Stroke or push your tummy with your fingertips, knuckles, or the heel of your hand. Massage your colon in the shape of a horseshoe. Begin on the bottom right area of your abdomen and work your way up. Then, massage beneath the ribcage and to the left, down the left side, and into the middle. September 10th, 2018, by HealthLine There are several reasons why rubbing your stomach could help induce a bowel movement. The first is that when you rub your belly, you are actually going over all the muscles of your abdomen. This can help stimulate the nerves located within these muscles, which may then signal your brain that it is time to move your bowels. The second reason is that when you rub your stomach, many people report feeling less hungry. Since eating more food doesn't feel as good, you may be less likely to want to eat if you know that massaging your stomach will help make you go when you need to go. The last reason is that when you rub your stomach, many people say that they feel less tense afterward. Having more space in your stomach means that there is now room for your body to relax instead of being squeezed with tension all the time.