Tag Archives: exercise

Questions & Answers

The Impact Of Physical Activity On The Gut Flora

Many people don’t like to exercise, but it has incredibly beneficial effects on the body.
Exercise improves sleep, mood, and physical fitness.

Scientists have now found that people with excellent cardiorespiratory fitness have healthier gut floras. In these individuals, their lungs and circulatory systems work well together to supply ample oxygen to the body, and they have a much more diverse gut flora. The explanation for this association is still unclear. What is clear is that people with good air exchange and an excellent resting pulse have more species of bacteria in their GI tract. The opposite is true of people who are sedentary.

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If you look at indigenous populations, a group that wouldn’t know much about being sedentary, their gut flora is particularly diverse. I believe their activity level helps explain their low rates of cancer and diabetes.

I believe a healthy, diverse gut flora comes out of an active lifestyle, where you have to work hard for your food. Good mental health is linked with diverse flora, which may explain why physically fit people often have better mental health than average. Conversely, it could also help explain why so many people who are sedentary have high levels of depression and anxiety.

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Questions & Answers

Restoring Your Gut After Antibiotics: Ten Steps You Need To Take

How do you restore your gut flora after taking a course of antibiotics? Here are ten tips I’ve provided my clients over the years.

1. Finish the antibiotic treatment as prescribed: It doesn’t make sense to take the antibiotics for a day or two and then stop. If you need the treatment, finish the course. If you are getting side effects or an allergic reaction from the antibiotics, you need to let your doctor know right away. Stop taking the medication if signs of an allergy surface.

2. Don’t let your next step be more antibiotics: If the first round of antibiotics didn’t work, don’t take another round unless it is absolutely necessary. Some of the sickest clients I had during my career as a naturopath, took antibiotics repeatedly and severely damaged their gut function as a result.

3. Eat well for several weeks: You’re not going to get your gut right unless you eat good food. A critical step in restoring your gut health is to make sure you’re eating well.

4. If you get sick again, see a naturopath or a functional medicine doctor: You may want to get a comprehensive stool analysis to see what needs to be cleared up. It will help you decide what you need to do next to clear up your gut. It may be that you have a yeast infection that needs to be addressed.

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5. You need to rest up: Rest is best, as they say. If you can take time off work, do. If you push through instead of resting, you can end up with adrenal problems, thyroid problems, and fatigue. Cancel your social functions and spend time relaxing.

6. Engage in light exercise: You’re not going to get your gut in high spec, if you overexercise. Do some light exercise, but don’t push your stress hormone axis by training for three hours a day.

7. Get to bed on time: You need a lot of sleep to facilitate gut recovery. Better sleep patterns will help you recuperate faster.

8. No alcohol: Alcohol and soda drinks are not a good idea when you are trying to restore gut function after antibiotics. It worries me if people find it hard to take a break from alcohol – it may mean that they have a problem with drinking that is also harming the gut.

9. If you’re not getting better, get more testing: If you are having allergies and gut problems despite a healthy stool test, do some further testing. Take a look at your adrenal function through a salivary cortisol test. You may also need to look at your iodine levels and thyroid function. If you have hormonal problems, it sets you up for recurrent infections.

10. Don’t come off probiotics in a hurry: It’s crucial to stay on probiotics for the long haul to recover fully. For every week you were on antibiotics, you can easily stay on probiotics for four to eight weeks. Make sure you have a healthy gut long before you discontinue your probiotics.

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Questions & Answers

Your Gut And Exercise: What You Need To Know

Exercise can impact your gut and digestive health in several different ways.

One study I read compared the bowel flora between people who were exercising and those who were not. Over the six week study, exercisers dramatically increased the amount of short-chain fatty acids in their bowel. Increased SCFA is associated with lower rates of inflammatory diseases like heart disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome.

The researchers also found that after the six weeks when people stopped exercising, the short-chain fatty acid population slowly dropped and went back to the pre-exercise baseline. In other words, the impact of exercise may only endure for as long as the exercise. Nevertheless, this study certainly provides another reason for incorporating regular physical activity into your life.

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The mechanism for the positive effect of exercise on gut flora hasn’t yet been determined. But, I can tell you from my clinical experience that people who exercise a lot tend to rarely get constipated. They also don’t get gas or bloating that much as people who sit around all day watching Netflix or TV.

Active people have better digestion, better appetite control, and better bowel movements. They also tend to eat more reliably and regularly on time. I’ve also noticed that my physically active clients don’t have the same rate of fatigue and sleeping issues as sedentary people.
I believe that exercise has a massive influence on overall health and well-being, not just on the bowel flora.

Exercise improves blood, stool, and other medical test results. The tests also improve with more exercise.

Whether it’s being active around the house or going to the gym or walking or cycling regularly, the benefits of physical activity are clear.

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