Can exercise affect digestion? As someone who has undergone a remarkable transformation, both physically and internally, I can confidently say that physical exercise has played a crucial role in enhancing my gut health and improving my digestion. In the past, if I found a food I couldn’t digest, or that made me incredibly tired, I just assumed I had a food intolerance. Turns out it’s not always that simple.
Disclaimer: This post features my personal experience and opinion. I do not provide medical advice, this is my experience for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice or avoid seeking treatment because of something you have read on mygratefulgut.com.
Inactivity affecting digestion
In recent years I’ve been very inactive. Due to a long term health problem, which is now resolved, I couldn’t do any exercise at all for five years. I couldn’t even walk more than 100 yards. During this time, I found I was struggling with digestion and couldn’t eat rice, nuts, carbs, or starchy vegetables such as cabbage or potatoes. When I tried to eat these foods, they would sit in my stomach for days causing bloating and intense pain.
Determined to make a change, I did some research and spoke to a nutritionist. As I was finally recovering from my long term health issue, it was recommended that I start exercising regularly. To begin with, I started with short walks, then I introduced swimming after a few months.
Exercise and difficult to digest foods
After a couple more months I moved onto some light aerobic exercise, including Pilates with a one on one tutor who could help me recover from my inactivity with minimal injuries. To my surprise, even moderate activities started to promote my gut regularity. It was as if my body began to wake up; my metabolism revved up, and I could almost feel the sluggish system within me picking up speed. I decided to give rice a go one evening, since I’d been to an aerobics class that morning and was feeling pretty good. To my surprise, it was absolutely fine and I didn’t experience any stomach discomfort what so ever.
Perhaps feeling overconfident, (and because I love rice), I tried it again a few days later. Unfortunately that was a rest day for me so I’d done no exercise. To my shock, my stomach was not happy. That’s when I first saw the link between my exercise and my ability to digest tough foods, especially carbs. For me, it was such a strong link, that I could only eat hard to digest foods on days that I’d exercised.
Moving on to more intensive workouts, like strength training and badminton, I started to see even more benefits. A year after I began exercising, I was able to eat many foods (in moderation), that I’d not been able to eat when inactive, including nuts and legumes. I also found that exercising was good for my autism and seemed to alleviate my stress and anxiety levels. Since stress directly impacts on my gut health, this was another step to improving my digestion. Read more about that subject here.
Exercise and my digestion
Through my journey, I’ve come to understand that exercise should not just be about aesthetics or weight management. It’s also about fostering a healthy body from the inside out. The benefits of exercise on gut health extend beyond comfortable digestion; research suggests that exercise can boost our immunity, mood, and energy levels.
So, can exercise affect digestion? For me, it does. Incorporating regular physical exercise into my life has been a game-changer for my digestion and ability to eat more foods. To anyone struggling with digestive issues, I encourage you to consider the power of movement and its profound impact on gut health. Why not do some research or speak to a health professional who can give you personalised advice?
