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Whether you've had colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy surgery, your abdominal muscles need time to heal and strengthen, and it might seem difficult to be active again. Your muscles may be weaker than usual, due to the time spent in the hospital but these things can be overcome with gradual training and exercises.
Go for the Gold
As you begin to work out and become active again, take some time to test your current physical state and the limits you might have. Find the distance you can comfortably go when exercising, and then push yourself a little further each day. This constant adjusting of goals will allow you to really feel the progress you’re making every day.
Learn to place and secure your stoma pouch.
Try using a stoma belt to help keep your pouch secure and supported against your body, which may help increase wear time.
Walk around and get a feel for how your stoma reacts to different movements.
Everyone's body's is different.
Move more and more each day building up towards your wanted level of exercise.
Do anything you feel comfortable doing.
Running, jogging, swimming, climbing, skiing; when it comes to exercising with a stoma bag, you shouldn’t be prevented from staying fit the way you want to.
Trust the process to progress.
Patience is key and while your muscles may need more time to heal and strengthen, you are making progress with each movement you make.
Featured Articles
10/10/2024
me plus Community
Travel
Travelling with a Stoma Bag: What to Pack
The idea of taking long trips with an ostomy may seem daunting at first. But with a little extra preparation, you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime! Here’s our tips below to help make packing for your next adventure a little easier.
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Everyday life
Travel
Road Trips with a Stoma
Now that you have an ostomy, the idea of taking long trips can seem daunting. But with a little extra preparation, you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
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Travel
Stoma Travel Tips
Extra security precautions are being taken at airports and other transit hubs worldwide. A little pre-planning and understanding of both security rules and your right to privacy can help you avoid problems in transit and enjoy your travels.
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Diet
Everyday life
Living with a Stoma: Hydration
Learn about the importance of hydration when living with a stoma. Our guide provides tips on fluid intake, recognising dehydration symptoms, and more.
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Fashion
Fashion Tips for Men Living with a Stoma
After stoma surgery you can wear the same clothes as anyone else – and do it with style! Here are some fashion tips for men living with a stoma.
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Fashion
Fashion tips for women living with a stoma
Here are some practical fashion tips from Jearlean Taylor, a successful model, author, and businesswoman who has never known life without an ostomy.
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Everyday life
Tips for Managing Anxiety After Stoma Surgery
One of the biggest worries for people who have recently had stoma surgery is what other people will think.
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Everyday life
Returning to Work with a Stoma
From industrial jobs to the classroom, from long shifts at the hospital to dancers – and all workplaces in between – people living with a stoma are successfully returning to work following stoma surgery.
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Everyday life
Back to school with a stoma
As your child begins to recover from ostomy surgery, it is normal for them to feel fearful or anxious about their needs when going back to school.
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Activity
Exercise After Stoma Surgery: Back to Basics
No matter what level of physical activity you want to pursue, stoma surgery shouldn’t hold you back.
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Everyday life
Bathing or showering with a Stoma
Showering or bathing with a stoma should not interfere with your regular cleaning routine. Here are some tips on bathing or showering with a stoma.
Read more16/12/2024
Everyday life
Peristomal Skin Care
Knowing how to identify irritated skin around your stoma early and keeping it healthy could help avoid greater complications and make for a stress-free experience with your stoma.
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