Exercise guide
Acid reflux is when stomach acid travels up towards your throat, causing heartburn, a burning feeling in your chest. It's common, and if it keeps happening it's called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD, or GERD in the US). In large population studies, people who are active have less reflux. But a hard session soon after a meal can bring it on: in laboratory studies, running and heavy lifting caused more reflux than cycling, and more after eating.
So the answer isn't to stop exercising. It's to choose upright, moderate exercise, time your harder sessions away from meals, and change the few positions that make reflux worse for now.
This guide covers which exercise suits reflux and how much, timing your sessions around meals and bedtime, the moves to swap (bending over, lying flat, head-down poses and straining), breathing exercises, how much losing weight helps, pregnancy, and the signs that heartburn needs a general practitioner (GP), including chest pain that could be your heart.
Heartburn affects up to 1 in 4 adults in the UK, and between about 9% and 28% of people in Europe and North America have reflux every week. The National Health Service (NHS) says symptoms are often worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over.
Across 33 studies of 242,850 people, being active went with about 20% less reflux disease, and in Norway, exercising for 30 minutes or more at least once a week went with half the odds of severe reflux. These studies observe people rather than test exercise, and in the one small trial of an exercise programme we found, it improved quality of life but not the valve at the bottom of the gullet.
In laboratory studies, running and weights tripled the time acid spent in the gullet, running brought on more reflux than cycling, weightlifters had the most reflux of the athletes tested, and in the studies that compared, reflux was worse after eating. Light or short sessions made no difference in people with reflux disease.
Walking, cycling, the cross-trainer and swimming at a pace where you can talk but not sing, building towards 150 minutes a week, plus strength exercises on 2 days. Our suggestion is to leave about 2 hours after a main meal before a hard session, heavy lifting or head-down poses; no guideline gives a figure. The NHS says not to eat within 3 or 4 hours of bed.
Bending over and lying flat make reflux worse, and in one study toe-touching exercises brought it on. Head-down yoga poses, crunches, lying on a bench, and heavy lifts where you hold your breath and brace (straining set off reflux in two-thirds of people with daytime reflux in one study) can wait for an emptier stomach. Breathe out on the effort, and loosen tight waistbands.
Across 10 small trials, belly breathing modestly eased reflux symptoms, with very mixed results. If you're overweight, losing weight is the lifestyle change with the strongest evidence: the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) recommends it, and in a weight loss programme reflux fell from 37% to 15% of people.
A heart attack can feel like indigestion. Call 999 (911 in the US) for chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, and don't assume it's heartburn.
The NHS describes heartburn as a burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat; if it keeps happening, it may be called GORD. It's usually caused by the ring of muscle at the bottom of the gullet (the oesophagus) becoming weakened. Guts UK describes this ring as keeping the flow one-way, and notes that most reflux happens without us noticing. The barrier has two parts working together: that ring of muscle and the part of the diaphragm, the main breathing muscle, that wraps around the gullet. That's why breathing exercises have been tested.
The NHS and NHS inform list:
Guts UK says heartburn affects up to 1 in 4 adults in the UK. A review of population studies found weekly reflux in 8.8% to 25.9% of people in Europe and 18.1% to 27.8% in North America, and it seems to be becoming more common. About two-thirds of pregnant women get heartburn.
Some foods and drinks (such as coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate, and fatty or spicy food), being overweight, smoking, pregnancy, stress and anxiety, some medicines such as anti-inflammatory painkillers, a stomach ulcer or infection, and a hiatus hernia, where part of the stomach moves up into the chest. Guts UK adds stooping or bending forwards. A hiatus hernia is very common over 50 and often causes no problems; our hernia guide covers it.
In runners tested after a meal, reflux came during brief relaxations of the valve, combined with higher pressure in the tummy, and a small hiatus hernia appeared during exercise in 6 of 10 people. How the junction between the stomach and gullet was built predicted how much reflux exercise caused, and running disorganised the gullet's squeezing. Bracing against a held breath pushes stomach contents up, and bending forward or lying flat lets them run uphill.
