It’s no secret: As you age, your body and its systems change—which has its ups and downs. One downside? Your digestive tract starts to slow down, aka you may become more prone to occasional abdominal discomfort. You know, like the kind that makes you want to unbutton your pants after a big meal.
Maintaining a healthy gut with age is possible though—just ask 69-year-old fitness trainer Liz Hilliard, owner and creator of the Hilliard Studio Method. Over the years, she noticed signs that her gut health may be out of balance—such as occasional bloating and gas—and she felt like she had more occasional digestive upsets. Instead of throwing in the towel and accepting those pains, Hilliard decided to double down on her gut health.
“While our digestive process may slow down as we age, occasional bloating and gas do not need to prevent us from being comfortable in our body,” Hilliard says. “Prioritizing my gut health has been key to my overall wellness. Being healthy allows me to do things I love—like my workouts and exercise routine.”
Hilliard likes to think of her gut as the body’s command center—it digests and absorbs food, eliminates waste, affects mental and physical well-being, and supports the immune system—which is why optimizing its health has been such a priority for her as she nears 70. Ready to join her in the journey to a healthy gut? Here are three ways she supports her digestive system every day, based on the signs her body has given her.
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1. Taking a daily probiotic supplement
Taking a probiotic supplement every day has been a game-changer to Hilliard’s well-being routine. “I used to struggle with occasional bloating and gas,” she says. “Taking a probiotic consistently every day has been crucial in helping relieve the bothersome digestive symptoms I get from time to time.”
If you’re in the market for a probiotic supplement with the same effect, Align Bloating Relief + Food Digestion Probiotics Supplement Capsules is made with the unique probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium 35624™, to help soothe occasional bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort.* Plus, the formula also includes vitamin B12 to help support the breakdown of food into cellular energy,* and a complementary blend of digestive enzymes. Hilliard has been taking this supplement daily to help support her gut health.*
2. Moving her body every day
News flash: In order to be healthy in any aspect, it’s important to incorporate movement and exercise into your daily routine. But did you know that exercise can also support your gut health? Hilliard swears by daily exercise to help to support her gut health. “I advocate for any type of movement, period,” Hilliard says. “A good walk every day will definitely help keep your digestive system healthy.”
If you’re feeling some discomfort in your gut, Hilliard recommends laying on the floor with your back to the wall and extending your legs upward for 10 to 15 minutes a day to aid digestion, or getting in a good cat-cow stretch followed by some spinal twisting and a plank hold with a set of push-ups to get your blood flowing and your systems moving.
3. Staying hydrated
Every day, Hilliard tries to drink at least half her body weight in ounces of water. Drinking water doesn’t simply help her to stay hydrated after teaching a workout class, though—it’s also important for promoting good digestion, as water helps to break down the food you eat and allows your body to absorb nutrients. For Hilliard personally, she’s noticed that staying hydrated has helped her eliminate waste from her body.
Now that you know some of the digestive signs that helped Hilliard make gut-friendly changes to her diet and lifestyle, tune in to your body to see what signs it might be sending you. Take one step toward a healthier you—literally, step into the corner store to grab some Align Bloating Relief + Food Digestion Probiotics.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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