Baldwin County Residents Learn Exercise Can Restore Gut Health

Most people have heard that if you want to lead a healthier life you need to exercise. Evidence is now being published that shows us how exercise can help to restore your gut health. A healthy gut means a healthy body. 

The Importance of Bacteria for Body Health

It is estimated that a person has as many bacteria cells in their body as regular cells. In the colon alone, there are 38 trillion bacteria. Maintaining bacterial diversity in your gut is vital to your overall body health.

An imbalance in bacteria can cause all sorts of problems and increases your risk for diseases such as eczema, allergies, and asthma. About 90% of those that suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Your gut is also an important part of your immune system. A healthy gut can boost your immune system and help fight off viruses and infection.

How Exercise Benefits Your Gut

Research shows that exercise that strengthens your cardiovascular system increases your gut flora and also increases bacterial diversity. This same research also shows that the higher the intensity is, the more it positively benefits your gut health. Exercise has also been shown to increase your number of Akkermansia bacteria.

These bacteria are responsible for promoting better metabolism and have even been shown to protect against diabetes and obesity. Exercise also increases your levels of butyrate, which has been shown to protect against colon cancer and other colon diseases. 

But let’s not kid ourselves. If the only changes you make is to initiate an exercise program, but your diet continues to be filled with fast foods, processed and packaged foods, and your life-style lacks proper sleep or regularly exposes you to toxic chemicals and environmental irritants, the effects of your program will be sabotaged.

Exercise Reduces Bowel Inflammation

Exercise encourages the production of short-chain fatty acids. These are responsible for reducing gut inflammation. Exercise also lowers your levels of proteobacteria, which are responsible for producing inflammation. Those that include cardio in their daily life have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects over their entire bodies including their vascular system.

Exercise Helps Regulate the Bowels

If you struggle with constipation, then that can be an indicator of poor gut health. Exercise speeds up the movement of waste through your bowels and can help ease constipation. It does this by encouraging muscle contractions in your intestines. Ensuring food is moving steadily through your digestive system also helps to maintain a healthy bacterial balance.

Why You Need to Maintain an Exercise Regime

Scientists say it takes about 6 weeks of exercise before your gut starts to reap the benefits. You can begin to change your gut bacteria in a month and a half. That’s not very much time to help reverse a lifetime of sedentary behavior.

However, these same scientists have discovered that if you return to a sedentary lifestyle, your gut will return back to what it was in only 6 weeks! You can exercise and work hard, but it’ll all be for nothing if you don’t maintain your exercise regime.

Call Us to Help You Out

The Gut Authority is happy to discuss your gut health with you. Our team will take the time to address all of your concerns so that we can help you not only establish an appropriate exercise regimen but combine it with dietary and lifestyle changes designed to get you back to a healthier, happier life. If you would like us to help return your body’s balance then give us a call today!