Worry not, It’s a run on the positive side
Did you know that among the things that working out could engender is a running stomach? Well, It’s actually a ‘good running stomach’, warranting a rarity where the words ‘good’ and ‘diarrhoea’ harmoniously exist in subsequence; who ever thought that besides benefits to the body, working out could also upgrade language!
It happens just after newly adopting a workout routine following a sedentary period/lifestyle, or, for those who work out, upon stepping up to more challenging routines.
So when you’re a newbie and get a running stomach, you might not necessarily need to run to the hospital, give it a couple of days and you’ll be good. Here’s why:
With its before-starting-to-exercise lifestyle, the body is used to a certain level of muscle activity and daily functioning limits within which it operates. This includes the blood flow to various body parts, as well as the minimal amount of strain its muscles are used to.
Bowel movements also depend on muscles; Yes, or did you think it just happens!? Here’s a little Biology — The intestinal, pelvic & abdominal muscles have to contract and relax to allow the various movements and functioning of the bowel.
With new adoption of an active lifestyle, the body is exposed to sudden changes, one of them being increased muscle activity especially on the legs, butt, arms, shoulders, back & core. As such, there is increased blood flow to these areas to support the newly introduced ‘stress’, to ensure proper functioning and recovery. Similarly, revamping one’s workout routines to more challenging ones yields the same results.
More like; the body sends more blood to go and check what’s happening to/in the muscles lately, and give the necessary backup.
This results to the body redirecting blood flow away from its internal organs-one of them being the muscles holding/controlling bowel movements (pooping)-to the muscles with heightened activity. Consequently, the bowel moves more freely than before, hence the increased frequency and hard-to-control urge to move stool. You could rephrase this to say, the stool is neglected hence it just roams freely like an abandoned person.
Be that as it may, the body is magical! When introduced to an unfamiliar activity or routine, it tends to react by either rejecting it or making the necessary adjustments; the bowel movements exemplify an adjustment reaction. In this same way, it easily and quickly adapts and learns to co-exist with the new routine. Therefore within a few days, it will learn how to balance the distribution of blood flow to all the dependent organs, including the ones with increased demands. This restores the body’s stability, bowel movements being one of them.
So, when you start working out and get a running stomach daily, don’t stop, don’t panic! Instead, relax, go to the loo and keep going! Always Remember that; if it persists or you suspect a different cause, then of course you need to run to the doctor’s and not just the toilet!
