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This 20-minute workout will help you debloat after Thanksgiving

These strategic exercises will help improve circulation and aid digestion.
Exercises that engage your core through twists can help improve digestion.
Exercises that engage your core through twists can help improve digestion.TODAY illustration

Regardless what your holiday gathering looks like this year, one thing is for certain: We will all indulge in some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods

4,500 calories worth to be exact. Yes, that’s the average amount of calories that Americans consume for their Thanksgiving meal, according to the Calorie Control Council. It’s no wonder why a need for a nap has become part of our annual tradition. But once your body starts to digest your Thanksgiving feast and you’re feeling up to it, there are definitely ways to combat the bloat.

Exercise has been proven to reduce bloating and gas. So if you feel bloated after the big holiday meal, we’ve got the perfect post-Thanksgiving workout for you.

All you’ll need for this workout is a pair of athletic shoes. You don’t even need a yoga mat! This full-body workout will help improve circulation, detoxify and improve digestion through strategic exercises that engage your core through twists. Repeat two rounds of these 5 exercises for a total of a 20 minutes (or squeeze in a round whenever you have a spare 10 minutes!).

Side Lunge Elbow Reach

Start with your hands behind your head and elbows open wide. Step your right foot to the right into a side lunge. Bend the right knee and reach your right glute behind you as if you’re sitting into a chair. Keep the left leg straight. Then cross the left elbow towards the right knee and engage the abdominals. Press off of the right heel and bring the elbow back to center. Repeat 10 times and then switch to the left side.

Squat Touch and Reach

Start with your feet as wide as your shoulders and your toes facing forward. Bend your knees and sit your butt back as if you’re sitting down into a chair. Reach your fingertips down to the ground, and then press down through the heels to stand up and reach the arms straight up overhead. Stretch your torso. Repeat this 10 times.

Squat Jump with Elbow to Knee

In the same starting position as above, squat down and then press down through your heels to jump up. Land softly with your knees bent, press your hands together in front of your body, and then cross the arms to the right, across your right thigh. Jump squat again, and then press the arms together and cross them to the outside of your left thigh. Repeat this 10 times to each side.

Backwards Lunge with Core Cross

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. Step the left foot back into a backwards lunge. Bend the knee at a 90-degree angle to lower it towards the ground. Then press down through the right heel to return upright, and bring the left knee up towards your chest. Cross your right elbow towards your left knee for a twist. Repeat this 10 times, then switch into a backwards lunge with the right side.

Downward Facing Dog into Knee to Elbow

Start on your hands and knees (on the grass, carpet or on a mat if you have one). Walk the hands forward about a foot and tuck the toes under. Press the hips up and back into a downward facing dog. Pull the navel in towards the spine and press down through the hands. Shift forward into a plank position and cross the right knee towards the left elbow. Lift back up into downward facing dog, then repeat with the left knee going across the body to tap the right elbow. Repeat this 10 times to each side.