Huge congratulations to Adele Roberts, the fastest woman with an ileostomy to complete the London Marathon, with an incredible time of 3 hours, 30 minutes and 22 seconds. This achievement is even more impressive, given that she only finished having chemotherapy for bowel cancer less than 12 months ago. We are in awe!
Whilst we can’t all expect to be running in marathons mere months after surgery, it does show that it’s possible to get active again if we want to.
Following a healthy diet and exercise will do wonders, not only for your fitness and recovery but also for your mental well-being. Having a goal and seeing progress can be very motivating and uplifting, especially if you’ve been through difficult and sometimes painful times.
If you are interested in running for the first time or getting back to it, the Couch to 5k is a 9-week programme to help build your fitness and strength slowly, which is the best way to avoid injury! Suitable for complete beginners, you walk and run, gradually building up the time you spend running until you can run the whole 5k.
Your ostomy nurse will be able to arrange for you to be fitted with a support band, which will protect your core during the first few weeks while you build strength and stamina.
As always, consult with your doctor or ostomy nurse before starting a new exercise regime, and don’t try to do too much too quickly.
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