How to Make Yourself Fart: Relieve Trapped Gas Fast

Health & Wellness

Most of the internet’s advice about flatulence assumes you want less of it. How to Stop Farting walks through remedies for cutting down gas frequency, and our guide to why farts smell covers the chemistry behind the odor itself. This guide is the mirror image of that problem. Sometimes the issue isn’t that you’re passing too much gas, it’s that gas is stuck, your abdomen feels tight and swollen, and the only thing that will actually help is getting it moving. The goal here isn’t suppression. It’s safe, deliberate release.

We’ve covered the physiology of what happens when gas gets trapped in detail in Is It Bad to Hold In a Fart?, so we won’t re-derive it here. The short version: gas that can’t move distends the intestinal wall, which is what produces that tight, crampy, bloated feeling, and relief only comes once the gas actually travels through and out of the digestive tract. Everything below is aimed at helping that happen, using techniques with real physiological rationale behind them, not anything invasive or risky.

Quick answer

To release trapped gas safely, movement is the most reliable first step: a short walk (see our guide to the fart walk trend) or specific positions like knees-to-chest and the yoga pose Pawanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose) use gravity and gentle pressure to help gas migrate through the colon. A gentle, clockwise abdominal self-massage, performed in the actual direction of your colon, can help move gas along mechanically. A warm compress or warm bath can relax tense abdominal muscles enough for gas to pass more easily, and warm drinks like peppermint or ginger tea can help (see our full list of natural remedies for gas). If none of that works quickly enough, an over-the-counter option like Gas-X (simethicone) can speed things along. What none of this should ever involve is straining hard against a closed or forced sphincter, or ignoring severe pain, if you genuinely cannot pass gas or stool at all, that’s covered separately below and is not something to manage at home.

Movement and positions that help trapped gas move

Gas moves through the colon partly by gravity and partly by the wave-like muscle contractions of digestion (peristalsis), and both can be nudged along by changing your body’s position. A few techniques come up consistently across digestive-health and yoga-therapy sources:

Walking. Light movement after eating is one of the most consistently recommended ways to encourage trapped gas to pass, which is the entire premise behind the viral “fart walk” trend, a short, easy-paced walk rather than an intense workout.
Knees-to-chest position. Lying on your back and pulling one or both knees up toward your chest gently compresses the abdomen and is a commonly recommended first-line position for easing trapped gas and cramping.
Pawanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose). This yoga pose is literally named for this purpose, lying on your back, pulling both knees to the chest, and holding while breathing deeply into the belly. It’s one of the techniques medically reviewed sources point to for releasing intestinal gas.
Gentle seated or lying twists. A relaxed spinal twist, such as lying on your back with knees bent and gently lowering them to one side, is thought to help by applying light pressure and movement to the intestines.
Squatting. A deep squat compresses the abdomen and can help both gas and stool move through the lower colon; it’s a position worth trying if lying-down poses aren’t practical.
Child’s pose. Kneeling and folding forward with arms extended gently compresses the abdomen against the thighs, which some yoga-health sources describe as an internal-organ “massage” that can help ease bloating.

None of these poses or movements require force. Hold each position gently for 30–60 seconds, breathing slowly, rather than straining.

Try a clockwise abdominal self-massage

Abdominal self-massage is a technique taught in digestive-health and patient-care settings, and the direction matters more than most people realize. The large intestine runs up the right side of your abdomen (ascending colon), across the top (transverse colon), and down the left side (descending colon) before reaching the rectum. Massaging in that same direction – clockwise, following the actual path of the colon, is believed to mechanically help move gas and stool along, while massaging in a random or counterclockwise direction doesn’t follow the same logic.

To try it: lie on your back with your knees bent. Starting at your lower right abdomen (near your right hip bone), use flat fingers or a loose fist to apply gentle, firm pressure in small circles, moving up toward your ribs, across to the left side, and down toward your lower left abdomen. A systematic review of abdominal massage studies found consistent improvements in stool frequency, transit time, and comfort with regular practice, though most of that research focuses on constipation specifically rather than gas alone. Two to five minutes is usually enough to tell whether it’s helping. Skip this technique if you’re pregnant, have had recent abdominal surgery, have a diagnosed hernia, or have unexplained abdominal pain, check with a doctor first in those cases.

Warm compress or a warm bath

Applying gentle heat, a warm compress, hot water bottle, or a warm bath is a commonly recommended home measure for trapped wind. The reasoning is straightforward rather than exotic: warmth helps relax tense abdominal and intestinal muscles and improves local blood flow, which can make it physically easier for trapped gas to move and pass. It’s not going to work instantly or for everyone, and the evidence behind it is more modest than for movement or massage, but it’s low-risk and often pairs well with the positions above, for example, doing knees-to-chest stretches after a warm bath, when muscles are already more relaxed.

