Exercise After Stoma Surgery: Back to Basics

No matter what level of physical activity you want to pursue, stoma surgery shouldn’t hold you back. Whether you've had colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy surgery, your abdominal muscles need time to heal and strengthen, and it might seem difficult to be active again. Your muscles may be weaker than usual, due to the time spent in the hospital. But these things can be overcome with gradual training and exercises.

Go for the Gold

As you begin to exercise again, take some time to test your current physical state and the limits you might have. Find the distance you can comfortably go when exercising, and then push yourself a little further each day. This constant adjusting of goals will allow you to really feel the progress you’re making every day. 

LEARN to place and secure your stoma pouch.

WALK around and get a feel for how your stoma reacts to different movements.

MOVE more and more each day, building up towards your wanted level of exercise.

DO ANYTHING you feel comfortable doing. Running, jogging, swimming, climbing, skiing; when it comes to having a stoma, you shouldn’t be prevented from staying fit the way you want to.

 

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