Over time, reflux can inflame and scar the gullet or change its lining, which is why heartburn that keeps coming back or comes with warning signs needs checking. Treatment starts with lifestyle changes and pharmacy medicines; a GP may prescribe stronger acid-reducing medicine, arrange tests, or, for a few people, refer for keyhole surgery. Don't stop any prescribed medicine without speaking to a doctor first.
Lifestyle changes and medicines carry the treatment evidence for reflux. Exercise studies mostly describe what brings reflux on, or how active people fare, rather than test exercise as a treatment.
Across 33 studies of 242,850 people, active people were about 20% less likely to have reflux disease (risk ratio 0.80), and each extra 30 minutes of activity a week went with about 8% less. Most of the studies were surveys at one point in time, so the authors say they can't show cause and effect. In Norway's HUNT study of 43,363 people, exercising for 30 minutes or more at least once a week halved the odds of severe reflux, though more exercise didn't lower them further, and 3 case-control studies found about a third lower odds.
In 4,910 Swedish adults, activity wasn't linked with reflux once weight and other factors were accounted for, except in people with obesity. In a US community, weight but not exercise was linked with reflux, and in 100 people with confirmed reflux disease, everyday activity wasn't linked with acid measurements. Weight may explain part of the link.
Small laboratory studies agree. In 20 people with and without reflux disease, 30 minutes of running and 30 minutes of weights tripled acid in the gullet in both groups. In 10 volunteers, running after a meal increased acid time and reflux episodes. In 12 men, running after a meal raised reflux significantly at 70% of maximum heart rate, and the effect grew with effort.
Running brought on the most reflux and cycling less in 12 volunteers, and the researchers suggested cycling as an alternative for people with reflux. In 30 athletes with exercise heartburn, weightlifters had acid in the gullet 35.8% of the time after eating, runners 17.2% and cyclists 6.5%. Running after a light meal brought on reflux in 90% of fit adults, and rowing in 70%. Moving about after a meal sent reflux higher up the gullet than sitting still.
In 39 people with reflux disease on a treadmill test, light or short exercise didn't affect reflux; working at 70% or more of maximum effort was linked with reflux in people whose gullet was already inflamed.
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In 25 people with reflux disease, 30 minutes of toe-touching exercises brought on reflux, mainly in those who also had reflux lying down. In another study, straining against a held breath set off reflux in 65% of 23 people with daytime reflux, against 44% of people without it.
In the only trial we found, 75 people with moderate to severe reflux, all taking acid-reducing medicine, were split into 3 groups. 8 weeks of aerobic exercise improved quality of life but not the pressure of the valve at the bottom of the gullet; diaphragmatic breathing improved both.
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A 2026 meta-analysis pooled 10 small, mixed trials with 476 people: belly (diaphragmatic) breathing modestly improved symptom scores, but results varied a lot, quality of life didn't clearly change, and the authors say the evidence isn't enough for firm recommendations. In single small trials, 4 weeks of breathing training nearly halved acid time (9.1% to 4.7%, 19 people), and slow breathing after a meal cut reflux episodes in people with daytime reflux, though acid over the whole day didn't differ from a sham. The American Gastroenterological Association suggests breathing and relaxation for heartburn that isn't caused by acid reflux, or a gullet that's oversensitive.
The ACG recommends weight loss for people who are overweight (strong recommendation, moderate evidence). In 29,610 Norwegians, the more weight people lost, the more their reflux eased, and in 10,545 women, reflux became more likely with every step up in weight, even within the healthy range. In a programme of diet, activity and support, 332 overweight adults lost 13 kg on average and reflux fell from 37% to 15% of them, though there was no comparison group. In another study, half of 50 people who lost at least 10% of their weight with diet and aerobic exercise could stop their acid medicine. Two trials found weight loss cut acid in the gullet.
Eating dinner less than 3 hours before bed went with much more reflux disease than leaving 4 hours or more, and a meal 2 hours before bed gave more acid lying down than one 6 hours before, though symptoms were similar. Walking after dinner went with fewer symptoms than lying down. Across 5 small trials at high risk of bias, raising the head of the bed helped; in the best, 69% improved against 33%, though about half reported side effects. Lying on the right side after a fatty meal doubled reflux time compared with the left (231 against 117 minutes), and a device that discouraged right-side sleeping helped 44% against 24% with a sham.
