Beat the Bloat with Strength Training: 5 Ways Lifting Helps Women Ditch Belly Bloat

Is bloating making you feel like your jeans fit at 8 AM… but betray you by 5 PM?

In this episode of The Muscles and Mindset Revolution, host Anne Jones—certified life coach, personal trainer, and mindset expert—breaks down the surprising connection between strength training and bloating relief for women.

Anne shares 5 powerful reasons why lifting weights consistently can help you beat belly bloat:

✅ Keeps your gut moving and digestion flowing

✅ Flushes out excess fluid (so you feel less puffy)

✅ Reduces stress levels that wreak havoc on your gut

✅ Lowers inflammation linked to bloating and discomfort

✅ Strengthens your core for better posture and flatter appearance

Plus, Anne spills her own hilarious real-life bloating moments (including the time she unbuttoned her shorts at the Shakira concert in Vegas!).

If you’re tired of feeling puffy, frustrated, and unsure why bloating keeps showing up—this episode is your roadmap to relief.

👉 Listen in and discover how strength training can transform not just your physique—but your gut health and confidence too.

💙 Ready for personalized help beating the bloat and building a body you love? Join Anne inside Muscles & Mindset for expert coaching on fitness, gut health, and mindset. Links below!

⏱️ Episode Chapters:

• 00:25 Why bloating feels so unfair
• 01:06 How lifting weights helps combat bloating
• 01:51 Reason 1: Strength training keeps your gut moving
• 02:52 Reason 2: Lifting helps flush out excess fluid
• 04:01 Reason 3: Lower stress = calmer digestion
• 05:37 Reason 4: Strength training reduces inflammation
• 06:07 Reason 5: A stronger core makes a difference
• 08:52 Anne’s personal bloating experiences and lessons
• 11:50 Final thoughts and encouragement
• 12:55 How to join Muscles and Mindset for personalized coaching

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 💙 Connect with Anne on Instagram: @annejonesfit
• 🌐 Learn more about Muscles & Mindset coaching

• [FREE YOUR BODY YOUR WAY GUIDE]

• [Join our Free Facebook Community]

• [https://musclesandmindset.ca/]

Ready to build strength, feel confident AF, and lose fat without obsessing or stressing over it? [Apply to Join the Muscles & Mindset program here].

Connect With Me:

• Instagram: [@annejonesfit]

• Website: [https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/]

• YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@annejones]

