This Is the Absolute Best Workout for Gut Health, According to GI Docs

Leah Groth
·4 min read
2

Plus, what you should avoid.

Drinking kombucha, taking probiotics and avoiding anti-inflammatory foods might be high on your list if you are trying to improve gut health. However, the health of your digestive system relies on more than just what you put into your body—the way you move it is also a factor.

In fact, plenty of scientific evidence suggests that exercise is beneficial for the gut in more ways than one. Here's what to know.

The Link Between Gut Health and Exercise, According to Science

“Studies show that the types of bacteria in the colon, referred to as the gut microbiota, can change with exercise,” explains Dr. Avlin B Imaeda MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale Center for Weight Management, Yale School of Medicine. Generally, these changes in bacteria lead to increased diversity and increased production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that is produced by bacteria from fiber that is ingested in the diet but cannot be broken down without bacteria.

“Butyrate is one of the key fuels that the cells lining the colon need to grow, divide and stay healthy,” Dr. Imaeda explains. Increased levels of butyrate translate to improvements in overall immune health, including reduced inflammation and reduced severity of inflammatory bowel disease and risk of colon cancer. “Finally, exercise has known significant positive impacts on diabetes and insulin sensitivity, mental health, cognitive function, and neurologic disease,” she says. “Likely, some of these effects are due to the beneficial effect of exercise on gut microbiota.”

Regular exercise allows the strengthening and building of the muscles in the body including those lining the intestinal tract, core body and pelvic floor muscles, adds Dr. Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. “This speeds up one’s metabolic rate, gastric emptying time, intestinal motility and the defecatory process while decreasing the risk of bacterial buildup, stool/waste retention and diverticular diseases.

Also, high body mass index (BMI) and lack of physical activity are associated with an increase in GI symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. “Regular exercise can promote healthier BMI and increase circulation to vital organs, including those in the intestinal tract,” Dr. Lee says.

Related: How to Restore Your Gut Health

What Is the Best Workout for Gut Health?

Dr. Imaeda points to studies looking at the effects of exercise on gut health, finding that in the general, non-athlete population, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise seems to be the most beneficial for gut health.

Dr. Lee also stresses the importance of engaging the core body and pelvic floor if you want to improve gut health. “Resistance training, core exercises, yoga, and hiking are just a few examples,” she says.

“Resistance training does have important health impacts by improving body composition and bone health,” agrees Dr. Imaeda. “Resistance training with functional exercises and rapid transition between exercises can also be aerobic, increasing the heart and respiratory rate.”

How Often Should You Work Out for Gut Health?

How often you should work out for gut health depends on various factors, including weight, diet, existing microbiome, genetic makeup and medical conditions. “There is no one prescription for exercise for every individual,” Dr. Imaeda points out. However, some of the studies looking at gut microbiome and exercise used 180 minutes per week spread over three sessions, which is similar to the recommendations of the United States Preventive Task Force (150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise for adults spread over multiple sessions and two days a week of muscle-strengthening activity.)

What Is the Worst Workout for Gut Health?

According to Dr. Imaeda, if you are trying to improve gut health, you should avoid overly strenuous exercise “because stress can worsen gut health and inflammation,” she says. “Importantly, exercises should be chosen that [are] suitable to the individual and hopefully enjoyable to promote life-long commitment.”

Related: What Is the Low-FODMAP Diet and What Foods Can You Eat On It?

Don’t Forget: Gut Health Is Also Dependent on What You Eat

Dr. Imaeda also reminds us that a healthy diet is crucial to maintaining overall health—including gut health. “Avoiding processed food is the cornerstone of a healthy diet. Stick to the edges of the grocery store: whole fruit and vegetables, eggs, lean meat and fish, legumes, and nuts. In other words, stick to natural food in its whole form as much as possible,” she suggests. “Added to a regular exercise program, a healthy diet will lead to healthy microbiota, a healthy gut and a healthy brain and body.”

Next up, find out what 18 foods are best for gut health.

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