A review of 100 studies found that only weight loss, raising the head of the bed and lying on the left side improved reflux measures; there was no good evidence for stopping smoking, alcohol or particular foods, though the NHS still advises avoiding foods and drinks that trigger your own symptoms. In a survey of 1,518 people in China, eating fast, eating past fullness, tight girdles and lying down soon after eating went with reflux. The ACG's only line on exercise is to avoid excessive exercise, on weak evidence.
At least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity), spread over the week, plus strength exercises on at least 2 days, and less time sitting. Moderate means you can talk but not sing. Over 65, be active every day and add balance exercises. There's no special dose for reflux.
Our editorial starting point: 10 to 20 minutes of walking or cycling on most days at a talk-but-not-sing pace, adding about 5 minutes a week while your symptoms stay settled.
Light and moderate exercise didn't bring on reflux in studies, while hard efforts at about 70% of maximum and above did. If hard sessions trigger it, keep most of your week moderate, add intervals gradually, and do your hard sessions on an emptier stomach (our suggestion). The ACG lists avoiding excessive exercise, on weak evidence.
Cycling brought on the least reflux in two studies. Walking, the cross-trainer, which has no bounce, and swimming suit most people (our suggestion; time your swims away from meals, because you're lying flat in the water). Running and rowing brought reflux on in more people, but they aren't banned: many runners manage with timing and an easier pace (our suggestion).
Strength exercises on at least 2 days a week. Weightlifters had the most exercise reflux of any athletes tested, and straining against a held breath brings it on, so our suggestion is a weight you can lift 12 to 15 times without straining, breathing out on the effort, upright or seated moves where you can, and heavy lifting kept for an emptier stomach.
Upright and moderate, most days: build towards 150 minutes a week, starting with 10 to 20 minutes (our editorial starting point). The elliptical trainer page's dose is 10 to 20 minutes at a moderate effort to start, building towards 30. Walking outdoors counts the same as the treadmill, and the standing march makes an indoor warm-up. Swim away from meals.
Stay upright: the ACG lists staying upright during and after meals among common advice. A gentle walk is fine, and walking after dinner was linked with fewer reflux symptoms than lying down. If a walk soon after eating brings symptoms on, sit upright for a while first: in one small study, moving about soon after a meal sent reflux higher up the gullet.
Leave hard sessions, heavy lifting, head-down poses, lying flat and floor core work until later. The 2 hours is our suggestion, the same as in our hernia guide: no guideline gives a figure, but in laboratory studies exercise brought on more reflux after eating than on an empty stomach.
A light snack an hour or two before suits most people; it's a large or fatty meal just before that tends to cause trouble (our suggestion). In pregnancy, the NHS says not to exercise on an empty stomach.
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Finish your last main meal 3 to 4 hours before bed, as the NHS advises; the ACG suggests at least 2 to 3 hours. Eating less than 3 hours before bed went with much more reflux disease in one study. If you have insomnia, our sleep guide covers when to finish exercise.
Raise the head of your bed by 10 to 20 cm with wood, bricks or books, so your chest and head are above your waist; the NHS says don't use extra pillows, which can increase pressure on your belly. Guts UK says a wedge pillow is an alternative. Try sleeping on your left side.
Not a list of banned exercises: do these on an emptier stomach, or use the swaps, while reflux is bothering you. No trial has tested individual poses or exercises in reflux, so the swaps are our suggestions, based on the NHS advice and the laboratory studies.
Downward dog, standing and wide-legged forward folds, sun salutations, inchworms, the plough, shoulderstands, headstands and dolphin. Symptoms are often worse bending over, and a bending routine brought reflux on. Do them on an emptier stomach and keep them brief, or use upright versions: downward dog with your hands on a wall or chair, or a hip hinge to a flat back.
Relaxation lying on your back, floor Pilates, crunches, the bench press and legs up the wall. Do floor work later in the day, prop your head and shoulders up, or use seated or side-lying versions.
Crocodile breathing, the sphinx, cobra and locust press on a full tummy; our crocodile breathing page already says to skip it with active reflux. Do the breathing sitting upright instead.