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Transcript

0:00

Hello and welcome to the Muscles and Mindset Revolution podcast. The podcast for ambitious women who want to build strength, feel confident, af, and lose fat for good, without counting calories or BS quick fixes. I'm your host, Anne Jones, certified life coach, personal trainer, and mindset expert. If you are ready to shift your mindset, build a lifestyle you love and feel confident in af, you're in the right place. So, is it just me or does it feel completely unfair that some days your jeans fit perfectly at 8:00 AM and by 5:00 PM you're basically praying that you brought your spare stretchy pants. but what if I told you that there's one thing that you can do to reduce bloating that has nothing to do with giving up champagne, carbs, or your favourite sour cream and onion chips, and it's probably the opposite of what diet culture is telling you. today we're gonna talk about one very specific way that you can combat bloating that has nothing to do with what you eat or drink. And it is something that I hope you are all doing anyways. And it is not magic. I don't know. Is it magic? Is it science? Spoiler alert, it's actually both. And today I'm going to explain exactly how lifting weights consistently helps you beat the bloat. And I'm going to do it in normal human language because nobody needs a PhD to understand why they suddenly look five months pregnant after lunch The reason that I'm sharing this today is because I have experienced this firsthand. I do experience this firsthand when I'm consistent with lifting. Bloating is almost non-existent for me when I fall off for a while, boom, bloated, and I wanted to understand why this happens in a way that I could explain it to you in normal human language. If you're consistent with your strength training. It actually. It happens way less and it's like a kind of a fun antidote you can pull out where I'm just like, no worries, I'm just gonna like get back to my consistent training. This is gonna go away and it does, and here's why. Okay? Reason number one, strength training gets your gut moving. So firstly, lifting weights literally helps move things through your gut. Your digestion system is like a conveyor belt. When it slows down, gas and waste just kind of hang out, and that's when you get that tight, puffy, uncomfortable feeling. Strength training actually stimulates your intestines, which have muscles in them to contract and keep things moving along. This is called peristalsis. It's kind of like shaking a snow globe. And then watching everything swirl instead of just like settling into a clump. So more movement in your gut equals less bloating. So strength training is excellent for getting your guts moving because of the muscle pump action. And yoga is great for decreasing bloating because of the frequent twist and movement action. So if you've ever felt less gassy after a workout, that can be why. so that's number one. Reason number two, strength training pumps out excess fluid. So let's talk about fluid hormonal changes. Salt stress are all things that can make your body hold onto extra water. So when you lift weight, your muscles contract and relax. Like little pumps, little pump system. This helps not only move. Blood through your body circulation, but it also, helps to move lymphatic fluid through your body and flush out excess water so your muscles, contract and relax like a pump helps with your lymph and blood moving and drainage. So basically strength training actually helps you pee out your bloat. And we can talk about detoxification another day, but peeing and pooing are actually Almost entirely the ways in which we release quote unquote toxins. I know there's a lot of talk about like sweating things out, but that's actually a very. Very, very, very, very small amount of toxins come out through sweat. It's mostly through your pee and your poo. Some of your sweat is actually Not the sexiest conversation, but true. This is one reason that women often feel less bloated when they get consistent with resistance training, including me. Reason number three, lower stress equals calmer gut. I used to have mortifyingly terrible gut issues in like 2008 to maybe 2010. I started, I kind of healed it in 2010, 2011. We can talk about what that was like another day. It was really awful. But one of the things that I noticed, I did a whole gut healing protocol, which coach Natalie now does with our clients. But one of the things that actually my husband noticed is particularly in 2010, is when we would go on a vacation, I wouldn't have any gut issues. And he was like, oh, that's so weird. It's almost as if it's related to your stress. And I was like. I'm not stressed'cause everyone's like, I'm not, I don't have stress. Fix me, fix my guts. stress is one of the biggest causes of bloating that nobody talks about enough when you're stressed, your body pumps out cortisol, which messes with your digestion. also, when you are in fight or flight in survival mode is prioritizing dealing with that threat and not prioritizing things like rest and digest. Literally, that's what it's called. You're not digesting, you're not healing, you're not growing hair and nails and muscles, and burning fat. So your stomach slows down. You may get cramps, you might hold onto more water strength training lowers your baseline stress levels. It is literally a stress relief tool. Everyone should do it. It's free. Every deadlift or squat is not just about your booty, but also calming down your nervous system. So you're not only getting stronger physically, you are helping your gut chill out. Reason number four, strength training lowers inflammation. Strength training lowers and fights inflammation. Low grade inflammation in the body can mess up your digestion big time and make you feel swollen. And there are lots of food ways that we decrease inflammation with our clients. There are lots of stress management ways, but exercise also helps reduce this inflammation. So by lifting regularly, you're creating an internal environment where your gut and your body are not constantly on high alert and less inflammation equals less bloating. Reason number five, a strong core is a game changer. Okay, so lastly, posture and core strength. Sometimes what looks like bloating isn't all gas or water, it is your. Core muscles not supporting your abdomen or your posture. And I can talk about this on another episode. I was born with this congenital thing that I had surgery for, perhaps not the best surgery. And so my body will never have perfect posture. And so I quite often look. Bloated or like I have abdominal bloating or fat, but it's just because of my posture. And that's one of the other reasons that I strength train consistently is because when I am not on that, it's worse and then it hurts my back. So in, in some people it's sometimes posturally can look like bloating. So that's kind of my thing. But also when your abs are weak. Everything pushes forward and your tummy sticks out. And I'm just gonna use this opportunity to say that crunches and sit ups are not the answer to that strength training in a 360 4 Dimensional intelligent way