About Colon Cleansing Through Exercise

Your colon, part of your digestive system, is a muscular tube that's about 5 to 6 feet long, according to the University of Michigan Health System. First, food and liquids move through your small intestine, where all the nutrients your body needs are absorbed. Then what's left over, the stool, moves through your colon to your rectum, with fluids being absorbed along the way. Natural health professionals believe that cleansing the colon through methods such as exercise help keep the colon healthy, increase elimination of toxins and prevent disease.

Purpose

Brenda Watson, author of "The Detox Strategy," explains that a build-up of waste in the colon can cause toxins, bacteria and waste to be reabsorbed into the body, which affects liver function. Several factors may cause constipation and a backup of waste in your colon, such as a low-fiber diet, insufficient fluid intake, medications, milk consumption, and certain illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome. Watson states that cleansing and detoxification are critical if you want to heal your gastrointestinal tract and improve liver function.

Debate

On any given day, your colon may receive up to 2 pints of waste, states the University of Michigan Health System. Although advocates believe colon cleansing can be beneficial for your health, conventional medical professionals continue to refute its necessity and benefit. According to MayoClinic.com, critics of colon cleansing argue that the body is fully capable of detoxifying itself and that colon cleansing can be dangerous, especially to people with kidney or heart disease.

Role of Exercise

Exercise may be beneficial in improving bowel function. In "Natural Detoxification," Jacqueline Krohn and Frances Taylor write that many people who have constipation do not exercise enough. Exercise helps to tone abdominal muscles and keep them healthy. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases adds that lack of physical activity is possibly one of the reasons older people frequently suffer from constipation. As Krohn and Taylor state, just walking more often can help improve bowel function. Other exercises such as hill climbing, tennis, rowing, bouncing on a medicine ball and stair climbing may also be beneficial.

Evidence

In a 2004 study published in the journal "Public Health Nutrition," researchers looked at the relationship between nutritional and lifestyle factors and the frequency of bowel movements. They found that frequent bowel movement in women was positively associated with exercise, but, the effect on men was less clear.

Caution

Exercise alone won't be enough to cleanse your colon or improve bowel function. MayoClinic.com recommends eating a diet rich in fiber and drinking lots of water and other fluids.