparing them differently can help reduce gas production.

3. Stay Physically Active

Regular movement helps keep your digestive system working smoothly. Everyday Health suggests that taking a 10 to 15-minute walk after eating can help keep gas moving through your system.

Make gentle exercise part of your daily routine, especially after meals. This helps prevent gas from getting stuck in your intestines.

4. Watch Your Drinking Habits

How and what you drink affects gas buildup in your system. The NIH advises people to avoid drinking fizzy beverages and using straws because these habits increase the amount of air you swallow.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, but avoid carbonated beverages that add extra gas to your digestive system. Room temperature liquids are easier on your stomach than very hot or cold drinks.

5. Manage Stress Levels

Stress affects your digestive system and can make gas problems worse. SELF notes that muscle tension often happens when people are stressed out, and this tension prevents air from leaving your body properly.

Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or gentle stretching to help keep your digestive muscles relaxed and functioning normally.