Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. According to experts at the Cleveland Clinic, ulcerative colitis mostly affects the lining of the large intestine, as well as the rectum. While anyone can get ulcerative colitis at any age, it is most likely to affect people between the ages of 15 and 30 or those who have a close relative with the disease.
However, not everyone with ulcerative colitis will experience it the same way. That’s because the disease can range in severity. As a matter of fact, half of those diagnosed with ulcerative colitis will experience mild symptoms, like nausea, fatigue, anemia, stomach pains, diarrhea, and weight loss, while the other half will experience more severe symptoms, like frequent fevers, bloody diarrhea, severe cramping, joint pain, mouth sores, and loss of fluids and nutrients. That’s why it’s important to get diagnosed and seek treatment if you experience any combination of these symptoms.
Managing ulcerative colitis symptoms with exercise
While ulcerative colitis can be treated with medication and dietary changes, experts at Healthline also recommend using regular exercise and physical activity to help manage your symptoms. That’s because ulcerative colitis can be exacerbated by stress and inflammation, which exercising can help reduce.
Some exercises that can help manage your ulcerative colitis symptoms include yoga, running, biking, swimming, and strength training. As it turns out, yoga is a great low-impact exercise for people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis symptoms. Not only can yoga help lower your stress levels, but it can also help strengthen your muscles and improve your flexibility. Running can also help manage your ulcerative colitis by reducing stress and regulating your bowels. However, running might not work well for everyone. That’s because some people are more prone to experience diarrhea after going for a run. In addition, biking and swimming are good low-impact workouts that can help lower stress and reduce inflammation in the body, while also building endurance, while strength training is a great way to help promote bone health. Since many medications used to treat ulcerative colitis can weaken your bones and increase your risk of osteoporosis, lifting weights can help strengthen your bones and keep them healthy.
