Chapter 4 has been all about movement. I related to you the comprehensive benefits it has on your well being in regards to your nervous system, musculoskeletal system, immune system, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system.
The fun continues in this blog post titled Chapter 4.5 “4 Incredible Benefits of Movement for Your Digestive System.”
How it all goes down!
Mechanically the muscles of the upper digestive tract move and initiate the break down of food from the lips to the stomach. The muscles of the lower digestive tract then move this food through the small intestine and large intestine eventually disposing of the remaining waste out through the rectum.
The movement of food through the digestive tract is essential for the transformation and transportation of macronutrients as well as micronutrients. Each segment of the digestive tract houses specialized acids, enzymes, and bacteria that all play individual roles in processing these nutrients and protecting you from pathogens in the food you eat.
All Stress Effects Digestive Health
Upsetting the symbiotic relationship of these chemicals or altering the function of the musculature needed to move food through the digestive tract can have dire consequences on your health. We’ve all experienced abnormal movement of our bowels, related to a stressor, symptomatically showing up as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain or worse. These seemingly mechanical digestive disorders can be attributed to physical, chemical or emotional stress.
Digestive disorders are a plague on our modern society and our modern society has been a plague on our digestive system. Digestive dysfunction has been associated with many chronic diseases including a host of autoimmune disorders, cancers, behavioral/mood disorders, skin disorders, and many other health-related issues.
“Quite literally, your gut is the epicenter of your mental and physical health. If you want better immunity, efficient digestion, improved clarity and balance, focus on rebuilding your gut health.”
Balance is key
Historically our digestive tract has been bombarded by parasites, bacteria, and viruses associated with our food and hygienic practices. For millions of years, our microbiome has been in a symbiotic relationship with these pathogens of the earth’s microbiome. A delicate balance of living creatures that make up our bodies as well as the entire contents of the earth’s ecosystem.
Inexplicably our modern society, in all our conscious wisdom, seems to elevate the human species above all other living things within the ecosystem of the earth. Our advancing technologies and knowledge are always trying to manipulate the wrath of Mother Nature instead of working to co-exist with her as we have for millennia.
This is evident with our current medical and food systems. A great example, and easy target, that is pertinent to both is the overuse of antibiotics in the past 100 years. Due to drug likes antibiotics, we have put our microbiome severely out of balance with our world. Drugs like this undoubtedly have helped save lives but when overused in our food or medical systems they can wreak havoc on our fragile ecosystem thus creating a host of chronic man-made conditions.
This is just one example of how man-made chemical stress can alter our body, changing our genetic future. (There are many others.) Chemical stress along with physical and emotional stress can slow, stop or alter the effectiveness of our digestive system leading to digestive disorders. This can be associated with many symptoms including pain, constipation, diarrhea, chronic malnutrition, cancers, skin conditions, behavioral disorders, etc, etc.
Common ways to improve digestion
- Reduce toxic exposure – Avoiding chemical toxins that damage our delicate microbiome balance is one popular component to creating a healthy digestive system.
- Supplement with nutrition – In addition, a popular supplementary way people attempt to restore their gut health is through the use of probiotics, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and acids.
- Reduce stress – A few, usually more enlightened individuals, will attempt to avoid or reduce emotional stress for the benefits it has on the parasympathetic system in relation to digestive motility as well as the gut flora. I explain more on this in “3 Ways Chronic Stress Kills You Faster.”
- Improve neuromuscular control – The aim of this article here in the chapter on movement is to shed light on how physically adding movement and exercise into your routine can benefit the digestive system. Below I listed 5 incredible benefits that movement has on the digestive system. Check out the Chiropractic research articles I have linked to below.
“70% of your serotonin is made in your gut.
What’s going in your gut is going to affect your mood- anxiety, depression, and focus.”
– Dr. Frank Lipman –
4 incredible benefits that movement has on the digestive system.
1.) Exercise regulates the autonomic nervous system. In a previous blog post, we related how exercise has been shown to be beneficial to the nervous system. Regularly balanced exercise can help create a proper parasympathetic state. The opposite state of sympathetic dominance created by any of the 3 stressors can slow or stop the digestive process. It seems that the body prioritizes energy to the “fight or flight” stress response and halts its energy to other systems when needed. Exercise can stop or inhibit this sympathetic systemic response and return digestion to the bowels creating a state of “rest and digest.”
2.) Exercise improves the vascular system – Exercise is well known for its benefits to your vascular system. The intestinal tract is a highly vascular tube of smooth muscle allowing for the transportation and transformation of essential nutrients. The same vascular benefits of exercise also benefit the gastrointestinal tract as it can improve the carrying capacity of macronutrients and micronutrients to all 37 trillion cells in the body.
