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24 Ways to Ease Bloating and Get a "Flat" Stomach

Feel more comfortable in your clothes with a few healthy tips from fitness and nutrition experts.

By Good Housekeeping Editors
VerifiedTested by Nutrition Lab Director
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Our bodies naturally come in all different beautiful shapes and sizes, but the underlying physiology is complicated, so making your stomach smaller (and keeping it that way) can be hard no matter what abdominal issues you’re facing — whether you’re dealing with bloat or belly fat.

If your goal is to banish bloat because it’s uncomfortable, adopting the expert-backed (and research-supported!) strategies below will help with that. And if you’re hoping to reduce belly fat to lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, you may want to start by adding more wholesome and unprocessed foods (including some touted as "flat belly foods") to your diet and more exercise to your daily routine. After that, turning the tips below into healthy, long-lasting habits may help you trim inches from your waist — without resorting to extreme dieting techniques.

Just keep in mind that weight loss, health and body image are complex subjects so before you decide to overhaul your eating patterns, we invite you to gain a broader perspective by reading our exploration into the hazards of diet culture.

1

Rule out food intolerances

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“Certain food intolerances, such as lactose or gluten intolerance, can lead to excess gas production, bloating and other digestive symptoms,” says Danielle Crumble Smith, R.D.N., founder of Eat Well Live Well. “If you suspect a food intolerance, consider speaking with a healthcare professional or a dietitian. It can also be really helpful to keep a food-and-symptom log. You might not experience a reaction until three to four days after consumption which can make identifying the culprit tricky if you’re not logging.”

2

Rub your belly

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Seriously! “Gentle abdominal massage can help stimulate the muscles in your gastrointestinal tract, which can help move gas and stool through your system and alleviate bloating,” says Crumble Smith. “Start by placing your hands just above your right hip bone, then rub in a circular motion up to the right side of your rib cage, across your upper belly, and down to your left hip bone. Always massage in a clockwise direction.”

3

Switch to a smaller plate

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“When you're eating a large volume of food, your body has to work really hard to digest it,” says Crumble Smith, which can make you feel uncomfortably full and bloated. Instead, try eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.

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4

Tame your sweet tooth

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There are a few reasons why cutting back on sweet-tasting things might help. First, in some people fructose and lactose (two different types of sugar) trigger bloating and other digestive woes. Sugar can also spark inflammation and throw the balance of bacteria in your gut out of whack. Meanwhile, “sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol are often used as sugar substitutes in ‘sugar-free’ or ‘low-sugar’ foods,” says Crumble Smith. “These can cause bloating, especially when consumed in large amounts, because they're not fully absorbed by the body and are fermented by bacteria in the gut.” To satisfy an immediate sugar craving, reach for fruit (which also has gut-healthy fiber). To really break from sugar, join our membership club, GH+, to unlock access to Good Housekeeping's 21-day sugar detox plan, which will ease you out of your cravings and help you form a healthy relationship with the sweet stuff.

5

Limit alcohol

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“Alcohol is a hard one because a lot of people use it in social environments,” says Crumble Smith, but it’s smart to be selective about how much and exactly what you’re drinking. That’s because alcohol can increase the amount of gas in your digestive system. Research also shows that your digestive system slows down so that your body can process the alcohol. “As a result, the food that you might be eating may not be metabolized or broken down as well,” explains Crumble Smith. These problems may be exacerbated if you’re opting for sugary drinks.

6

Consider digestive enzymes

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“There are several enzymes that can assist in the digestion of beans, cruciferous vegetables and foods high in FODMAPs — fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols,” says Crumble Smith. It might be helpful to talk to a registered dietitian about whether taking one of these could help: alpha-galactosidase, lactase, xylanase, cellulase, amylase, protease and lipase. “It’s also recommended to work with a dietitian to help identify why you might be reacting to these foods,” adds Crumble Smith.

RELATED: What to Know About the Low FODMAP Diet

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7

Exercise regularly

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The goal isn’t just to build muscles and burn calories. “Physical activity helps stimulate the muscles of the digestive system to restore regularity and reduce bloating,” says Crumble Smith. Even if you can't get to the gym, try to squeeze in a 30-minute walk daily, says advises Kim Lyons, a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer on The Biggest Loser. The simple boost in metabolism will help you burn waistline fat more efficiently. Plus, one study found that people with hypertension who began walking 15 minutes a day and worked their way up to 300 minutes a week two months later reduced their waist circumference as well as their blood pressure.

