Lifting weights and exercising

@Former Member posted:

Extensive exercises: whether it be weight-lifting or exercising for long periods of times can cause: blockages, hernias, bowel twists, and other problems for us since we are more delicate/fragile. There was a J-pouch patient that did weight-lifting and his staples came out of his pouch and it required surgery to fix it. I have talked to many people on here that have suffered the consequences of doing stuff too extensively. Just because you never had problem does not mean it could not happen someday. If you still choose to do the same routine, all I can say is be careful.

If my memory is correct SAFADO, you had a bowel twist in the past and you lifted a lot- obviously the info is true.

Colon folks that weight-lift get the problems that I mentioned above, We "no colon" folks are more fragile/delicate; we have to be extra careful. There are many things in the world we can do physically other than weight-lifting.

“If my memory is correct SAFADO, you had a bowel twist in the past and you lifted a lot- obviously the info is true.”

Obviously...

@Former Member posted:

“If my memory is correct SAFADO, you had a bowel twist in the past and you lifted a lot- obviously the info is true.”

Obviously...

I get the impression that is all the evidence she needs to not do something she has never done.  Fun fact, bowel twist, hernia, and obstruction are fairly common for lifters who have NO HISTORY Crohn's/US.  The sport is mildly risky in general. You're not taking much more of a risk with a j-pouch.  Also, making a confident j-pouch causal connection for something that has an increased chance of happening anyway is dubious.

@Iholdem that's fantastic,  two successful pregnancies and staying fit while you have little ones.  Hooray!   

I thought it might be time to chime in on this topic. It is one that seems to come up periodically, even though it has been discussed quite a bit in the past.

First of all, there pretty much is no such thing as “always” and “never” when it comes to recommendations regarding how to live your life after j-pouch surgery, once you are beyond the 6-8 week post op period. Each case is different, as we differ on our fitness pre-op and overall health. In addition, we also differ on whether we had complications. On top of that our medical providers may have differing opinions on what is acceptable for their patients.

The main thing is that if you were a gym rat before surgery, it is perfectly reasonable to resume your routine after that initial post-op period. If you had an ileostomy, it may be longer, like a year or more. You just have to ease into it the same as you would if you stopped for a couple of months for any reason, and you need to rebuild your tolerance. Talk to your doctor about your plans if you have worries. Our restrictions would be the same as anyone having a bowel resection and/or ileostomy.

I have tried to find medical journal articles that support lifelong exercise/lifting restrictions for us, and I have not been successful, with the exception of an article a few years back by Dr. Bo Shen (formerly of the Cleveland Clinic) who recommended a limit of 25 pounds due to some cases of pouch rupture. I can’t even find that one anymore. That said, he specializes in problem pouches, so he sees more pouch complications than your average GI. That restriction would mean I could not carry the groceries into my house, lift a suitcase, or do many everyday things. Weight training for toning and strength should be fine, but those huge dead lifts do not seem worth the risk (even though we had a member who successfully did that). It all depends on your risk aversion vs your desire to work out.

Again, it is fine to share experiences and knowledge. Just be aware that there really is no one rule that suits everyone.

Jan

@Jan Dollar posted:

I thought it might be time to chime in on this topic. It is one that seems to come up periodically, even though it has been discussed quite a bit in the past.

First of all, there pretty much is no such thing as “always” and “never” when it comes to recommendations regarding how to live your life after j-pouch surgery, once you are beyond the 6-8 week post op period. Each case is different, as we differ on our fitness pre-op and overall health. In addition, we also differ on whether we had complications. On top of that our medical providers may have differing opinions on what is acceptable for their patients.

The main thing is that if you were a gym rat before surgery, it is perfectly reasonable to resume your routine after that initial post-op period. If you had an ileostomy, it may be longer, like a year or more. You just have to ease into it the same as you would if you stopped for a couple of months for any reason, and you need to rebuild your tolerance. Talk to your doctor about your plans if you have worries. Our restrictions would be the same as anyone having a bowel resection and/or ileostomy.

I have tried to find medical journal articles that support lifelong exercise/lifting restrictions for us, and I have not been successful, with the exception of an article a few years back by Dr. Bo Shen (formerly of the Cleveland Clinic) who recommended a limit of 25 pounds due to some cases of pouch rupture. I can’t even find that one anymore. That said, he specializes in problem pouches, so he sees more pouch complications than your average GI. That restriction would mean I could not carry the groceries into my house, lift a suitcase, or do many everyday things. Weight training for toning and strength should be fine, but those huge dead lifts do not seem worth the risk (even though we had a member who successfully did that). It all depends on your risk aversion vs your desire to work out.

Again, it is fine to share experiences and knowledge. Just be aware that there really is no one rule that suits everyone.

Jan

Well said.

@Jan Dollar posted:

I have tried to find medical journal articles...

Why are you going to go and bring evidence into a discussion like this?!  I was sure that "I heard it once" was quite sufficient for this discourse.  #sarcasim

But really, thanks for looking into this for us.

@sombrenote posted:

Why are you going to go and bring evidence into a discussion like this?!  I was sure that "I heard it once" was quite sufficient for this discourse.  #sarcasim

But really, thanks for looking into this for us.

Like I said, there is a lot of disrespectful people on this website. And for your information, I did not just hear it once, I heard it MANY times and its factual info. If its harmful for a colon person then its 100x worse for people without a colon, we are more fragile/delicate. Life is not always fair for us but we need to accept that and move on. There are many things we can do, I like to focus on what I can do rather than focus on what I cannot do; that is the real blessing.

Lauren, I believe sombrenote was replying to me, so please do not take offense to a reply that was clearly labeled as humor/sarcasm.

Jan

@Jan Dollar posted:

Lauren, I believe sombrenote was replying to me, so please do not take offense to a reply that was clearly labeled as humor/sarcasm.

Jan

I think he was talking about me to you. He has said things like that to me in the past before. I wish people would not do things like that but oh well lol.

I had my pouch done while in the Army. once I recovered from the surgery, i was able to do all the things that were required by the Army. I spent a further 5 years in the Army before retiring. I am not a big weightlifter, but don't see any issues with you doing it once you have recovered. The only limitations i ever have is that if i am doing an outdoor activity, i always want to make sure there is a bathroom available.

For me the first thing to go when I got sick with quick onset uc was my muscles that I had worked hard on.I was just flapping skin and bones.which taught me it's not the size of your muscles but the inner strength that's important and doing too much weightlifting releases the stress hormone cortisol that causes inflammation.I will still lift weights but I will take it alot easier and mainly walk as walking strengthens your core and helps with digestion.walking pretty much does a full body and mind exercise.humans are designed to walk long distances and throw stones to hunt.watch on youtube about the rock apes of vietnam.