3.) Exercise improves the Microbiome – More recently scientists posited the question of whether exercise benefits the microbiome of the intestinal tract. What they found is that exercise not only increases the number of bacteria in the gut but also changes the beneficial species found in the digestive tract. Conversely, as you become less active, your intestinal flora may decrease. This should open your eyes to how important exercise really is to your overall health.
4.) Exercise improves motor function – This is pretty simple. Mobility creates motility. The more active your neuromusculoskeletal system is the more active your smooth muscle is in your digestive tract. The nervous system plays an important role here in regulating the speed at which food passes through the digestive system. I recommend most of my patients to go for a light walk or similar activity after a meal to improve digestion.
Can exercise harm the digestive system?
There’s always that one guy that takes it too far. Yes, Exercise is healthy but not in all situations. I’ve touched on the idea of Hormesis a few times. In summary, too little or too much of a thing can be harmful. “Use it or lose it but don’t overdo it.”
Eating or exercising at the wrong times can create some minor digestive distress. Depending upon your schedule, you should separate the two as needed. Sometimes I eat a small meal 30 minutes before exercise, sometimes I don’t. I often eat a recovery meal post-exercise as it replenishes and rebuilds the muscles recently trained. When I do, I strive to Eat Real Food.
There can also be the case that overeating and overexercising creates severe digestive distress. These are the extremes but nevertheless I should point out it’s possible. It has been deemed “exercise induced gastrointestinal syndrome.” – Don’t be that guy.
Chiropractic Soapbox
This chapter has been dedicated to movement. At its core, this is what Chiropractic offers. The effect of releasing a subluxation, of restoring motion can create a cascade of positive health effects. Please read more about it in the previous blogs on movement.
There are numerous cases of Chiropractors decreasing musculoskeletal pain as well as many anecdotal cases of their patients reporting beneficial outcomes from more organic conditions such as acid reflux, constipation, Crohn’s disease, IBS, gastrointestinal issues, asthma, immunity and more.
Many of these testaments to a chiropractic lifestyle happened at a time when food was always organic, medicine was used sparingly, primarily in acute critical conditions and chronic stress wasn’t the norm.
In Summary
The digestive system is affected by 3 types of stress. The balance of these stressors can improve digestion.
Chemical – Reduction of chemical stress and increase proper nourishment.
Emotional – Reduce emotional stress and increase a parasympathetic state.
Physical – Reduce excessive physical stress (sedentary or active) and encourage proper motion of the Neuromusculoskeletal System.
Balance in all these areas has been shown to improve the motility of the digestive tract as well as a healthy, robust and protective microbiome.
One Adjustment Action Step
- Movement is life. Mobility = Motility. Get off your butt once in a while. I recommend standing up from a seated position every 20 minutes or so. If you want a healthy gut, it needs to know that you’re alive.
- Good Posture for optimal movement and maximum longevity of your musculoskeletal system. Read more about this and how poor digestion and bloating can ruin your posture leading to Lower Crossed Syndrome.
- Heal your digestive system by Eating Real Food, here’s a list of foods that are high in vitamins and minerals. Supplement with commercial Probiotics or homemade probiotics such as Kefir, Kombucha, and other fermented foods like Kimchi or Saurkraut.
- Drink plenty of pure water for proper digestion and motility. Dehydration is a major cause of constipation.
- Avoid or decrease unnecessary stress that contributes to a state of Dis-ease. Read 3 Ways Chronic Stress Kills You Faster.
- Reduce toxins and foreign pathogens by practicing good hygiene and eliminating environmental hazards. Toxins that create digestive distress include but are not limited to medications, OTC pain relievers, heavy metals such as mercury amalgams, mold toxicity and more. Some more natural alternative antibacterials I choose to use are Colloidal silver, Oil of Oregano, raw garlic, raw, local Manuka honey, ginger and in certain circumstances hydrogen peroxide.
- Give your system time to reset and re-energize. Sleep is a powerful way to rest your body from the daily movement. Fasting is a way for your body to rest from constant digestion. Intermittent fasting can be helpful in cycles.
A sedentary life or lack of proper movement creates stress on the musculoskeletal system wearing it down (arthritis) as well as the nervous system (subluxation). Movement is essential to all 12 systems of the human body, the digestive system included. Again, a great substitute for movement in our current times is Chiropractic. I am however of the opinion that a routine of daily movement and exercise is essential to your well-being.
-Truth-
Nick the DC
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