Everyone knows that there are a lot of benefits of going to the gym. Exercising regularly improves your cardiovascular health and helps you build muscles. But, not many people are aware that their gut health and their gym habits also share a connection. Your gut needs to be healthy for your overall wellbeing and it also has a significant impact on your gym performance and outcomes.
When you start going to the gym, it is a given that you want to achieve optimal results and in order to do so, you need to have a strong understanding of the connection between your gut health and exercise. Making small changes to your exercise and diet can help support your gut health and drive you closer to your fitness goals. Let’s take a look at the connection.
Nutrient absorption
First and foremost, you need to maintain a healthy gut to ensure that your body is able to absorb the nutrients present in the food you eat. When you engage in exercise, your body uses a lot of muscles and these require energy, which means more nutrients are needed. If you have an unhealthy gut, then your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients properly and this can have an impact on your endurance, energy levels as well as recovery time after a workout.
Immune system function
There is a huge number of immune cells present in your gut and these play a vital role in protecting your body from illness and infection. Your immune system is strengthened when you exercise and if your gut is also healthy, then it will further enhance the function.
Weight management
If you want to maintain a healthy body weight, then you need to exercise regularly. A healthy gut can also play an important role in this process. The gut microbiome are crucial for maintaining the energy balance in the body and regulating the metabolism, which means it can have a significant impact on weight management. If you want to be able to manage and maintain your weight, your need to ensure optimum gut health.
Inflammation
During exercise, it is natural for the body to become inflamed. This inflammation occurs because of the stress you put on the muscles when you work out. But, chronic inflammation can end up having a negative impact on your health. In order to bring down this inflammation, you need to keep your gut healthy. As long as you have a healthy gut, it will help in reducing inflammation and also prevent any chronic diseases from developing.
Mental health
It is a well-known fact that exercise is not just good for your physical health, but also for your mental health, as it can improve your mood and reduce stress. The same applies to your gut health as well. According to research, there is a link between mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and the gut microbiome. Thus, maintaining good gut health can also be good for your mental wellbeing.
