Is it possible to play sports if you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer? Physical exercises for duodenal ulcers Professional sports and peptic ulcers

A significant number of people have various gastrointestinal diseases, including ulcers or gastritis of the stomach.
Some patients led an active lifestyle before illness, playing sports. But the development of the gastrointestinal ulcerative process was the reason when the need arose to limit this activity. Therefore, the question often arises: is physical activity possible for stomach ulcers, in what volume and what intensity. Naturally, during an exacerbation of the disease this question does not arise, but during remission, when the pain syndrome passes and health improves, the patient’s activity may increase.

What role does physical activity play?

Sport and physical activity have a positive effect on all body systems, but especially on the nervous system, relieving stress. The main factor in the development of gastric ulceration is psycho-emotional stress. Therefore, the positive emotions that physical exercise gives play an important role during the gastric ulcer process.

Correctly selected loads have a positive effect on the course of the disease, improving the general condition of the patient both physically and mentally.

Is it possible to play sports or exercise if you have a stomach ulcer?

If the ulcerative process worsens, any physical activity is contraindicated. And in the remission stage, they will be very useful. Currently, there are 2 types of loads:

• professional sport involves working “for results” and is characterized by heavy physical activity and long hours of training. This sport is also accompanied by increased stress situations;
• moderate loads are beneficial for health and have a healing effect.

For patients suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers, physical therapy is necessarily included in the complex treatment prescribed by the doctor upon the onset of remission. The complex of physical therapy exercises includes mandatory breathing exercises, which are prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his guidance.

As the exacerbation subsides, special physical exercises are introduced, developed by a physical therapy doctor on an individual basis. Professional sports, with such a gastrointestinal pathology, should be completely excluded from the patient’s life.

Pancreatitis and exercise

Patients often wonder whether it is possible to play sports with various manifestations of pancreatitis.

When choosing loads, you need to focus on the following aspects:

• Form and stage of the pathological process. The acute form of the disease and the exacerbation of the chronic form will become obstacles to any activity. The basis of therapy in such a situation will be rest, and sports should be postponed for a while.
• Age indicators of the patient and the presence of related pathologies. Certain types of activity that are allowed in case of illness are prohibited in case of other pathologies.
• Professional sports activities that are aimed at achieving significant results are not suitable for people with gastrointestinal difficulties.
• When choosing loads, it is necessary to focus on the general condition of the patient before the disease.
• Training, type of sport and level of stress are selected individually for each patient.

Based on the above, we can conclude that pancreatitis and physical activity can be compatible. However, it is necessary to find out the recommendations of a specialist.

What sports should you give up?

The gastric ulcer process has a wave-like course in the form of exacerbation of the disease, followed by remission. At this time, the pain subsides, clinical symptoms are relieved, and laboratory parameters improve. Despite remission, you should avoid the following sports:

• from all strength sports - weightlifting, boxing, various types of wrestling;
• gymnastics;
• long and short distance running;
• javelin-throwing;
• high and long jumps;
• mountaineering.

Therefore, the answer to a frequent question from patients: is it possible to play sports with a stomach ulcer, the answer will be yes, but not all types.

Is physical activity allowed for ulcers?

There is a comprehensive approach to eliminating ulcerative pathology. And therapeutic exercises are one of the key areas in the fight against the disease in question. The fact is that as the disease develops, pain and disorders of the digestive system occur. All this leads to malfunctions of the entire body.

Important: At the stage of attenuation of the disease, physical activity is very useful for patients. Properly selected exercises normalize bleeding in the abdominal organs, speed up the process of renewal and recovery, and also accelerate scarring of the areas affected by the ulcer.

However, when it comes to professional training, such activities are contraindicated. Since such exercises involve serious loads, often accompanied by stress. For this reason, such activities are contraindicated for ulcer sufferers.

During the period of exacerbation, sports with ulcers are prohibited. In addition, this rule also applies to the subacute period. But after the patient’s condition has normalized, light gymnastic exercises are indicated. With their help you will be able to:

• get a general healing effect;
• prevent the development of complications;
• normalize the psycho-emotional background;
• get rid of stress.

But it should be noted that such exercises at first should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, who will select a set of exercises for the ulcer.

The benefits of physical education and contraindications

Physical activity plays a significant role in the recovery of the body after various diseases. Gastric ulceration is no exception. The following positive effects of physical exercise on the gastrointestinal tract are noted:

• more intensive blood supply to internal organs, leading to improved digestion processes;
• alignment of the psycho-emotional background in a positive direction;
• an increase in the flow of oxygen into the body, which contributes to an increase in redox reactions;
• strengthening the abdominal muscles.

The positive effect of physical activity will only be if it is given in doses and according to the patient’s condition.

Despite the apparent benefits of exercise therapy for gastric ulcers, there are conditions in which any physical activity becomes contraindicated. These include:

• bleeding of any intensity;
• frequent exacerbations of the ulcerative process;
• severe pain syndrome;
• narrowing of the stomach walls;
• primary diagnosed gastric ulcer;
• surgical intervention on the stomach for peptic ulcer.

