Exercise & Digestion

How much exercise is required to maintain a healthy digestive system? If exercise is essential at all.

Types of Exercise

• Cardiovascular activities Activities such as walking, running and cycling, strengthens the abdominal muscles, increases the heart rate, and reduces intestinal sluggishness which stimulates the natural contraction of intestinal muscles that push digestive waste through the body.

Types of Exercise

• Yoga Certain yoga poses play a role in a healthy digestive system because it increases the blood flow to the stomach and intestines that helps the body break down and digest food and massages the abdominal organs. “The Lotus Natural Health and Rejuvenation Clinic in Edmonds, Washington recommends gentle twisting yoga poses to increase blood flow to the bowels, reduce inflammation and gastritis, and strengthen the intestines” example: seated spinal twist

Types of Exercise

• Tai Chi An ancient Chinese practice that improves the nervous system which further improves the internal functioning of the organs. Tai Chi uses a variety of circular movements and slow movements of the spine which massages the digestive organs. Tai Chi is known to be able to relieve constipation.

Types of Exercise

• Strength-Training Due to the high protein diet that strength-training athletes and bodybuilders are recommended to follow, extensive training aids to the balance of nutrients within the body. Strength training not only benefits the digestive system, but strengthens the musculoskeletal system, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, the immune system and many more.

Immediate Effects of Exercise

• Exercise affects the digestive system in various ways, both positive and negative. Different types of exercise have different effects on the digestive system.

Immediate Effects of Exercise

• Negative Effects Exercise such as running can cause digestive disorders. Disorders such as nausea and diarrhea are common in women runners who train hard. Acute gastris and gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms are also common in runners. PubMed suggests that digestive complaints in runners may be caused by the direct effect of exercise on the colon.

Immediate Effects of Exercise

• Positive Effects Regular exercise improves digestion and elimination. According to the BBC exercise slows down the digestion system in order to conserve energy for the muscles.

Benefits of Exercise

• Exercise keeps the body aligned and in order.

Benefits of Exercise

• Increases the bodies metabolism. Helping food pass through and digest faster.
• Can massage the bodies internal organs.
• Blood flow is increases causing making it easier for nutrients to be digested quickly.

Benefits of Exercise

• Strengthens the bodies muscles which help for food to move through the body faster.
• Good for the mind which low stress can affect the bodies digestive system.

WORK CITED

• "Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. - Occasional Constipation and Diarrhea†: How Exercise Affects Digestion." Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. - Occasional Constipation and Diarrhea†: How Exercise Affects Digestion. Web. 1 Oct. 2015."
• "Exercise for Constipation Relief: Which Exercises to Do." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 1 Oct. 2015."
• "How Does Exercise Improve Digestion?" Healthy Living. Web. 1 Oct. 2015."
• "How To Maximize Performance And Increase Muscle Size & Strength... Through Digestion! - Bodybuilding.com." Bodybuilding.com. 9 Oct. 2011. Web. 1 Oct. 2015.
• 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. .

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