Move for your microbiome health!
We’ve all heard it before that exercise is good for us. Yes we all know the benefits of regularly pounding the pavement or hitting the gym, but did you know the benefits of exercise on your microbiome? Well science is just discovering how good it is.
The microbiome influences nutrition (just as your nutrition influences your gut), metabolic and immune system function among many other things, including the human brain. Scientists started to considered the possibility of physical exercise having an impact on the microbiome.
A good microbiome will have diversity and hopefully a balance of good and bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria start to out number the good that is when we run into problems. This imbalance is called dysbiosis and symptoms can vary, but digestive issues are a great indicator something is out of whack.
One gut goal we should be aiming for is to keep the bacterial balance and if your microbiome is imbalanced one way to start increasing the good gut bacteria is to exercise. Studies have shown that that even little changes can get good results. For example, increasing the frequency of moderate exercise from never to daily leads to a greater diversity in the good bacteria in your gut. Yet another study looked specifically at how physical activity in females effects the microbiome. They discovered a correlation with higher levels of health promoting bacteria in women who moved regularly.
Another major study looked at the microbiomes of 40 professional athletes and compared them to a control group of non active people of a similar age with both a high and low BMI. The findings showed a “significantly greater intestinal microbial diversity among the athletes” compared to the more sedentary group.
We have known for many years now that exercise is good for us, but science is now finding that the benefits of moving and activity are good for us from our gut outwards. Most of us are busy and find it difficult to fit in workouts, gym visits and any form of exercise in general, but the benefits of going for a walk regularly is not only good for the body and mind, but now we know it’s good for your gut.
At Gut Happy our microbiome is a priority and it’s not just about what we eat, but it’s also about how we move. It is the whole approach to wellness. Think about going for a walk or taking some other activity this coming weekend as it’s good for you and your gut.
Get Active and Stay Gut Happy!
The Gut Happy Girls
xxx