Physical Activity and GI Health: How Exercise Helps Maintain A Healthy Gut

Published On - 28/07/2021

Smiles Gastroenterology Life Style

Want to get rid of that muffin top? Exercise. Want to improve your mood? Exercise. Want to stay fit? Exercise. It is THE SOLUTION to most of your physical and mental problems. Working out every day for sure offers a wide range of benefits, but did you know it helps maintain gastrointestinal health as well?

Exercise and GI health go hand in hand and play a prime role in maintaining a healthy gut. Here’s how:

  1. An Active Lifestyle Leads to an Active Gut: One of the benefits of exercising is that it keeps your bowel movements regular. You will notice your digestive system also becomes active in a few days of exercising. This allows your intestines to contract naturally and pass waste through your system more efficiently. Regularly emptying your bowels is one of the signs of a healthy gut. For people who suffer from constipation, some beneficial exercises are brisk walking, cardiovascular workouts, running and yoga. 
  2. Keeps Ailments at Bay: Exercising every day can help keep diseases at bay. It helps regulate the number of good bacteria in your gut, which is responsible for preventing diseases. Next time you feel too lazy to exercise, here’s your motivation.
  3. Improves the Immune System: You already know that exercise leads to a healthy gut but did you know that 70% of our immune system resides in our gut? So maintaining a healthy gut through exercise also means maintaining a healthy immune system.
  4. Reduces Stress & Improves Digestion: A disturbed mental state not only affects your mood, but also the digestive system. Since the nervous and digestive systems are connected, the process of digestion is slowed because of stress. This can lead to various medical issues as well. Regular exercise keeps your mental health at check along with a healthy gut.
  5. Regular Exercise Improves Microbiome: The human microbiome has extensive functions that includes defence against pathogens, nutrition, development of nutrition and fat storage, to name a few. It is a significant organ without which your body would not be able to function well. Researchers have found that those who exercise regularly have increased healthy microbes in their gut.

Since the benefits of regular exercise for a healthy gut are many, try to stay consistent with your exercise and remember to add a nutritious diet to go with the physical activities. While daily exercise helps maintain a healthy gut, certain ailments of the digestive system can still affect you due to external factors. SMILES is the best gastroenterology hospital in Bangalore that offers advanced facilities and state-of-the-art technology. We have expert doctors on board with many years of experience. If you are looking for the best gastroenterologist in Bangalore, look no further. Contact SMILES Gastroenterology and book an appointment.