Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, can be an effective technique for calming common GI issues. This blog explains how to perform them.

By: Said Nabhan, M.D.

The old saying goes that the way to someone’s heart is through the stomach. Well, here’s a new saying: The way to ease heartburn is through the belly – by breathing.

Deep belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is an exercise that can manage stress, chronic pain, and high blood pressure for anyone. But it also can provide specific relief for gastrointestinal-related conditions, studies show, by relaxing the gut and digestive tract while strengthening the diaphragm.

For the millions of Americans living with digestive symptoms today – an estimated two-thirds, according to one recent Ipsos study – belly breathing can offer a fairly simple, low-cost approach to easing constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn-causing gastroesophageal reflux syndrome (GERD). Here’s why, and how.

What Happens When Something Goes Wrong in Your GI Tract

The gastrointestinal tract begins at your mouth and ends at your rectum. In between, key players include your esophagus (food pipe), stomach, and intestines (gut). As food travels through this tract, several issues can disrupt its natural passage, causing gas, cramping, and irregular bowel movements.

Diaphragmatic breathing can assist with these disruptions by activating a group of nerves that control your body’s rest and digestive responses (the parasympathetic nervous system). When you stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system through belly breathing, it can reduce your heart rate, increase saliva production, and soothe digestion.

Common GI issues that might benefit from belly breathing, along with how it can help, include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD): Frequently referred to as heartburn, GERD occurs when your stomach contents and acids back up into the esophagus. But unlike occasional heartburn, GERD is chronic, occurring at least twice a week. It is often caused by a weakened muscle (sphincter) between the esophagus and stomach. How belly breathing helps: In studies reported by Springer Nature in 2024, researchers found diaphragmatic breathing training reduced acid reflux exposure in patients with GERD and improved their symptoms. Researchers further theorize that such training could strengthen the anti-reflux sphincter at the stomach.
• Diarrhea: Generally defined as loose, watery stools, diarrhea also might cause more frequent bowel movements – the typical rule of thumb is more than three in a day – as well as cramping and bloating. Diarrhea can be a symptom of a digestive disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome, or a reaction to certain foods, medications, and bacteria. How belly breathing helps: Diaphragmatic breathing has a massaging effect on your organs, including the stomach and intestines, producing a calm that will reduce the likelihood of rushing to the bathroom and hastening diarrhea.
• Constipation: When waste moves too slowly through your intestines, it can become dry and hard, making your bowel movements difficult and less frequent; typically three or fewer a week. How belly breathing helps: By stimulating the food’s passage (digestion) via the parasympathetic nervous system, diaphragmatic breathing can increase how often you go. One study found that belly breathing increased bowel movements after six weeks. If you have constipation, try performing breathing exercises while on the toilet to massage your GI system.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): A condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the bowel cells. IBD is marked by GI inflammation and swelling that can be painful. It occurs in two forms: colitis (lower intestine or bowel inflammation) and Crohn’s disease (higher up in the small intestine and/or colon). How belly breathing helps: By reducing stress hormone levels and muscle tension, and by gently massaging your intestines and stomach, diaphragmatic breathing can reduce bloating, abdominal pain, and urgency.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Characterized by a group of symptoms including diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and cramping, IBS occurs when food moves too fast or too slowly through the digestive tract. Researchers believe this is due to a breakdown in your brain-gut communications. How belly breathing helps: Because diaphragmatic breathing enables patients to better manage stress caused by all GI-related symptoms, and many of these symptoms make up IBS, it is believed the exercise can help alleviate IBS as well.

How to perform Belly Breathing

Simply put, belly breathing works by shifting your breathing from your lungs to your stomach. The following steps walk you through performing the exercise (thanks to guides provided by the University of Michigan Health and the Mayo Clinic):

1. Wear loose clothing. Lie on your back or sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes.

2. If lying down, place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. If sitting, place both hands on your lap, flatten your feet on the floor, and relax your shoulders.

3. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose, for about four seconds, expanding your stomach as you do so (if lying down, your lower hand will move).

4. Hold your breath for two or three seconds, then exhale slowly through your relaxed mouth for four to six seconds. You should feel your stomach contract.

5. Pause, then repeat until you feel calm – several minutes. If you experience lightheadedness, shorten the length and depth of breathing.

With practice, build the length of these exercise sessions over time, aiming for 15 minutes (comfortably).

If Belly Breathing Is Not Enough, Call a GI Specialist

After performing diaphragmatic breathing for a few weeks, you should notice benefits such as reduced stress, better sleep, and – ideally – improved GI symptoms. If you do not, it could be time to contact a specialist for a diagnosis.

Should your symptoms indicate a condition that requires treatment, your gastroenterologist can work with you on a care path that suits you, including prescription medications, therapies, and surgeries.

However, you should continue practicing belly breathing. It can support whatever treatment you choose and improve your overall health.

The specialists at Cincinnati GI can guide you through diaphragmatic breathing exercises and other GI wellness practices. If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those described in this blog, you can request an appointment for consultation here.