How Aerobic Exercise Can Ease Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

If you’re managing a chronic condition like ulcerative colitis, you might be hesitant to start an exercise routine. After all, it can be difficult to imagine being active when you’re having unpleasant symptoms — and it’s important not to overexert yourself, especially if you’re experiencing a flare of ulcerative colitis symptoms. But moderate exercise may be especially helpful for people who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis.

In fact, greater physical activity is linked to a lower risk of having an IBD flare in people whose disease is in remission, according to a research review published in June 2020 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Small studies have also suggested that physical activity may help improve quality of life, reduce fatigue, and boost mental health in people with IBD, according to a review published in July 2022 in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

“Moderate-intensity exercise decreases the inflammatory response in the body,” says David Stein, MD, a colorectal surgeon and regional chief of surgery at MedStar Health in Baltimore. Plus, he says, physical activity can reduce stress — a common trigger of ulcerative colitis flares.

“When you’re running, you feel good,” says Dr. Stein. “And an overall reduction of stress in your life is huge, especially if you have ulcerative colitis.” Often, he notes, “the disease progresses when people are in stressful situations, but their symptoms improve when they leave a stressful environment.”

What to Know About Exercise and Ulcerative Colitis

Aerobic exercise is known to help relieve stress, and even small bouts of activity can have significant effects. For example, a study published in 2017 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that when people substituted 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, they experienced a drop in certain markers of inflammation in the body.

But keep in mind that moderate intensity is key to reaping the benefits of physical activity when it comes to reducing inflammation. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise means that an activity raises your heart rate and you’re breaking a sweat — and your breathing should be easy enough that you can talk but not sing your favorite song, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For people with IBD, it’s important to consult your doctor before you start exercising, to start slow, and not to work out too intensely. “Intense aerobic exercise, like the extreme miles logged by avid runners, can actually [restrict blood flow to] your gut and induce colitis symptoms,” Stein says. “The blood supply clamps down because your muscles are getting all the energy.”

When it comes to exercising with ulcerative colitis, remember the old adage: “Everything in moderation.”

How to Work More Aerobic Exercise Into Your Routine

Thinking of starting a fitness regimen? Here are a few forms of moderate aerobic exercise you might consider adding to your daily routine:

• Brisk walking
• Jogging
• Cycling
• Swimming or water aerobics
• Sports like soccer, tennis, or baseball

Even if you’re not exerting yourself very hard, you still may benefit from greater physical activity. In a study published in July 2021 in the journal Medicine, greater leisure-time physical activity — but not sweat-inducing exercise — was linked to better IBD symptom scores and improved quality of life.

No matter what activity you choose to start, make sure it’s something you genuinely enjoy. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick with it and reap the health benefits over the long term.

Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips