If you are like me, then you may be wondering if it is possible to do any sort of working out or exercise after you have had a stoma put in. I was actually wondering this same thing myself for a long time before I had surgery. I was worried that I would not be able to pursue my old passions and continue doing the things I love. Working out has been a regular part of my life for a long time and it is something that has become deeply ingrained into my daily routine. I used to spend a lot of time running in the mornings before work, because this was just a great time to be outdoors and enjoy the cool, fresh morning air. I also love to lift weights in the weight room in the evenings after dinner. I used to go to my local gym, but I got sick of the place being crowded and having to share equipment with too many people. Since then I have been slowly building a home gym, and I can say that it is looking really good now. I have just about everything I need to have a good workout session at home without the hassle of going to a public gym.

Going into my surgery to have a stoma put in, I was very worried that I would not be able to exercise the same way that I had before. In all honesty, the doctors were trying to tell me a lot of different things and I just could not shake the feeling that my ostomy was going to put me out of commission entirely when it comes to working out. I can say with great relief that, and after quite a long recovery period, I am back to working out and exercising almost everyday in a similar way to how I used to. Obviously, doing anything with an ostomy bag attached to you is going to look a little bit different, but I have found ways to adjust and adapt my workouts and way of life in general to accommodate the addition of my stoma. Finding the confidence to start working out and exercising on a regular basis again was hard, and it took me some time to figure out how to approach getting back in the gym.

Luckily I had invested a lot of time and money into building a home gym, so I did not have to worry about feeling insecure or embarrassed by being around people with my ostomy bag in place. Honestly, the biggest thing I was worried about regarding weight lifting was developing a hernia or something. People with ostomies are much more likely to develop hernias, which can be caused by excessive lifting or strain.

I was worried about this because I did not want to create any more complications for myself and my stoma. I started lifting lighter weights to get used to the motions and the forms again, and then worked my way up as I felt more comfortable. I also have started running again, and I don’t let my ostomy stop me from putting in the miles. I have found specially made ostomy bags that fit tighter to your body and are optimal for running and working out.