“If you have a chronic gastrointestinal disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome, exercise can be a great way to maintain overall health, encourage your intestinal muscles to behave more predictably, and help you digest better,” says Erin Hendriks, MD, Physician and Functional Medicine Practitioner at Virtual Health Clinic Focused on Gut Health, Except Health. “The best type of exercise for people with IBS is low-to-moderate aerobic exercise that avoids any sudden movements that can trigger symptoms.”
Dr. Hendriks explains that there are many aspects of low-impact exercise that can specifically help people with IBS. In fact, studies show that “when IBS patients increase their physical activity levels, they typically reap rewards in the form of improved health and IBS symptom management.”
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The benefits of low-impact aerobic exercise for people with IBS
- Calm stress, which can reduce IBS symptoms as Gastrointestinal problems are related to stress..
- Promote a good night’s sleep, which prevents breakouts.
- It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce systemic inflammation and improve IBS symptoms.
In addition to walking, other examples of low-impact exercise include cycling, Pilates, or swimming. Dr. Hendriks specifically recommends hiking, because the calming effects of being in nature Along with exercise, it will do double duty to reduce stress. While doing low to moderate impact exercises, your breathing should become faster, but you should still be able to have a conversation.
Exercises People With IBS Should Avoid
“Not all types of aerobic activity are ideal for IBS,” says Dr. Hendriks. “Some forms of exercise are too rough, with too many jumping or jerky movements that could upset your gastrointestinal system and potentially worsen your abdominal pain, cramping, bloating and other symptoms.”
Dr. Hendriks recommends, in general, avoiding activities that involve jerking like CrossFit, long-distance running, HIIT, and sprint martial arts. But he says that if you’re passionate about these forms of exercise, you can always modify the activity. For example, in a HIIT class, swap jump squats for calf raise squats. Or if you love to run, find routes that have less of an impact on your body than pavement, like trails or grass, or run at a slower pace.
Here’s a low-impact HIIT workout you’ll want to throw into the mix:
In general, Dr. Hendriks says that people should not confuse low-impact aerobic activity with easy activity:can still be high intensity. It simply means that you are doing the type of exercise that is best for your particular body. “Being kind to yourself but consistent in taking care of your fitness helps both your IBS and your overall quality of life,” she says.
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