8

Tackle stress

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"When you're frazzled, your body increases its production of steroids and stress hormones, which negatively affect your digestive system, causing major constipation," says Judith Reichman, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist in Los Angeles. On top of that, stress also amps up the production of cortisol, a "fight or flight" hormone that sends excess fat directly to your midsection in its attempt to protect your vital organs. To minimize tension, Dr. Reichman suggests setting aside 20 minutes every day to relax. “Deep breathing, meditation, yoga and other relaxation techniques can help manage stress levels and may improve digestion,” adds Crumble Smith.

9

Skip the straw

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This may sound obvious, but if you’re ingesting a lot of air, it needs to take up space somewhere in your body and may lead to bloat as it moves through your digestive system. To prevent that from happening, avoid drinking carbonated beverages and using straws, both of which can increase the air that ends up in your stomach, suggests Roshini Raj, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist and author of Gut Renovation. “Don’t talk and eat at the same time because it also makes you swallow air,” she adds.

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10

Perfect your posture

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Straighten up and your tummy will look flatter right away, says Lyons. "When your posture is good, you're automatically engaging and toning your stomach muscles," she says. If you need to remind yourself to stand tall, a few strategically placed sticky notes should do the trick, or consider some of these posture-correcting products.

11

Eat slower

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Rather than scarfing down meals, make a point of chewing each bite at least 10 times before swallowing. "The body has to work overtime to break down food in the stomach and intestines, which can lead to major gas and indigestion," says Dr. Reichman. Plus, when you eat fast, you're more prone to swallowing air. To make slowing down easier, try eating mindfully and pay attention to the scents, textures and taste of every bite.

12

Grab a hula hoop

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Those colorful rings aren’t just for kids! One study found that when research participants began using a weighted hula-hoop for six minutes a day and then each week thereafter added two minutes to their daily total, they lowered their abdominal fat and increased their muscle mass in just six weeks.

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13

Sip more water

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Keep those fluids coming! "Being dehydrated causes the body to hoard water," says Lyons. This can lead you to carry up to four excess pounds around your midsection. Drinking water also helps your body handle the fiber you’re ingesting. (Cruciferous veggies and legumes are especially known for causing gas pain if you’re not adequately hydrated.) Aim for at least eight cups of water or other fluids daily.

14

Consider probiotics

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"Probiotics are 'good' bacteria that help your digestive system break down food, preventing the gastrointestinal issues that can keep you from having a flat stomach," explains nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth. To ensure your plumbing is working at its best, Bowden suggests eating a daily serving of a probiotic-rich food like yogurt, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut or buttermilk.

15

Don't forget about prebioitics

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If you want healthy probiotics, you need prebiotics to feed them. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that are not digested in the GI tract. They work to promote the growth of good bacteria so your gut environment is healthier and has less bloating. You can find prebiotics in veggies, fruit, nuts, beans, seeds and 100% whole grains, says Amy Fischer M.S., R.D., C.D.N..

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16

Stick to a bathroom schedule

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"Most women don't want to talk about it, but you really have to set aside a specific time each day to use the bathroom," notes Dr. Reichman. "If you don't, it's too easy to give into feeling rushed, and ignore the urge to go." Once you've trained your brain to dismiss your body's signals, you set the stage for bloat-inducing constipation. (It may also help to take a break from skinny jeans as research shows that wearing tight clothing can cause stool to move through your digestive tract more slowly.)

17

Give up gum

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Because chewing gum forces you to swallow more air, it can also keep you from squeezing into your skinny jeans, explain researchers at the American College of Gastroenterology. If you need to freshen your breath, you're better off sucking on a mint.

18

Ditch your chair

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You don't have to convert to a standing desk full-time, but research shows that replacing just one hour of sitting at work with one hour of standing can reduce your waist circumference. It might feel good to stretch a little, anyway!

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19

Cut back on sodium

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When you eat too much sodium, research shows that your body is forced to retain water to dilute the sodium before it’s excreted. As a result, you’ll probably feel a little bloated from the extra “water weight.” To avoid this (and lower your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke), aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Americans get 70% of their sodium from processed and restaurant foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so the simplest thing you can do is avoid packaged foods.

20

Go to bed earlier

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Getting under the covers a little sooner doesn't just help you avoid late-night snacking. Missing sleep slows down your body's metabolism and it can lead to elevated cortisol levels which can encourage your body to store more fat. To increase your calorie burn and keep cortisol levels in check, aim for 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye every night.

Headshot of Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., NASM-CPT
Tested byStefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., NASM-CPT
Nutrition Lab Director

Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is also Good Housekeeping’s on-staff fitness and exercise expert. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.

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