Today I’m answering a question that I saw on Reddit. The question is about GERD during exercise and it really resonated with me. I’d guess if you’re dealing with reflux and trying to stay active, I think you’ll relate too.
Here’s the question from Desperate_Quokka:
I really struggled with this. When I was in college, I was pretty regular at the gym. But fast forward a few years — and I found I couldn’t really bench press anymore, which used to be my favorite exercise.
To be more precise, I was like Desperate_Quokka. I could sometimes get away with it… but other times, it would throw me into a coughing and gagging fit that completely wrecked my workout. I never really figured out a clear rhyme or reason at the time. I just knew my days at the gym would be few and far between — and they were.
So in this episode, I want to unpack some of the reasons behind that, and share a few tips that might help you start getting back to the gym — or whatever workouts you love — but hopefully without making your symptoms worse.
And by the way — if you ever want to send in your own question for the show, I’d love to hear from you. Just head to the show notes, and you’ll find ways to message me or links to my contact page where you can email me or leave a quick voicemail.Table of Contents
Why GERD During Exercise Can Feel Impossible
So let’s break down Desperate_Quokka’s question one by one. First, she says:
“When my GERD flared up and was at its worst, I was not able to work out at all.”
If you’re in the middle of a GERD flare-up and it feels like working out is impossible, there’s a real reason for that.
When reflux symptoms are at their worst, it’s often because your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) — the valve that’s supposed to stay closed and keep stomach acid down — isn’t closing very tightly, it’s stuck open, or spasming.
When the LES is inflamed, it doesn’t seal properly. Even small amounts of pressure on your stomach — from bending over, lying flat, or lifting — can easily force acid or digestive juices upward, leading to regurgitation, coughing, or that awful gagging feeling mid-workout.
GERD and Working Out
During these times, it’s important to work with your body, not against it:
1 Choose workouts that keep you upright — like walking, light cycling, or standing strength exercises.
2 Avoid exercises that involve lying flat, crunching, or bending over, which put more pressure on the stomach and can worsen symptoms.
3 Pay special attention to your diet and daily habits. Consistently eating clean, anti-inflammatory foods, hydrating between meals (not during), and avoiding acidic foods and known triggers for several days can all help lower inflammation faster and give your LES a chance to recover.
Think of it like giving your digestive system room to heal while still staying gently active. Once the inflammation starts to calm down, you’ll often find you can slowly rebuild your workouts without as much fear of a flare up.
Heartburn While Exercising 2-3 Hours After Eating
Let’s take a look at the next comment:
“The problem is that whenever I do workouts, I always regurgitate. I wait 2–3 hours after eating to work out, but still it happens.”
Waiting 2–3 hours after eating is a really smart move — especially if you’re eating a normal meal.
By that point, for most light to moderate meals, digestion should have moved food out of the stomach and into the small intestine.
But if you’re still regurgitating after two or more hours, it’s a sign that your digestion is running slower than it should.
One of the biggest reasons for that is low stomach acid. When stomach acid is low, food sits longer, digestion slows down, and the chance of regurgitation or reflux rises — especially when you start moving around during a workout.
A normal meal shouldn’t still linger in the stomach after a couple of hours.
Long-term, the best plan is to work on restoring healthy stomach acidity, because that’s what gets digestion flowing properly again.
But in the meantime, here’s a smarter strategy for working out:
4 Instead of eating a full meal before exercise, try having a small, low-fat, easy-to-digest snack — something that gives you energy without overwhelming your digestive system.
5 Chew your food thoroughly, until it’s almost pulverized. The more broken down the food is before it hits your stomach, the easier your body can process it — even with lower acid.
6 Skip the energy bars, sugary snacks, or processed foods. In a poor digestive state, your body isn’t equipped to handle those well and they can easily slow things down further.
Another important tip: Hydrate before your meal, then wait a couple of hours to start drinking larger amounts of water again.
This reduces pressure on the stomach and LES and helps avoid diluting your already low stomach acid — giving your body the best shot at digesting efficiently and getting your stomach emptied faster.
A Few Thoughts from the Reddit Discussion
Reading through the full conversation, there are definitely some points that are worth commenting on before we close.
Several people touched on the idea of surgery. One person said:
“I just work out anyway, thinking that one day I’ll get the surgery makes me calm down from the discomfort.” — Ok-Refrigerator9506
Another added:
“The surgery is not in 100% of cases efficient, as I read. But I was fantasizing about it as well…” — Desperate_Quokka
And they’re right to be cautious. Surgery, like a Nissen fundoplication, can help some people — but it’s far from a guaranteed fix. It carries risks like gas bloat syndrome, difficulty swallowing, and even recurring reflux later on.
Surgery also doesn’t correct underlying causes like bacterial imbalance, low stomach acid or inflammation — it just tries to block reflux mechanically.
Before heading down the surgery path, it’s worth exploring gentler healing strategies that can restore digestive function from the inside out. Otherwise, it’s like putting a cap on a volcano and hoping it doesn’t blow.
When It Might Not Be Classic GERD
There are important clues in the thread that point to a reason exercising may be particularly difficult to the questioner.
Running with GERD
For example:
“Running is killer. Even walking fast after eating makes me feel bad. Not specifically regurgitation, but shortness of breathing, nausea, and heart palpitations.” — Desperate_Quokka
In LPR (short for laryngopharyngeal reflux or silent reflux), even small amounts of reflux reaching the throat and airway can cause symptoms like breathing issues, nausea, or palpitations — even without classic heartburn.
It’s also telling that:
“I had been taking PPI for one year, but after some time I gave up. I didn’t feel any difference with or without PPI.” — Desperate_Quokka
Acid blocker’s don’t work very well with LPR because it’s not just about excess acid — it’s about stomach contents aerosolizing and reaching sensitive tissues in the lungs, vocal chords, throat, mouth and nose and causing major irritation.
Why Manometry Isn’t the Full Answer
There was also a comment suggesting manometry and pH testing:
“If PPI didn’t work, it might not actually be GERD. You need a manometry and pH study to actually know for certain.” — swim_fan88
First off, that’s just not true. As I just shared, PPIs don’t work very well with silent reflux. Also, the only difference between acid reflux and GERD is that it happens more than twice a week or it’s more severe. You don’t need a throat pH (or manometry) measurement to determine that.
While those tests can show if reflux is happening and how often acid reaches the throat, they can’t tell you whether your stomach acid is too high or too low. They just measure reflux events in the throat — not stomach acidity.
If you really want to know whether stomach acid is normal, high, or low, you need a test like the Heidelberg Stomach Acid Test.
The Heidelberg test measures pH directly in the stomach and shows whether low stomach acid could be a hidden cause behind your symptoms — something that standard manometry doesn’t reveal.
Every Step Forward Matters
If you’re in the middle of a flare up, it’s easy to feel frustrated — like if you can’t work out the way you used to, maybe it’s not even worth trying.
But I want to encourage you: every bit of gentle movement matters.
- A short walk.
- Some stretching.
- Just getting your heartrate up.
These small wins aren’t minor — they’re part of stress management, part of regaining control, and the healing process.
When you stay upright, keep your body moving gently, and give your throat room to recover, you’re laying a foundation for fewer reflux events.
You’re helping circulation, easing inflammation, and building momentum — even if it doesn’t feel big at the moment.
So be patient with yourself.
This isn’t about giving up on workouts you love — it’s about working with your body, and taking positive steps to improve your digestion, one step at a time.
If you found value in this article, be sure and check out my other diagnostics articles here.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician for personalized care.
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