Fitness With a Stoma

Fitness with a stoma

Fitness is something I feel very passionate about and have really developed since my ostomy surgery. There are things we all feel we take for granted and reflect on following such major surgery. Mine was the realisation that I was finally able to move my body without being in pain, or the fear of it coming on and debilitating me. I did fitness classes and went to the gym regularly but never had appreciated the fact that I could in my early twenties before I became ill and couldn’t anymore. Fast forward stoma surgery, and I have taken up running and completed my first half marathon last October for Noah’s Ark Children Hospital Charity in Wales. I am a family ambassador for the charity following the care they have provided my mini ostomate since birth. It was my greatest physical achievement to date completing the challenge having not been able to walk without being in pain 2 years before. Now I am looking forward to training for this year’s Cardiff Half Marathon with the same goal to raise money for Noah’s Ark.

 Having a goal 

I find having a meaningful goal really helps keep me motivated. My little boy is always in my mind of how resilient and strong he is in overcoming the health condition Hirschsprung’s Disease, in which we share and have an ostomy as a result. If I am struggling to get motivated I just have to think of him and how I am grateful to be able to move and keep fit which many can’t. It is a blessing. It should be celebrated. It doesn’t have to be running of course. The beauty of keeping fit is that it can take the form of a variety of themes whether it be cardio, weights, dance, gardening, walking, the list is endless. Find something that gets your heart beating that little bit faster, that you enjoy, and even better, something that can be shared with others.

Finding what motivates you 

There are many ostomates on social media that share their take on physical fitness. It can be easy to feel imposter syndrome creep in if you aren’t doing what those that you admire and follow are doing. But it’s extremely important that you don’t. Everyone has a different way of responding to fitness. Our bodies are not the same by any means, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. For example, I know yoga or pilates would be hugely beneficial to me but I don’t do it. Why? Well simply because it doesn’t motivate me, I find it too slow and I lose interest quickly. I need a HIT class, weights, and to feel I have really pushed myself in a way that mostly cardio can give. For others they may hate the idea of all that and that’s ok. We are all uniquely beautiful in our needs and wants and that’s what makes life interesting. Find what you like and explore it. See how far it takes you and who you can meet and connect with along the way.

Fellow advocates 

Maryrose is a fellow advocate, becoming an ostomate due to bowel cancer. She has used her knowledge of life as an ostomate and a fitness instructor to support others in her SHAPE classes (stoma health and preventative exercise). Maryrose shares with us her take on fitness and where to start following surgery:

“I had bowel cancer in 2012 where I had a resection after having my sigmoid colon removed. Then in 2020 I had a complete block where two growths had come back, and I was taken in for an emergency surgery. My large colon was removed, and I woke up from surgery with my stoma. Before I had my stoma I was a health and fitness manager at a health club. I had also worked as a fitness instructor and personal trainer so as you can imagine, fitness was a huge part of my life. I trained regularly, taught fitness classes and took clients for personal training. When doing so it was almost always image related, and clients wanting to look a certain way, transformations, ripped abs etc. After my stoma surgery I saw a whole new meaning to fitness and training. It taught me it wasn’t all about training to have the best abs or look a certain way. So my whole training routine changed to match this. I do mixed sessions incorporating weights, core, stretch and cardio. I enjoy walking to get outside in the fresh air and core rehabilitation to strengthen my core, therefore reduce the chance of hernia. I now teach a SHAPE (stoma health and preventative exercise) class which teaches patients how to engage, strengthen and use their core effectively in everyday life and during exercise. The class is funded in my local community by the health and social team and stoma team. Start gently and build it up from there. Practice your core exercises daily and wear good support wear for hernia prevention and protection. Any movement is good movement so if you only have ten mins that fine, or if you do not feel comfortable going to a gym do this at home. Just start, that’s the hardest part. You can still do everything you did before when it comes to fitness!”

Consult your stoma nurse

You may find personal trainers reaching out to you, asking you to join a 6 week program and saying they can tailor it to your needs and condition. It can be very tempting and seem like they have a magical wand to help you reach your goals, but proceed with extreme caution! Consult your stoma nurse to ensure you are medically in a fit state to start your fitness journey. If you have recently had surgery, the general rule is 6 weeks post op to start dipping your toe in, but please check first as your condition and any secondary conditions may mean you are an exception to the rule.

Support wear

Ensure you invest in high quality support wear. Starting from low level activity to moderate there is something for all levels of fitness. When you enquire about support wear a member of the team will get in contact with you to gain measurements and go through your options. If you are entitled to free prescriptions through the NHS, you may qualify for support wear also. Take advantage and remember if you are getting some for a child, with the rate at which they grow you don’t have to wait a year. Give your GP surgery a ring and explain your child has grown out of them. They should be understanding to provide you with a prescription for bigger size support wear. If they decline, don’t accept no for an answer. Be your child’s advocate and ask to speak to the member of staff’s superior and keep going up the chain until you get what you are entitled too!

Until next time, Rach @gutsy.mum x