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Heavy deadlifts, back squats, the leg press and heavy carries. Use moderate loads, breathe out on the effort, choose seated or standing machines, and keep heavy days well after meals.
They squeeze your tummy, and no study has tested them in reflux. Standing or all-fours core moves, such as the Pallof press, suitcase carry and bird dog, work your trunk without lying flat or crunching.
Running brought on more reflux than cycling, and harder running more than easier. On bad days, swap to cycling, the cross-trainer or a brisk walk; run at an easier pace on an emptier stomach.
The NHS says don't wear clothes that are tight around your waist, and tight girdles went with reflux in one survey. Loosen your waistband between sets, and save a lifting belt for your heaviest sets, if you use one at all.
2 days a week, upright or seated, breathing out on the effort. Our starting point is 2 sets of 10 to 15 with a weight you can lift 12 to 15 times without straining; the band row page's dose is 3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure. The strength workout for acid reflux below puts them together.
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoLow step-upBeginner · A step
3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall
3D demoChest press machineBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoSuitcase carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoBird dog, one limb at a timeBeginner · No equipmentOur starting point, built from the trials' routines, which ran from 5 minutes several times a day to 30 minutes a day, for 2 to 8 weeks. The effect was modest at best, and breathing adds to medicines and lifestyle changes rather than replacing them. The slow breathing page's dose is at least 5 minutes, done regularly as part of your daily routine.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)
Sitting upright, not lying face down. The lateral breathing page's dose is 5 to 8 breaths at the start of every session, a calm way to start a strength workout.
The strength workout for acid reflux is built for reflux: upright moves, no head-down poses and no breath-holding. The walk after meals is gentle enough for straight after eating; skip any move in it that brings symptoms on. In the breathing workout, do the crocodile breathing sitting up. Swim away from meals. For now, leave out workouts with jumping, burpees and head-down moves soon after a meal, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) at home and sun salutation flows, and mat workouts with crunches (our suggestion). If you do the bedtime stretch routine, do it earlier in the evening or propped up, and skip legs up the wall.
A 25-minute upright strength workout for people with reflux: no lying flat, no head-down moves and no breath-holding, done about 2 hours after a main meal.
25 minBeginner12 movesA bench or box, A wallA 10-minute routine for straight after a meal: an easy walk, a few simple standing moves from blood sugar trials, then a short walk to finish.
10 minBeginner6 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxA steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallA steady bike ride for a first triathlon or fitness: 5 to 10 minutes easy, a ride you can talk through, optional short faster bursts and an easy cool-down.
45 minBeginner4 movesCardio machine, A wallA 25-minute standing cardio circuit with no jumping: marching, step jacks, sit-to-stands, punches, step-ups and wall push-ups, with a seated option for most moves.
25 minBeginner9 movesA bench or box, A stepA 40-minute strength and balance session for over-65s, built from the Otago home programme and NHS exercises, using a chair, a counter and a step.
40 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weightA 20-minute chair Pilates workout for beginners and older adults: breathing, sitting tall, gentle spine and leg moves, and a standing finish at the chair.
20 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, Something with weightA 12-minute reset for stressful days: 4 minutes of brisk movement, 3 minutes to loosen your neck, shoulders and back, then 5 minutes of slow breathing.
12 minBeginner10 movesA bench or box, A wallA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentA 30 to 45-minute beginner pool swim: a shoulder warm-up on the side, easy lengths, a main set of repeats with rests, and an easy swim down, any stroke.
35 minBeginner5 movesOther / check instructionsThe walking plan builds to 150 minutes a week. The weight loss plan combines strength and cardio, if you're losing weight to ease your reflux.
A free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginner5 days a weekA 12-week workout plan for weight loss: three strength days, two cardio days and daily steps, building to 200 minutes a week, with honest results.
3 training days45 minBeginnerIf you're overweight, losing weight helps reflux more than any other lifestyle change. The ACG recommends it, the more weight people lost in a large Norwegian study the more their reflux eased, and weight gain raised the risk even within the healthy weight range.
