Exercising with an ostomy

written by Jessica Morris MSN RN, CWOCN

Exercising with an Ostomy

A lot of people have questions regarding exercise and their stoma. Immediately following your surgery, you will have lifting restrictions for about 6-8 weeks. Always follow your surgeon’s recommendations regarding these restrictions. After this time period, you can return to regular exercise and all kinds of physical activities. People with ostomy’s have completed triathlons, marathons, and even scuba dive!

It is important to take proper precautions when doing certain types of exercise. When doing heavy weightlifting or certain workouts, you may want to use a hernia support belt to help prevent a peristomal hernia.

Many people also like to use accessories such as the stealth belt or other types of ostomy wraps to secure their pouch when doing activities such as golf, swimming , horseback riding, etc.

Talk to your Ostomy RN or provider if you have any questions regarding your physical activities.

A good resource regarding this topic is the Convatec Me+ program. https://meplus.convatec.com/topics/activity/