builds your core. It's like putting scaffolding around a building, holding things in place. That and breath. Inappropriate breathing can cause pelvic floor dysfunction, cramping, poor digestion and bloating. When your posture improves, your belly feels more supported and it looks flatter even when your gut is doing its normal digestion thing. And the way that we improve posture is not by constantly trying to stand a certain way, but by strengthening the structures that support your posture and your core so that when you are standing, sitting, doing stuff, your body doesn't have to think about it. It's strong enough to hold you in that position. So this is not at all about six pack abs and in fact, people with really tight abdomens and six packs can actually have more digestive dysfunction. So it's not about that. It's actually about feeling solid and strong and functional. So let me translate all of this out of science and into real life strength training is like giving your gut an internal massage. If you haven't heard this, you have an additional kind of nervous system in your digestive system. It can be referred to as the second brain. So you actually feel a lot through your abdomen. This is not woowoo, this is real. So your guts are intricately connected to your nervous system, your brain, and your emotional and mental health. So every rep keeps things moving, flushes out extra water and tells your nervous system to chill out. So it's like ringing out a sponge. When you're training, that's how your body moves fluid and bloating out, and it builds a stronger centre so that you feel held together, both physically and mentally. So those are the five reasons strength training helps fight bloating, and I want to share a bit more about my personal experience with this because I have basically tested it on myself. Okay. what I noticed even more so was actually that when I'm consistently strength training, my bloat is pretty much gone. Like when I'm on my shit with my workouts, lifting weights specifically I am almost never bloated. And then I'll notice that when I get a little inconsistent or I have a couple of trips, it's actually the lack of consistent lifting that is correlated with my bloating versus what I've been eating or drinking. So I've kind of split tested it, right?'cause I'm a nerd and I also know my body pretty well. so, if I go on a trip or two, or it's been Christmas or whatever, I don't really weigh myself. But I'll notice it in my clothes where I'll be like, oh, my jeans are a little tighter. I totally notice it in how my tops fit, especially my very favourite shirt that I now have, like six of, is the Lululemon align high neck crop top. I love the high neck and I notice when I'm feeling bloated'cause it's like riding up and of course I feel it in my leggings in all the places. What I absolutely don't do is I don't freak out or weigh myself.'cause like it doesn't matter what differences it make, I don't start eating less or differently or panic cardio. But I have noticed this correlation with training and I'm like gonna get back to my training consistently at any point in my life anyways. So it's not something I worried about. But it's something that I found very interesting and so I wanted to explain to you why it is that this years ago, if I was not lifting consistently, I would feel like a balloon after a few days, I would be like pulling at my shirt. I would be, way back in the day I would not want to eat'cause I felt too puffy. I would be thinking that I'd instantly gained five pounds because my stomach was sticking out, which of course is not true. And even if it is true, it's not, it's not body fat. So whatever. And also, so if you have ever unbuttoned your jeans under the dinner table, which I totally still do, you're my people. Oh, oh my God. I actually just did it. I actually just did this at the Shakira concert. last week's episode was about, my trip to Las Vegas to see Shakira. I was wearing these high black shorts with like six buttons. And we were sitting like waiting for the show to start and I totally undid my top button'cause I was like, nobody cares and I can't with all these buttons right now. So I want you to know you're not alone. Bloating happens to all of us and it doesn't have to happen as much as frequently. And this is why so many clients and women who start lifting regularly tell me, I don't feel as puffy anymore. I'm not bloated anymore. I'm not bloated all the time. My belly feels calmer. And it's not magic. It's your body working how it's supposed to. So often, new clients will be like, I need to lose five or 10 pounds. And they don't, they're just bloated and like, so the scale doesn't, and then, but then if we get all caught up in the scale, then we feel like it's not going in the right direction. But really we got rid of the bloat, which was the thing that you wanted. So real quick, reality check. Does this mean, like does strength training mean that you're never gonna get bloated again? No. I get bloated. I just told you this, you're human hormones, weather salty meals. Stress travel, travel bloat is real. Those things are all gonna still happen as long as you have a life and a body. But when you your body is way more equipped to handle those blips without blowing up like a balloon. And then the reason we work on the mindset side of things is that, so that we don't spiral, when bloating does come to pass, it's going to, so next time you're feeling bloated, which for me was just yesterday. I'm just coming out of a season of lots of trips and not being consistent with my training, which I am now getting back to, so I want you to remember number one, movement helps. Number two, stress relief matters. Just go ahead and assume you're stressed, okay? I haven't met a client who's not. So you are probably just learn to manage it. It's not gonna go away. Number three, strength training is your secret weapon. Number four, go easy on yourself. Being bloated is not a failure. It's just your body doing its thing and talking. The body works perfectly. It's just we need to listen to it, right? And listen, if you are sick of feeling like a puffer fish and you wanna plan that tackles both your body and your gut health, we've got you inside muscles and mindset. We help women not just lose body fat, but actually heal their digestion and feel calm in their bodies. We even have a healthy gut protocol that you can customize. So come hang out with us. You can DM me on Instagram at@annejonesfit, or check out the link in the show notes for more details about one-on-one coaching because your body deserves to feel calm, strong, and not like a puffer fish. And that is a wrap for today's episode of the Muscles and Mindset Revolution. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And if this helped you, I would love for you to leave a review. You can also come find me on Instagram, as I mentioned at@annejonesfit, where we talk about all things strength, mindset, and how to live a life you freaking love in a body you love. So until next time, keep lifting. Keep loving yourself. And remember, strong women are not just built in the gym. They're built from the inside out. Catch you next time.