The programmes that helped reflux combined eating less with more activity. Exercise on its own usually takes off only a few kilos, but it helps keep weight off and trims the waist: our weight loss guide has the numbers, and the waist-to-height calculator shows where you stand.
Heartburn is common in pregnancy, from hormones and the baby pressing on your stomach. The NHS suggests small meals often, not eating within 3 hours of bed, sitting up straight when you eat and just after, propping your head and shoulders up in bed, and sleeping on your left side. Exercise as the usual pregnancy guidance says, choose upright options, and don't exercise on an empty stomach, though a big meal just before is best avoided too (our suggestion). Heartburn that doesn't go away with heartburn medicines can be a sign of pre-eclampsia: see the warning signs below.
There are no exercise studies in older adults with reflux; the usual advice applies, with balance work added. A hiatus hernia is very common over 50. New or changing heartburn in later life needs a GP, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer some people aged 55 or over for tests quickly. Some medicines can make reflux worse: talk to a GP or pharmacist, and never stop a prescribed medicine yourself.
One NHS hospital advises returning to your normal daily activities as soon as you feel able, no heavy lifting for 4 weeks, and driving once you can do an emergency stop comfortably, usually after about 4 weeks. The NHS says it can take up to 6 weeks to eat what you want, and a few months for bloating and swallowing to settle. Your surgical team's advice comes first; our hernia guide covers recovery.
A sleeve gastrectomy can make reflux worse, while a gastric bypass can treat it. Heartburn after a sleeve needs an urgent check with your team or GP: our weight-loss surgery guide covers this.
Heartburn during exercise is common even in athletes without reflux disease, and the same changes to timing and type apply. Chest pain on exertion is never something to put down to reflux.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.
A heart attack can feel like indigestion, with a burning feeling in your chest, and NICE asks doctors to think about the heart when someone has indigestion. Stop exercising and call 999 if:
Chest discomfort that comes on with exercise needs a doctor, not an antacid (our suggestion). Don't drive yourself to accident and emergency (A&E). If you have chest pain with feeling sick, or a racing, slow, skipping or fluttering heartbeat, or you're suddenly more short of breath than usual, the NHS says call NHS 111 if it isn't a 999 emergency.
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The NHS says call 999 or go to A&E if you have a stomach ache and you're vomiting blood, your vomit looks like ground coffee, or your poo is black and sticky.
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If you have indigestion or reflux and:
If you have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more, or sooner if medicines from a pharmacy and lifestyle changes aren't helping. Also see a GP for food getting stuck in your throat, a hoarse voice or a cough that isn't getting better, or a lump in your tummy. NICE asks GPs to refer anyone with difficulty swallowing, and anyone aged 55 or over with weight loss and reflux or tummy pain, for tests quickly.
Heartburn that doesn't go away with heartburn medicines can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, especially with a severe headache, problems with your vision, pain just below your ribs, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet. Call your maternity unit, or NHS 111 if you can't. See your midwife or GP for heartburn with difficulty swallowing, a hoarse voice, a cough that keeps coming back, weight loss, or pain or swelling in your stomach.
After anti-reflux surgery, the hospital leaflet says get urgent advice if you can't swallow liquids, and call 999 for shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing up blood, which can mean a clot in the lungs. After a sleeve gastrectomy, heartburn needs an urgent check with your team or GP.
No guideline says so. People who are active have less reflux in population studies, the NHS's self-care advice doesn't restrict exercise, and the ACG's only line on exercise is to avoid excessive exercise, on weak evidence. Choose and time your sessions instead.
A hard session can bring on reflux, especially after a meal, even in people without reflux disease. Over time, though, regular activity goes with less reflux disease, not more.
Walking after dinner was linked with fewer reflux symptoms than lying down, and staying upright after meals is standard advice. If a walk does bring symptoms on, sit upright for a while first.
Reflux is often worse lying down. Eating within 3 hours of bed went with much more reflux disease, and a late meal gave more acid while lying down.
No study has tested them in reflux. The muscle around the valve that can be trained is the diaphragm, and breathing training has modest evidence. Crunches squeeze the tummy, so leave them for an emptier stomach (our suggestion).
