Few things are more embarrassing than gas in the gym. You’re surrounded by your fellow exercisers in a large open area with nowhere to hide. You may have been on the unfortunate receiving end of some unidentified flying flatulence, and it’s not an experience you want to re-create any time soon. If you’re struggling with gas, hopefully you find time between sets to take a gas respite in the locker room, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. With the amount of fiber most gym-goers eat to stay healthy, it can be tough.
Does proper etiquette exist for gas in the gym? Is it acceptable to ease the pain and continue working out as if you weren’t the one who “dealt it”? Again, sometimes it’s unavoidable, but apologies are always welcome. Wouldn’t it be nice to find a way to prevent gas in the gym? You may think it’s not possible, but there is a way.
The first thing you want to notice about your gas and potential bloating is the severity and frequency. If you are regularly experiencing stomach discomfort, see your doctor. You could have a lactose or gluten intolerance. All serious issues aside, most gas comes from eating foods high in fiber and certain foods that, while being broken down in the large intestine, can cause some burping and flatulence.
Here are some tips to help prevent gas in the gym, so you rarely have to deal with the negative and embarrassing effects.
Posture. There’s more to proper posture than simply trying to maintain joint and disk health. If you can sit up properly after you eat and walk around a little, the pressure of gas can be reduced.
Probiotics. You should eat foods high in fiber, and if a food is good for you (and you love the taste), it would be a shame to avoid it just because it gives you gas at the gym. Yogurt and probiotic supplements do an awesome job of giving you the good bacteria to help reduce gas and prevent it before it starts.
Peppermint. Peppermint candy and tea can help unwind the bound-up digestive muscles.
Proper Foods. Foods high in carbs cause the most gas. Some foods are actually considered “indigestible” as well. These include (but aren’t limited to) beans and milk. It doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t eat this food, but try to limit your intake and see if your gym gas doesn’t reduce.
Proper Amounts of Food. Don’t eat big meals before you hit the gym. This may be the most obvious tip, but your food is usually digesting after a meal, and a workout is a great excuse for the blood supply to lean toward the muscles instead of the digestive system.
Try to eat small snacks before a workout if you need the energy, and let your bigger meals be finished at least 2 hours before you exercise.
