Can Exercise Help With I.B.S.?

Exercise is often heralded as a “wonder drug” for just about every part of the body, whether it’s the brain, the heart, the pelvic floor or the lungs. But what about the stomach?

While going for a jog with a sensitive stomach is rarely appealing, regular activity is an important part of treating many gut maladies, particularly irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, a lack of movement, perhaps because of an injury, can even be the initial trigger for I.B.S.

“Exercise is part of lifestyle management, which is the first-line treatment for any patient with I.B.S. or other bowel-related issues,” said Dr. Anthony Lembo, the research director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute.

What does exercise have to do with a healthy stomach?

Studies have consistently shown that I.B.S. patients who exercise regularly have fewer symptoms than those who don’t. But, while experts agree that mild to moderate exercise is beneficial, the reasons are a bit of a mystery.

I.B.S. is caused by miscommunication between the brain and the gut, which leads to pain and bloating during the normal digestion process. For some people it primarily causes constipation, while others experience mostly diarrhea or a combination of the two.

The digestive system has a complex network of neurons — sometimes called the “second brain” — that controls blood flow, secretions and hundreds of gut functions through the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to organs in the body. As such, the brain has an outsize influence on the digestive tract, and vice versa.