Drinks that can help things along

Warm fluids tend to help more than cold ones. Peppermint tea, ginger tea, and plain warm water are the three most commonly recommended options, and all three show up repeatedly in digestive-health guidance for easing bloating and trapped gas. This isn’t the focus of this guide; we cover dietary and drink-based remedies in full in How to Stop Farting: Natural Remedies for Excess Gas, but as a quick, low-effort pairing with movement or massage, a warm cup of peppermint or ginger tea is a reasonable first move while you try the techniques above.

When you want a little extra help: OTC options

If movement, massage, and heat aren’t cutting it fast enough, before an event, a long flight, or just because you’re uncomfortable, an over-the-counter anti-gas product can help. We cover how these actually work in Does Gas-X Make You Fart? Understanding Trapped Gas Relief, and we’ve put together a broader OTC buying guide for gas and flatulence products available in India if you want to compare options. As with any medication, check the label and talk to a pharmacist or doctor if you’re pregnant, on other medications, or dealing with gas that’s become a frequent problem rather than an occasional one.

How to fart quietly (when you can’t excuse yourself)

Sometimes the issue isn’t that you can’t release trapped gas, it’s that you need to do it without announcing it to a room, a meeting, or a first date. A few real physical factors affect how much noise a fart makes:

Sphincter tension and control. A slow, controlled release, letting a small amount of gas escape gradually rather than relaxing all at once, produces far less vibration and sound than a sudden release.
Volume and speed. As our pillar guide on why farts smell explains, loudness is mostly a matter of volume and velocity, not smell, a smaller amount of gas released slowly is both quieter and, usefully, often less noticeable to people nearby since it has less force behind it.
Position and surface. Standing, or shifting your weight to one side while seated, can change how directly sound projects compared to sitting flat against a hard chair.
Ambient noise. Timing a release to overlap with a flush, a cough, moving a chair, or background noise is a low-tech but genuinely effective way to mask sound.

For the social side of all this, what’s actually considered acceptable in a shared office, and how to handle it when discretion fails, see Farting at Work: The Science and Etiquette of Workplace Gas.

Helping a newborn or infant pass trapped gas

Trapped gas in babies deserves its own section because the causes, the safe techniques, and the warning signs are all different from what applies to adults. Babies swallow more air than adults do, especially during feeding and crying, and their digestive systems are still maturing, which is why gassiness is so common in the first few months.

Pediatric sources, including Cleveland Clinic and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org, consistently recommend a small set of gentle techniques:

Illustration: Helping a newborn or infant pass trapped gas — Helping a newborn or infant pass trapped gas.

Bicycle-leg movements. With your baby lying on their back, gently move their legs in a slow pedaling, bicycle-like motion, or bring both knees up toward the belly and back down. This is one of the most widely recommended first steps for a gassy baby.
Tummy time. Supervised time on the belly puts gentle pressure on the abdomen, which pediatric sources note can help encourage trapped gas to move along, in addition to its well-known benefits for motor development.
Burping during and after feeds. Pausing partway through a feed to burp, not just waiting until the end, reduces the amount of air that settles in the stomach in the first place. Hold your baby upright against your shoulder with their head supported, or sitting on your lap leaning slightly forward, and pat or gently rub the mid-back rather than the shoulders.
Gentle clockwise tummy massage. Using light pressure and slow circular motions on your baby’s belly, moving clockwise, is a technique pediatric sources describe as a gentle way to help ease gas and support digestion.
Feeding adjustments. Slow-flow nipples, keeping your baby’s head slightly elevated during bottle-feeds, and gently stirring (rather than shaking) formula can all reduce how much air they swallow during feeding.

When to call your pediatrician: Occasional fussiness from gas is normal and usually resolves with the techniques above. Contact your baby’s doctor if your baby seems to be in persistent pain rather than brief discomfort, isn’t feeding well or is refusing feeds, has forceful or unusual vomiting, hasn’t had a bowel movement in an unusually long stretch, has blood in the stool, develops a fever, or cries inconsolably for extended periods. These can point to colic, a feeding intolerance, reflux, or another issue beyond ordinary infant gas, and a pediatrician, not a home remedy, is the right next step. This section is general information for parents and is not a substitute for guidance from your baby’s own doctor, who knows their specific history.

Myth-busting: does farting burn calories or help you lose weight?

No. This myth traces back to an old, unsupported internet claim that a single fart burns around 67 calories, which would make releasing trapped gas an actual weight-loss strategy. There’s no research behind that number, and the real physiology doesn’t support the idea either. Passing gas is the release of gas your body has already produced or swallowed; it isn’t a metabolic process that consumes meaningful energy. If there’s any calorie cost at all, it comes from the muscles you engage while straining to release gas, and that amounts to at most a calorie or two, nowhere near enough to register as weight loss by any measure.

What’s actually true is that releasing trapped gas can make you feel noticeably lighter, because intestinal bloating from trapped gas is one of the most common causes of that tight, swollen feeling in the abdomen. That sensation of relief is real; it’s just a change in comfort, not a change in body fat.

When it’s not just gas: warning signs that need medical care

Everything above assumes ordinary trapped gas, uncomfortable, but not dangerous. That’s not always the case. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, being unable to pass gas or stool at all, especially alongside severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or a visibly swollen or distended abdomen, can be a sign of a bowel obstruction, a genuine medical emergency that needs prompt attention rather than home remedies. A complete blockage won’t resolve with walking, massage, or heat, and trying to force it can make things worse.

If gas or bowel changes are showing up alongside blood or mucus in your stool, persistent diarrhea, or other symptoms that go beyond ordinary bloating, see our guide to Gas With Blood, Mucus, or Diarrhea: When It’s More Than Just Digestion for the specific red flags worth knowing. In short: if you truly cannot pass gas or stool, or you have severe or worsening pain, repeated vomiting, or a hard, swollen abdomen, seek medical care promptly rather than waiting it out.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have persistent, severe, or painful bloating, or any of the warning signs above, see a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make yourself fart when you’re bloated?

Start with gentle movement, like a short walk, or a position such as knees-to-chest or Pawanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose), both of which use gravity and gentle pressure to help trapped gas move through the colon. A clockwise abdominal self-massage and a warm compress or bath can help as well. These methods work by encouraging gas that’s already there to move along, not by forcing anything.

What position helps release trapped gas fastest?

The knees-to-chest position and the yoga Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana) are the two most commonly recommended positions, since both gently compress the abdomen while you’re lying down. Results vary by person, and holding the position for 30–60 seconds while breathing slowly tends to work better than trying to force it.

How can I fart quietly?

Release gas slowly and gradually rather than all at once, since a controlled release produces far less vibration and sound than a sudden one. Shifting position, standing rather than sitting flat, and timing the release to overlap with background noise can all help if discretion matters in the moment.

Does farting burn calories or help you lose weight?

No. There’s no research supporting the idea that farting burns a meaningful number of calories, and any energy used in straining to pass gas amounts to at most a calorie or two. The relief you feel afterward comes from reduced bloating, not fat loss.

How do I help my newborn pass gas?

Gentle bicycle-leg movements, supervised tummy time, burping during and after feeds, and a light clockwise tummy massage are the techniques most consistently recommended by pediatric sources. Call your pediatrician if your baby seems to be in persistent pain, isn’t feeding well, or shows other symptoms beyond ordinary gas.

Is it safe to force yourself to fart?

Gentle methods like movement, positioning, and massage are safe for most people, but you should never strain hard or forcefully push to release gas. Straining can be uncomfortable and unhelpful, and if you genuinely cannot pass gas at all along with severe pain or vomiting, that needs medical attention rather than continued effort at home.

What yoga pose helps release gas?

Pawanmuktasana, known as the Wind-Relieving Pose, is specifically designed for this: lying on your back and pulling both knees toward your chest while breathing deeply. Gentle spinal twists and child’s pose are also commonly used to ease bloating.

Why does walking help you fart?

Light movement after eating encourages the natural muscle contractions of digestion and uses gravity to help gas move through the colon, which is why a short walk is one of the most reliably recommended ways to relieve trapped gas. This is the basis of the viral “fart walk” trend.

When is trapped gas a medical emergency?

If you truly cannot pass gas or stool at all, especially together with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or a visibly swollen abdomen, that can signal a bowel obstruction, which needs emergency medical attention rather than home remedies.

Does abdominal massage really help with gas?

A gentle massage performed clockwise, in the actual direction of your colon, has research support for easing constipation and is commonly recommended for gas as well, since it mechanically encourages movement through the intestines. It’s not guaranteed to work instantly for everyone, but it’s low-risk.

How long does it take to relieve trapped gas?

It varies widely by person and cause, but many people notice relief within minutes of walking, changing position, or massage. If discomfort persists for more than a day or two, or worsens, it’s worth checking with a doctor rather than continuing to self-treat.

Can drinking water help you fart?

Warm water, specifically, is commonly recommended to help ease bloating and support digestion, and it’s a low-effort addition to movement or massage. Peppermint and ginger tea are often suggested for the same reason.

This article is for general information only, not medical advice. If you have persistent or severe symptoms, consult a doctor.

References

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How to Make Yourself Fart: Safe Ways to Relieve Trapped Gas Fast