The digestive tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, nervousness, grief, joy—all of these emotional states (and others) can activate warning signs in your guts.
Your brain directly affects the gut and intestines. This gut-brain connection is a two-way street. A troubled gut can signal the brain, just as a disturbed brain can signal your gut. Does your gut actually affect your happiness?
According to a study, strengthening your core through regular exercises not only helps you to attain a toned body but also improves your mood, enhances emotional stability, and reduces stress & anxiety caused by your gut problems.
Gut-Brain Connection
Have you ever felt a significant tingling feeling of butterflies in your tummy? That's the gut-brain connection (gut-brain axis) at work. The gut-brain axis involves the physical and chemical networking between your brain and gut. There are hundreds of millions of neurons running between your gut that communicate with the brain both directly and indirectly. Every so often, the gut is called your second brain.
Apart from that, millions of bacteria existing in the gut affect your digestion along with your complete well-being.
Gut Biome and Anxiety
A human body is surrounded by a community of bacteria externally as well as internally called the microbiome. Several healthy viruses, bacteria, and fungi in the body are present in the gut—also play a role in the stress-gut connection. They back digestion and boost the immune system and produce serotonin which regulates mood. Stress modifies the gut biome and influences its functioning.
Changing the kinds of microflora in your gut may be possible to improve your brain health.
Dietary modifications such as Omega-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, probiotics, and other polyphenol-rich foods may improve your gut health, which may positively help the gut-brain connection.
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You feel nauseous before a job interview or feel stomach pain during anxiety episodes. This type of stress can disturb the GI tract's functioning.
Are your gut problems like tummy cramps, heartburn, or loose motions — related to stress?
How Do You Find the Difference Between Gut Feeling and Anxiety/Stress?
Gut feeling is intuitive and arises from a calm and composed state of mind. Anxiety is a state where you have rattled nerves.
So, good gut health means better emotional management.
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Is There Any Gut Hormone Connection?
The bidirectional association between the hormones and gut biome is noteworthy. When the gut biome is not healthy, your hormones are unbalanced too.
That's when metabolic differences arise, like unwanted fatigue, weight gain, blood sugar issues, PCOS, PMS, and sleep disturbances.
So, how can core exercises improve gut health & ultimately lead to better control over your emotions?
If you are looking for a purpose to exercise, remember this. Exercise can modify your gut biome structure.
One area of the body that is fundamentally linked to our body's process and deals with stress is the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is the sack of muscles situated at the core's center that supports the organs and the deeper core.
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Does Pelvic Floor Have Any Connection to Anxiety?
Your pelvic floor's state (strong and vigorous or constricted, clasped, and anxious) has a straight connection to the response of your body to stress and anxiety.
The pelvic floor is a rich power source as it forms the center of the core, affects your capability to breathe expansively, your posture and alignment, and turns on/off our stress.
You can use core exercises to reduce stress and manage your emotions efficiently.
In fact, the vagus nerve connects your gut and brain; exercising the pelvic floor and abs communicate to your brain to shift from anxious to resting and relaxed state.
Here are a few core exercises; push-ups, side plank, plank hold, floor bridge, reach through bicycle crunches, back extensions, and others emphasizing the chest area. Many people have revamped into a better version by taking up 30 days abs challenge, a step closer towards strong and sturdy core!
Remember, your gut health is a key aspect of living a holistic life. A stronger core will result in a better and stronger you.
To conclude....
If you are attentive to reactive stress and the pelvic floor state, you have to ensure that your gut is healthy. Good gut health means better emotional management.
Doing core exercises regularly can calm your screaming gut and release some tightness. In return, this will improve gut health & ultimately lead to better management your emotions.
