Regular physical activity helps prevent constipation

People who regularly engage in leisure-time physical activity (PA), 20‒30 min per session for at least 5 days a week, are less likely to develop constipation, suggests a recent study.

In this study, the authors explored the relationship between leisure-time PA patterns and constipation using 2007‒2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. They categorized participants into inactive, insufficiently active, and sufficiently active groups, with the latter divided into weekend warriors and regularly active subgroups.

Constipation was defined by using stool frequency and the Bristol Stool Form Scale. Finally, the association between PA patterns and constipation was examined using weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic splines.

The likelihood of constipation was lower among sufficiently active (odds ratio [OR], 0.67, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.47‒0.96) and regularly active (OR, 0.67, 95 percent CI, 0.45‒0.99) participants. Those who exercised regularly for 20‒30 min per session were also less likely to have constipation (OR, 0.12, 95 percent CI, 0.03‒0.56).

In restricted cubic spline analysis, doing PA for 150 min per week resulted in significant reductions in constipation among participants.

“Engaging in regular PA, with 20–30 minutes per session, at least 5 days a week, effectively reduces the likelihood of constipation,” the authors said.