You know that CrossFit is good for your cardiovascular fitness, but do you know that it can benefit your digestive system? Exercises from your CrossFit training can reduce symptoms of your digestive conditions. Exercise speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight, but most of all it boosts your blood flow.
Exercise Boosts Your Circulation
Improving the circulation to all of your body, including the digestive tract, is a benefit from your CrossFit training. Exercise wards off bouts of constipation by moving the food through your digestive tract quicker. Core strengthening alleviates some painful diverticulitis symptoms. Most of all, regular exercise reduces a man’s risk of developing colon cancer by 24%. A study from the University of Gothenburg confirmed that “Increased physical activity improves gastrointestinal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome.”
Strengthen Your Abs
The purpose of your abdominal muscles is to squeeze abdominal contents. Focus on your core muscles during your CrossFit workout. You know all about crunches, so let’s find different exercises to implement.
- V-up. It is like a sit-up, but you pull both your arms and legs up into the air. Pull your hands toward your feet and make the shape of a V.
- Superman. Lay on your stomach and stretch out your arms in front and your legs behind. Now pull your shoulders back toward your feet to make a U shape and lift legs and feet off the ground.
- Russian twist ball slam. Sit and hold a ball held at your chest, and lift your feet off the floor. Keep your back straight and extend the ball six inches from your chest. Twist to the right side and bounce the ball next to your right hip. Catch the ball and rotate to repeat on the left.
- An elbow plank with hip dips is helpful. In plank position, rotate and lower your right hip. Come back up and lower your left hip.
