[Column] Suffering from constipation... Here's how to improve it! Check out foods and exercises that can help relieve it and get a flat stomach. Is it true that a proper diet and exercise habits can help relieve constipation? Dietary Relief for Constipation (1) Aim for smooth bowel movements with dietary fiber Diet to help improve constipation (2): Eat fermented foods to increase beneficial bacteria. Dietary tips to improve constipation (3): Stimulate your large intestine with healthy oils. Even if you hate exercise, it's okay! 3 recommended exercises for improving constipation Let's create a body that's less prone to constipation through diet and exercise, and get rid of constipation! Generally, constipation is diagnosed when there is no bowel movement for three days, or when there is abdominal pain or bloating even if a bowel movement occurs. While it is possible to temporarily relieve constipation symptoms with over-the-counter medications, this alone will not lead to a fundamental improvement in constipation.To relieve constipation, it's important to change your diet and exercise habits to create a body that's less prone to constipation. Use this article as a guide to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and build a body that's free from constipation. Is it true that a proper diet and exercise habits can help relieve constipation? A diet consisting mainly of white rice and meat worsens the gut environment. Are you eating out or buying ready-made meals because you're too busy? Many of these options consist mainly of white rice and meat, and don't provide enough vegetables. Vegetables contain a lot of dietary fiber, which increases the bulk of stool in the intestines, promoting peristalsis (the movement of the intestines to expel stool from the body). Therefore, dietary fiber is essential for improving constipation.Furthermore, a low intake of vegetables can lead to less stool volume, making it harder for the intestines to motility and increasing the likelihood of constipation. To improve constipation, it's best to eat a balanced diet that promotes regular bowel movements, rather than a diet consisting mainly of white rice and meat. Constipation can often be cured through diet and exercise, so be sure to understand the constipation remedies introduced here and work towards improving your condition. Lack of exercise slows down bowel movements, and in the elderly, it can lead to a lack of strength to strain during bowel movements. Exercise stimulates the intestines, promoting peristalsis. This peristalsis helps to expel accumulated stool from the body, leading to improved constipation. In addition, elderly women often have insufficient straining strength due to decreased muscle mass. In this case, exercise can increase muscle mass and improve straining strength, thus improving constipation. The exercise doesn't have to be strenuous; even just 10 minutes of walking or stretching a day is enough to be effective. So, don't push yourself too hard and start exercising within your own limits to improve your constipation. A healthy diet and exercise routine are essential! Things you can do to combat constipation besides medication. However, laxatives can often lead to addiction, and their effectiveness may gradually diminish with continued use. Therefore, instead of relying solely on medication for improvement, creating a body less prone to constipation through lifestyle changes is an important way to resolve constipation. A proper diet and exercise routine also help prevent other illnesses, so let's adopt healthy eating and exercise habits for better health. Dietary Relief for Constipation (1) Aim for smooth bowel movements with dietary fiber The dietary fiber in vegetables increases stool volume, making bowel movements easier. If you suffer from constipation, the first thing you should do is consciously increase your fiber intake. Dietary fiber is abundant in vegetables, mushrooms, and seaweed. Since dietary fiber is not easily destroyed by heat, if you don't like raw vegetables, you can still get it by stir-frying or adding them to soup.Furthermore, dietary fiber increases stool volume, stimulates the intestines, and promotes peristalsis. Increased peristalsis helps to push stool out of the body, thus supporting the relief of constipation. Get your fiber from seaweed, such as in wakame soup. Seaweed such as wakame is rich in dietary fiber, making it a food that people who want to improve constipation should consciously include in their diet. The type of fiber found in seaweed is called "soluble dietary fiber," which is known to improve the intestinal environment.Also, for women, feeling cold can often cause constipation. Therefore, try warming your body with wakame soup while also consuming dietary fiber to improve constipation. Soup is an easy and quick dish to make, so it's recommended even for busy people. Mushrooms are versatile and can be used in soups, stir-fries, and stews, and are also packed with dietary fiber. Mushrooms are another food you should include in your diet to improve constipation. Enoki, maitake, and king oyster mushrooms, in particular, are rich in dietary fiber. When eating mushrooms, cook them to reduce their volume. Stir-frying them with other vegetables or adding them to miso soup are easy and recommended methods.Mushrooms are rich in insoluble dietary fiber, which increases stool volume and promotes bowel movements. Furthermore, they also have the effect of moderating the rise in blood sugar levels after meals, making them an essential food for good health. Potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, but you should not eat too much of them. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also vegetables rich in dietary fiber. The fiber in potatoes is "insoluble dietary fiber," which increases stool volume and stimulates the intestines, promoting bowel movements. Potatoes are richer in dietary fiber than lettuce and cabbage, and dried sweet potatoes are a good snack to help with constipation.However, be careful not to eat too much, as it can cause constipation. This is because when the intestines become full of stool bulked up with potatoes, it actually makes it harder for the stool to move. Diet to help improve constipation (2): Eat fermented foods to increase beneficial bacteria. Fermented foods improve the gut environment and help relieve constipation and boost immunity. Fermented foods such as yogurt, natto, and kimchi are generally considered healthy, and they are also effective in relieving constipation. Since these fermented foods require no cooking, they are a convenient way for busy people to combat constipation.Furthermore, fermented foods have the effect of improving the gut flora