In this case, it is necessary to follow all the specialist’s recommendations in terms of physical activity in order to prevent unwanted complications.

Contraindications

Gastric ulceration is a very dangerous condition in which it is important to strictly follow all medical recommendations in order to prevent the development of complications. Straining the abdominal area can provoke bleeding or subject the organ to deformation. For this reason, therapeutic exercises are contraindicated in the following cases:

• with an acute type of peptic ulcer;
• if there is a complication of the defect, accompanied by bleeding;
• with frequent relapses;
• if the patient experiences severe pain attacks;
• for defects in a pre-perforation state;
• if there are general contraindications to any type of physical activity;
• with decompensated stage stenosis or if severe dyspepsia is observed.

Important: If you have an ulcer, all sports and exercises that carry a risk of injury to the abdomen are prohibited. Since when such an injury occurs, there is a high probability of causing complications in the form of perforation, bleeding and other equally dangerous conditions.

Exercise therapy for the pathology in question is a mandatory part of therapeutic treatment. Such activities help speed up your metabolism. In addition, moderate loads make it possible to exclude the development of a defect due to stress. And all thanks to the fact that sport helps to produce a hormone responsible for suppressing stress and improving the nervous regulation of intestinal tract.

Therapeutic exercise for stomach ulcers

Exercise therapy for gastric ulcers is carried out in stages, starting in the hospital, when the exacerbation of the process is stopped for the patient. After the pain subsides and the general condition improves, a specialist prescribes exercise therapy.

At this stage of rehabilitation treatment, the gastric patient is taught proper abdominal breathing. This exercise is repeated many times and three times during the day.

Next, a set of physical relaxation exercises is prescribed for the muscles of the torso and limbs, as well as abdominal breathing. The intensity of the load is carried out gradually, depending on the patient’s condition, which improves with regular exercise within a week. In the future, exercise therapy classes are supplemented with exercise equipment and active games.

The main principle of exercise therapy is a gradual load on the body and mandatory monitoring of the patient’s general condition.

Sports and stomach ulcers

If gastritis is not treated in time and the causes of its occurrence are not eliminated, it will develop and destroy the mucous membrane. The next stage is an ulcer. This is a disease in which the integrity of the mucous membrane is disrupted, that is, in some places it simply collapses. The signs of the disease are the same as those of gastritis, as well as belching with an unpleasant odor, a sharp decrease in the patient’s body weight, and loss of appetite.

If you have a stomach ulcer, you can’t do all sports.

Swimming, individual fitness classes, light jogging in the mornings and evenings, skating, skiing, volleyball, tennis, badminton, etc. are allowed. In this case, the loads should be moderate. There is no need to run until you lose consciousness and attend training every day. It definitely won't make you any better.

If you have an ulcer, it is better not to engage in martial arts, because any blow received in the stomach can cause an exacerbation of the disease or internal bleeding of the ulcer. In the second case, most likely, the person will be sent to hospital for treatment. Lifting weights is also not a good option for people with ulcers; it can provoke the development of the disease.

Principles for selecting physical exercises for stomach ulcers

An important point in restoring the body during gastric ulceration is the regularity of physical exercise. Patients need to start their day with morning exercises. Exercises should be easy to perform and no more than 10 types.

The main principle of selecting a physical therapy complex is the emphasis on breathing exercises, stress on the muscles of the abdominal wall, as well as mastering techniques aimed at voluntary contraction and relaxation of muscles.

Such exercises reduce the excitability of the central nervous system, and reflexively this process will have a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the stomach. Tension of the abdominal muscles is possible only at the stage of remission of the disease.

Exercise program for patients with stomach ulcers

Exercise therapy is 6 simple exercises that are performed in various positions:

1. Abdominal breathing - when inhaling, the diaphragm lowers and the abdomen protrudes, when exhaling, the diaphragm rises and the abdomen retracts. The exercise is performed in a lying or sitting position.
2. Reverse breathing - when you inhale, the stomach retracts, and when you exhale, it lowers with muscle effort. Position when performing - lying or sitting.
3. Starting position – arms extended forward, legs together. When inhaling, swing your leg forward touching the palm of your hand; when exhaling, return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
4. In the starting position, lying on your back and with your arms along your torso, grab the knee of one leg and pull it towards your stomach. The exercise is repeated with the other leg.
5. In the starting position, lying down, with your arms under your head and your legs bent at the knees, the pelvis rises and falls.
6. In the starting position, sitting on the floor with straight legs and arms extended upward, while inhaling, the knees are pulled up to the chest by the hands, and when exhaling, they return to their starting position.

Performing these simple exercises daily will have a positive result in restoring and improving the general condition of a patient with a stomach ulcer.

