An upset tummy is something that everyone has had some experience of. There are a whole host of products on the market to help with stomach problems but it is very difficult to know what the problem is without a medical diagnosis, and besides, wouldn’t you prefer to prevent stomach upset rather than treat it every time?
New research by Brown University has found that regular exercise not only helps prevent stomach upset but also improves the digestive function of the body. James Kernel from the Universities Sports Sciences Department suggests a number of reasons for their findings. Firstly, when people move around they are generally upright which helps food and liquids move down through the body, also when you move muscles in a repetitive motion, like when paddling on surfboards for example, this helps pump blood all around the body and help distribute nutrients that were absorbed in the stomach and intestines. Stomachs tend to have a problem when you are in a sitting position or are inactive for a while as the food cannot move through the body as smoothly.
Secondly, exercise releases important chemicals into the body that regulate glucose levels in the blood. The function of storing energy in the body or releasing it into the blood steam is controlled by a number of chemicals and hormones, although glucagon and insulin are the key players. There are lots of muscles around the digestive tract area that contract in peristaltic waves to move solids and liquids along through the body. If glucose is not fed to these muscles in regulated amounts, their efficiency of their work can slow down quite dramatically and cause problems.
So rather than wait until you actually get indigestion or stomach ache before take action, why not buy one of the many second hand bikes around or how about second hand kayaks if you like the water, and try prevention instead of cure