We speak to the experts about this less-than-enjoyable phenomenon.
Have you ever been doing some downward dog in the yoga studio and let one rip? Or midway through your run, blown some wind along the way? Perhaps it is while you were doing some crunches that you tooted your own horn?
Well, it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed because it is true, exercise make you fart, or it at least encourages the flatulence to find its way out (whether you like it or not).
While true, it may not be ideal because a) if it is you doing it, embarrassing and b) if it’s not you, well no one likes other people’s farts (apart from Burp from children’s book, Nobody Likes a Fart but this is not a book review).
So why exactly do we pop off while getting our exercise on? Body + Soul asked Kate Kraschnefski, Head of Compliance & Training at the Australian Institute of Fitness to explain.
While not everyone booty bombs while exercising (or regularly at least), this very personal weapon can be detonated for a variety of reasons she explains.
1. Physics
If we fart during physical activity it is generally because we are moving more – it’s a physics thing!
2. Pressure
Flatulence can especially occur when we do movement through the trunk that causes pressure in our gastrointestinal tract. If there are any pockets of gas, these actions can expedite their expulsion.
Strength training can release pockets of gas. Image: iStockSource:BodyAndSoul
3. Force
When we weight train, we can brace through our mid-section with the assistance of a breathing technique called a Valsalva, which can force air out. This is often experienced during strength training.
4. Increased metabolism
Regular exercise also gets the metabolism going, and digestion is a key part of that process. Gas is a side effect of normal metabolism!
While most of these reasons aren’t all that bad (in fact really, they are the opposite), if you do want to escape the need to pass wind while exercising (or even just while you are in a group class), Kate says “avoiding exercises that create movement through the trunk, like bending or twisting” is the way to go…or not go.
So, exactly which exercises are we talking about?
Peyton Berookim, MD, director of the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California, told Health that Pilates, cycling, yoga, and bodyweight workouts that physically compress the intestines would be the type of exercises to avoid.
And Yoga.
Compressing the intestines can cause it. Image: Dane Wetton on Unsplash.Source:BodyAndSoul
A lot of Yoga poses can actually assist you to fart so if you are not wanting to let ‘er rip in public it is probably best to avoid the following poses: the seated forward fold, happy baby, knee to chest AKA as the wind relieving pose, Hakka pose and child’s pose (amongst others).
But along with exercise, food also plays a significant role in the production and processing of flatulence because we are what we eat. These are Kate’s tips for decreasing the likelihood of farting mid workout:
Allow time
Leaving eating 90 minutes or so before training can reduce the likelihood of farts.
Curb the beans
Avoiding high fibre foods like beans or breads in your meals before your sessions is advisable.
Good gut health
Having a healthy diet that supports good gut health should keep your overall fart levels within a normal range. This means predominantly unprocessed, whole foods with a good range of fruit and vegetables.
There is also evidence that suggests staying hydrated while exercising, avoiding dairy immediately prior to exercise, eating highly digestible foods such as roasted chicken and soups, as well as chewing your food well and not gulping down water (because you also swallow air) can also assist you in avoiding the need to pass wind.
And a tip from me, avoid gum and carbonated beverages!
Avoid carbonation. Image: iStockSource:BodyAndSoul
The bottom line
While not everyone may like a fart, everyone does it and many of us (whether we like it or not) do it while we exercise. So, importantly, Kate says to “remember, farting is a natural bodily function, so if you do need to, just take a quick break and relieve yourself in a polite location.”
And if you don’t quite make it to a polite location, try not to worry because everyone else around you have most likely been in your stinker of a situation before.
Shona Hendley is a freelance writer and ex-secondary school teacher. You can follow her on Instagram here.
