Does Yoga count as your exercise for IBS?
#350005 - 09/16/09 08:47 AM
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Mrs. Smith
Reged: 03/13/08
Posts: 8
Loc: Columbia, SC
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I'm new and was reading how Heather says that IBS peeps need like an hour of exercise or more to help with constipation. Would Yoga count you think or is it not strenuous enough? Any opinions from constipation IBSers? Thanks!
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Newbie to IBS looking for some help 
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I count yoga as part of my exercise routine. It's also important to get more strenuous exercise in, but yoga is actually quite helpful for toning the belly and soothing the digestion. I also find it helps a lot with my anxiety.
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Yep, yoga is my exercise of choice!  It counts.
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Hi. This is my first post so hope I have responded to the correct post.
Yes, Yoga is exercise and I love it, but it is not AEROBIC exercise. There are 3 types of exercise and each is important: Aerobic (walking, biking, eliptical), Anerobic (weight lifting), and Stretching (Yoga). You need all three.
Aerobic exercise increases your pulse and gets all your organs working including your colon. It gets the synovial fluid in your joints flowing to 'oil you up' and help your joints move. It increases endorphins in your brain making you feel better. Aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease your pain (read it on Mayo website) so no wonder all my doctors say 'get your 45 minutes of aerobic EVERYDAY.' I just want to scream if another doctor tells me that. Additionally, you will sleep better if you get some aerobic exercise.
So, just like 'no one thing' is going to cure your IBS but a concert of diet, fiber, teas, etc., no one exercise is all you need.
Yoga does make you feel great and that counts for a lot IMHO. I do find that even if I don't feel like getting out and doing some aerobic exercise in the am, if I will just make myself do it, I feel soooo much better.
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I think yoga can count for some anerobic exercise as there is a lot of strengthening involved using your own body weight. My yoga instructor has amazingly toned arms and she doesn't lift weights at all - all of it's from doing yoga regularly.
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in general yoga in any form is likely to be helpful for constipation.
Whether it counts as your "daily exercise" in terms of aerobic activity that gets your heart rate up and keeps it there, depends on the type of yoga you practice.
Some classes are very slow paced, gentle, and you don't even get up off the floor (like a yin class). Others involve almost continuous flowing motions and activity and you will not only get your heart rate up you'll likely have sweat dripping off your nose onto the floor because it's such a vigorous workout (like an ashtanga or intensive flow class).
You can use yoga for your only exercise if you take classes that count as aerobic, or do something else aerobic and add in yoga for the IBS-specific benefits.
You can't really go wrong.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Yoga can be muscle blasting, cardio-building, flexibility/balance enhancing, etc. depending on what form you practice. There are some extremely fit people who only use yoga.
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If the form of Yoga you are doing gets your pulse rate up into your target heart rate zone and keeps it up for 30 to 45 minutes then you may count it as aerobic exercise. Otherwise, it is not aerobic. Yes, yoga will tone your muscles besides stretch. If you will read the book, Heather specifically states that you need to do aerobic exericse.
If you go to a gym, the target heart rates are printed right on the eliptical, bike, treadmill for you to see. Here is a link to a chart showing target heart rates: http://tinyurl.com/y85lx5
My target heart rate is 85 - 145 with a maximum heart rate of 170. Keeping my heart rate at 85 is about the equivalent of sitting on the couch for me. I like to keep it at 145 - 150; need to sweat a little (eleminates toxins from your body like mercury).
It is easy to take your pulse - count the number of beats in 6 seconds and multipy by 10 for beats per minute. I have a hard time finding my pulse on my wrist so I take it on my neck. You can also buy a heart rate monitor.
If you haven't been exercising then start off slow - walk to the mailbox, around the block, or around the mall and work up to it.
I am not saying you should not do Yoga; it is excellent for stress relief, toning and stretching your muscles which they need but it is not an aerobic exericse.
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There are sooooo many new types of yoga out there now, that not only combine aerobics/acrobats, but anything you can imagine. And they do most definitely get your heart rate up and keep it up. Can you still call it yoga? Maybe. But it does work for all aspects of fitness: strength, flexibility, cardio, balance, etc.
Do some research on yoga trends and you will see just how much of a physical and demanding cardio workout it can be.
HTH
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If you are using Vinyasa(flow) Yoga you will get an amazing workout as well as restoration, flexibility and strength! This style of yoga goes from one asana to another while doing the breath work. I used to be a die hard 3x's a week weight lifter and get my cardio in on the opposite days. Now I don't lift weights anymore but practice this type of yoga 4-5 x's a week and walk or hike. My body has never been in better shape or this strong and flexible all at the same time.
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