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Exercise Hear from Sarah our Clinical Advisor
From A Bigger Life
If you took part in physical activity before surgery there is absolutely no reason why you can’t get back to that again. You will go on to do all the activities you loved before surgery, and possibly even be capable of doing new activities you weren’t able to do before. If you have never taken part in physical exercise before it is important to start off slowly. A gentle walk or swimming are both very easy on your abdominal muscles.
Regaining strength is a long process that takes patience, take one day at a time. When you feel ready, add other types of exercise that you enjoy like running, cycling, hiking, swimming, pilates, or yoga. If you attend fitness classes, it is a good idea to inform your instructor that you have recently had ostomy surgery.
If you undertake more physical exercise such as karate or judo, you might think about using a stoma guard to prevent the stoma getting damaged. Support belts also make exercising more comfortable by keeping your ostomy in place while you move around.
Ensure that you stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Take your time and don’t overdo yourself.
Enjoy getting back to exercising.
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