20 Minute Exercise Can Help Alter the Gut

The gut is the second brain.

Or, it’s been called that.

We know how important the gut is, and it’s encouraging to know a simple walk can positively affect it.

Because constipation is so common, this is great news. It can mean bloating, straining, hard stools, or simply not going often enough. For some people, it is an occasional annoyance. For others, it can interfere with work, sleep, travel, and everyday life.

Persistent constipation can also lead to hemorrhoids and other complications, especially when people regularly strain during bowel movements.

And the good news is it doesn’t take a lot to help relieve constipation here

Movement Is Helpful For Constipation - and a Walk May Be Enough

One of the simplest recommendations for constipation is to move more. 

Walking is often suggested because it is accessible, inexpensive, and generally easy to work into the day. Physically active people also tend to report fewer digestive problems.

It's less clear how quickly the intestines respond to movement.

Researchers at Fujita Health University recently looked at that question by measuring bowel sounds before and after a short treadmill walk. The study, published in Scientific Reports, suggests the gut may respond surprisingly fast.

The study included 21 healthy young adults. Researchers first recorded their bowel sounds while they rested lying down.

Participants then walked on a treadmill for 20 minutes at a comfortable pace of their own choosing. Afterward, they lay down again while researchers continued measuring bowel activity for another 15 minutes.

Not sure what bowel sounds are?

Well, they’re sounds that are created as intestinal contractions move gas and fluid through the digestive tract. They are not a perfect measure of digestion, but changes in their frequency and intensity can offer clues about intestinal movement.

The researchers looked at several measures, including the strength of the sounds, how much of each recording contained bowel activity, and the number of separate bowel sounds produced each minute.

All three increased significantly after walking.

The greatest change appeared within 1 to 2 minutes. The overall intensity of bowel sounds nearly doubled, and participants produced more individual bowel sounds.

That response did not last long. Within roughly two to three minutes, the measurements began returning toward their previous levels.

Still, the speed of the change is interesting. It suggests physical activity may influence intestinal movement almost immediately, rather than helping digestion only after weeks or months of regular exercise.

Researchers do not yet know exactly why.

For instance, walking may affect the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate digestion without conscious effort. The gentle bouncing and movement of the body during walking may also trigger physical reflexes that encourage the intestines to contract…but it’s not certain.

So What Does It Prove (and What Doesn't It Prove)

The study gives researchers another clue about why people are often told to take a walk when they are constipated.

But it does not prove that a 20-minute walk will relieve constipation.

The study was small, and the participants were healthy young adults. They were not people struggling with chronic constipation. Researchers also measured bowel sounds rather than actual bowel movements, stool consistency, or symptom relief.

That is an important distinction.

More research is needed to see whether the same reaction occurs in older adults, people with chronic constipation, and those with gastrointestinal conditions.

Even so, walking has plenty going for it. It costs nothing, requires no prescription, and can be adjusted to a person's fitness and mobility. For many people with mild constipation, a short walk after a meal or at another comfortable time of day may be a reasonable thing to try alongside adequate fluids, fiber, and other appropriate treatment.

The new research helps explain why such a simple habit might matter.

The intestines appear to notice movement very quickly.