A complex of therapeutic exercises for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum

Peptic ulcer disease, as a rule, occurs as a result of neuropsychic stress, causing dysfunction of the stomach and intestines. Poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol abuse, as well as hereditary predisposition contribute to the development of this disease. This disease is characterized by complaints of sour belching, heartburn, and nausea. The main symptom of the disease is pain in the epigastric region, which intensifies in spring and autumn. In addition, those suffering from this disease are characterized by excitability, irritability, and sleep disturbances.

You can do gymnastics when you do not have an exacerbation. Swimming, skiing, hardening, massage of the back and lower extremities are useful.

Legend: IP - initial position; TM - slow tempo; TS - average pace.

1. IP - sitting on a chair, hands in front of the chest. Turns to the sides with arms raised. TS. 6-8 times.

2. Individual entrepreneur - the same. Alternate straightening of the legs. TS. 8-10 times.

3. IP - the same. Hands up, bend your left leg at the knee - inhale; return to IP - exhale. TM. 5-7 times.

4. IP - sitting on a chair. Low squat - exhale; return to IP - inhale. TS. 6-8 times.

5. IP - sitting, hands on knees. Spread your knees to the sides - inhale; return to IP - exhale. TM. 6-8 times.

6. IP - sitting. Take turns bending the legs at the knee and hip joints. TS. 6-8 times.

7. IP - standing by a chair. Take turns lunging forward with your left and right feet. TM. 6-7 times.

8. IP - the same. Move your right leg and arms forward - inhale; return to IP - exhale. The same with the left leg. TS. 6-8 times.

9. IP - standing. Step with your left foot onto the chair. The same with the right leg. TM. 5-7 times.

10. IP - lying down. Take turns moving the left and right legs up. TS. 6-8 times.

11. IP - lying on your right side, right arm above your head. Bend your left leg and lift your arm up. The same thing on the left side. TS. 6-8 times.

12. IP - on all fours. Take turns moving your legs back and your arms up. TS. 6-8 times.

13. IP - lying down. Take turns bending and straightening your legs. TM. 5-7 times.

Related articles:

• Gastritis with low acidity, traditional methods of treatment
• Nutrition for chronic gastritis
• Diet for peptic ulcers
• Diet for gastritis
• Therapeutic nutrition for peptic ulcer disease
• Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum

14. IP - standing. Hands up - inhale; hands down - exhale, relax muscles. TM. 4-6 times.

15. IP - standing, hands on the belt. Tilts left and right, with one hand going up. TS. 6-8 times.

16.IP - standing. Hands up - inhale; bend forward - exhale. TM. 5-7 times.

17. IP - standing, hands to shoulders. Take turns raising your arms up. TS. 6-8 times.

18. Walking in place or around the room. Breathing is uniform. 30-60 sec.

How to behave during an exacerbation of the disease

The main symptom of exacerbation of a stomach ulcer is pain that appears after eating. Exacerbation of an ulcer negatively affects the patient’s active life. During this period, a strict diet and drug treatment prescribed by a specialist are necessary to relieve pain and improve general condition.

During this period, any physical activity, including therapeutic exercises, is strictly contraindicated. Only after the pain in the abdominal area has been relieved can physical therapy begin with abdominal breathing.

Doctor's advice

Gastric ulceration is a condition that requires a change in the usual way of life. For this disease, during the period of remission, the following is mandatory:

• adherence to diet;
• adjustments to the daily routine and rest;
• compliance with preventive measures to prevent exacerbations - regular performance of a complex of therapeutic exercises.

Strict implementation of all doctor’s recommendations aimed at rehabilitating a patient with a stomach ulcer will significantly increase the duration of remission of the disease and improve the patient’s quality of life.

The benefits of the treatment complex

Exercise therapy, which has a healing effect, is recommended for people with damage to the gastrointestinal tract because it:

• reduces the spread of the inflammatory process;
• partially relieves pain during exacerbation, prolongs remission;
• improves the condition of the mucous membrane;
• stimulates excretory function and intestinal motility;
• reduces or increases acid secretion of the stomach.

It is allowed to perform a complex of exercise therapy, as well as breathing exercises for reflux esophagitis, erosive, atrophic and other types of gastritis.

By performing therapeutic exercises, the effectiveness of therapy increases. The process of cell and tissue regeneration accelerates, which, in turn, prevents the development of erosion. The latter (together with Helicobacter pylori) inevitably leads to the appearance of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Now let's take a closer look at the mechanism of action:

1. During active muscle work, a large amount of useful substances is released. Among them there are those that promote rapid tissue regeneration.
2. By regularly performing health-improving exercises, blood circulation improves. This ensures sufficient oxygen supply to the organs.
3. In the presence of a chronic form of gastritis, a person has the opportunity to normalize the production of gastric juice.
4. Practicing health-improving techniques can improve the enzymatic function of the stomach and metabolism.
5. By performing simple exercise therapy on a regular basis, you can reduce the harmful effects of the inflammatory process not only on the stomach, but also on other internal organs.