and increasing beneficial bacteria, as well as increasing stool volume through dietary fiber. Let's approach resolving constipation from these two angles and improve the intestinal environment. Make eating one pack of natto every day a daily habit to have regular bowel movements. Natto is a representative fermented food. Natto is inexpensive and easy to prepare—simply put it on white rice—making it delicious. Therefore, it's recommended to make it a habit to eat one pack every day to improve constipation.Furthermore, natto bacteria improve the imbalance in the gut flora, which is a cause of constipation. In addition, soybeans, the main ingredient of natto, are rich in dietary fiber, which increases the bulk of stool and stimulates peristalsis. Through these effects, natto can help relieve constipation. Let's improve our gut bacteria by consuming lactic acid bacteria through yogurt. Lactic acid bacteria also play a role in increasing beneficial bacteria and improving the gut flora. Foods rich in lactic acid bacteria include yogurt and cheese. Taking lactic acid bacteria supplements such as Biofermin to improve constipation is also a good approach.However, since beneficial bacteria are said to only survive for about three days, it is necessary to eat them consistently every day. Yogurt is an easy-to-consume food for relieving constipation because it can be eaten simply by taking it out of the refrigerator. If you can handle spicy food, try kimchi to get a good dose of lactic acid bacteria and dietary fiber all at once. Kimchi is also a food that can help with constipation. The lactic acid bacteria in kimchi are more resistant to stomach acid than those in yogurt, and can reach the intestines alive, making them more effective in improving constipation. In addition, since kimchi is made from vegetables such as napa cabbage and radish, which contain dietary fiber, it can also be expected to increase the bulk of stool and help to expel it from the body.Eating kimchi improves your body's metabolism. Furthermore, because it contains vitamins, it's recommended to eat it for beauty and health purposes, in addition to relieving constipation. Diet to help improve constipation (3): Stimulate the large intestine with healthy oils. The lipids in oil stimulate the large intestine and promote bowel movements. Many people mistakenly believe that "oil equals bad for you," but good quality oils are essential nutrients for the body. They can even have beauty benefits, such as promoting skin cell turnover.The lipids in oils have the effect of softening stools and stimulating the large intestine, thereby promoting intestinal peristalsis. As a way to deal with constipation, make it a habit to consume olive oil, flaxseed oil, and perilla oil, which are considered good for the body. A spoonful of flaxseed oil or perilla oil can help you have regular bowel movements every day. Flaxseed oil and perilla oil are considered healthy, high-quality oils, and they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the body, so they must be actively obtained from food.Furthermore, flaxseed oil and perilla oil are sensitive to light and heat, so they need to be consumed raw. Therefore, try adding them to yogurt or salads. Constipation can cause skin problems, but consuming omega-3 fatty acids daily can help improve constipation and promote healthy skin. Add olive oil and salt for a healthy and delicious salad. Olive oil is a recommended food for improving constipation. The oleic acid contained in olive oil acts as a lubricant in the intestines, promoting bowel movements. Constipation is caused by the stool becoming hard due to a lack of moisture, but olive oil also has the effect of improving the consistency of the stool.A recommended way to eat it is to drizzle olive oil and salt over your salad instead of using dressing. It's delicious and easy to eat. Plus, it's lower in salt and oil than store-bought dressings, making it a healthier way to consume vegetables. Even if you hate exercise, it's okay! 3 recommended exercises for improving constipation Start exercising with a 10-minute walk every day. Walking is an easy exercise that anyone can do to relieve constipation. Try to make it a habit to walk around your home or workplace in your free time in the morning or evening. Walking is more effective if you take slightly longer strides and walk at a faster pace than usual, rather than just strolling aimlessly.Furthermore, swinging your arms back and forth while walking is recommended as it promotes calorie burning. Even just 10 minutes of walking a day can improve blood circulation and bowel movements, leading to relief from constipation. Just lie on your back and hug your knees! A gas-releasing exercise for a flatter stomach. People who are prone to constipation often have poor gut health, which makes them more susceptible to gas buildup in the stomach. This gas buildup can make bowel movements even more difficult and lead to abdominal pain, so it's important to address it promptly.If you're suffering from gas due to constipation, try lying on your back in bed and hugging both knees to your chest. If possible, raise your upper body while keeping your knees hugged. This gas-releasing pose will naturally release gas from your intestines, relieving bloating and a protruding belly. You can do this while sitting! Twist your stomach to stimulate your intestines. One way to alleviate constipation during the day is to twist your torso. Sit straight with your feet together on a chair or similar surface, and twist your waist from side to side. The key is to engage the muscles in the area below your navel, called the dantian, and twist slowly and widely.This exercise stimulates the intestines, increasing peristalsis and relieving constipation. Furthermore, it's effective for creating a slimmer waistline. Since it only takes about 5 minutes per session, women suffering from constipation should definitely try incorporating it into their daily routine. Let's create a body that's less prone to constipation through diet and exercise, and get rid of constipation! To live a life free from constipation, it's essential to adopt a healthy diet and exercise routine. While constipation symptoms may not improve immediately, changing your lifestyle will gradually make you less prone to constipation. Furthermore, having a satisfying bowel movement every day makes you feel lighter, and helps you be more productive at work and with household chores. Let's try to maintain healthy lifestyle habits every day. We take care to post accurate information,Please point out any incorrect information. Please submit any comments regarding medical information here. Return to the list of guides categorized by health symptoms.