How Many Steps Per Day Relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome

How many steps per day relieve irritable bowel syndrome

It was previously known that physical activity makes IBS easier. Scientists have now shown what level of exercise can help with this disorder.

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The more steps young people with irritable bowel syndrome take per day, the less they experience symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a new study published in PLoS ONE has shown.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the colon that is accompanied by cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. This condition is not accompanied by changes in the intestinal wall.

Scientists observed 78 girls and 23 boys, whose average age was 20 years. IBS in study participants was diagnosed between 2015 and 2018 and the severity of the disorder was mild.

All participants were periodically assessed for the intensity of their IBS symptoms on a scale of 1 (very mild) to 7 (very severe). In this study, the severity of symptoms in patients was less the more steps they took per day. Those who walked 4,000 steps a day had a 78% risk of developing severe symptoms (5 points), 6,000 - 70%, 8,000 - 59%, 10,000 - 48%.

“Based on our data, increasing the number of steps per day from 4,000 to 9,500 leads to a 50% relief in the severity of symptoms,” the scientists write in the study's findings.

It was previously known that physically active people have IBS much easier than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Scientists point out that the new study gives doctors specific information on how to change the level of physical activity of young people to ease the intensity of IBS symptoms by 1 point.