The NHS says don't use extra pillows, as this can increase pressure on your belly and make symptoms worse. Raise the head of the bed by 10 to 20 cm instead, or use a wedge pillow.
We found no trial of yoga classes for reflux, and head-down poses can bring it on. Gentle, upright yoga and its breathing may help you relax, which is part of the NHS's self-care advice.
It's the lifestyle change with the strongest evidence. In a large study, the more weight people lost, the more their reflux eased, and in a weight loss programme, reflux fell from 37% to 15% of people.
A heart attack can feel like indigestion. Chest pain, pressure or tightness on exertion needs 999 or a doctor, not an antacid.
Upright, moderate exercise such as walking, cycling, the cross-trainer and swimming, building towards 150 minutes a week. People who are active have less reflux in population studies, and cycling caused the least reflux during exercise in laboratory studies. Add strength exercises on 2 days a week, using moderate weights and breathing out on the effort.
A hard session can, especially soon after a meal: running and heavy lifting brought on more reflux than cycling in laboratory studies. Light or moderate exercise usually doesn't, and over time, regular activity is linked with less reflux, not more. If one kind of session brings it on, change its timing, effort or type rather than stopping exercise.
No guideline gives a figure. Our suggestion is about 2 hours after a main meal before a hard workout, heavy lifting or head-down yoga poses, because reflux during exercise is worse after eating. A gentle walk straight after a meal is fine, and a light snack an hour or two before exercise suits most people.
Usually, yes: walking after dinner was linked with fewer reflux symptoms than lying down, and staying upright after meals is standard advice. Keep it gentle, and if walking soon after eating brings symptoms on, sit upright for a while first. Leave 3 to 4 hours between your last meal and bed.
Yes, with some changes. Weightlifters had the most exercise reflux of any athletes studied, and straining against a held breath set off reflux in about two-thirds of people with daytime reflux. Use weights you can lift 12 to 15 times without straining, breathe out as you lift, choose upright or seated moves, keep heavy sessions for a couple of hours after eating, and loosen tight waistbands and lifting belts.
Running brought on more reflux than cycling in laboratory studies, and harder running more than easier, but it isn't banned. Many runners manage by running on an emptier stomach, easing the pace and building up gradually. If runs keep bringing on heartburn, swap some for cycling or the cross-trainer, and see a GP if you have symptoms most days.
Head-down poses such as downward dog, standing forward folds and inversions, and lying flat soon after eating, because reflux is worse when you bend over or lie down. Do them on an emptier stomach and keep them brief, or use upright versions such as downward dog with your hands on a wall. We found no trials of yoga classes for reflux.
They may help a little. Across 10 small trials, belly breathing modestly improved reflux symptoms, though the results varied a lot, and in a laboratory trial slow breathing after meals cut reflux episodes. Try 5 to 10 minutes of slow belly breathing sitting upright once or twice a day, and after meals if reflux comes on when you're up and about, and give it about 4 weeks.
If you're overweight, yes: it's the lifestyle change with the strongest evidence. In a large Norwegian study, the more weight people lost, the more their reflux eased, and in a weight loss programme, reflux fell from 37% to 15% of people after an average loss of 13 kg. Exercise helps most alongside eating less, and it helps keep the weight off.
They squeeze your tummy, so our suggestion is to keep them for an emptier stomach; no study has tested them in reflux. Standing and all-fours core moves, such as the Pallof press, suitcase carry and bird dog, work your trunk without lying flat or crunching. Breathe out on the effort rather than holding your breath.
A heart attack can feel like indigestion, with a burning feeling in your chest. Call 999 (911 in the US) if you have chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, or comes with breathlessness, sweating or feeling sick. New chest discomfort that comes on with exercise needs a doctor, not an antacid.
If you have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more, or sooner if pharmacy medicines aren't helping. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if heartburn comes with weight loss without trying, difficulty swallowing, being sick often, blood in your sick or pain in your upper tummy. In pregnancy, heartburn that doesn't go away with heartburn medicines can be a sign of pre-eclampsia: call your maternity unit.
Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Stop and get advice for chest pain, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting, or new pain, and check with your doctor or midwife first if they have told you to limit activity. Health disclaimer.
