March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. At Inside Out Strength and Performance we have many active adults coming to work with us for orthopedic concerns and with our women’s health and pelvic health specialty we also have many people who have symptoms stemming from their pelvis and core regions.  Many people skip over that our colon and rectum are located in the pelvic floor, and if someone (male or female) is experiencing dysfunction in their core or pelvic floor such as urinary leaking, pelvic pain, constipation, IBS or pelvic organ prolapse those symptoms can impact colorectal health too! Although this topic isn’t glamorous by any means many people experience symptoms of digestive tract involvement. We wanted to bring more awareness to this topic, share some tips on how to keep your colon healthy. If you personally experience symptoms of constipation, check out our blog post on the 5 Steps You Should Be Doing to Combat Constipation.

Many of us have been affected in some way by cancer, whether that’s personally or through a family or friend or acquaintance. According to the latest information from the American Cancer Society, Colorectal Cancer is the third most common cancer for men and women in America. Overall the rate has reduced due to early screening which is recommended for people 45 and older or for those who are high risk. 

A brief anatomy lesson regarding the colon and rectum. They are two different structures within our digestive tract. The colon is the part of our large intestine and then our rectum is the portion of the digestive tract that allows for our feces to exit the body. 

So, what can we do to promote colon health in ourselves and others? Check out the tips and recommendations to get started on taking back your health and proactively addressing your colorectal health. 

According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance following healthy eating habits can help reduce your risk, which include the following:

• Drink 8 eight-ounces glasses of water/day
• Increase fiber intake (think fruits and vegetables like raspberries, pears, apples, bananas, cooked artichoke, peas, broccoli) 
• Take in more foods with calcium such as leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens) 

Tips for a Healthy Colon 

• Reduce excess sugar in your diet
• Eliminate fried foods
• Reduce or eliminate processed meats (sausage, hot dogs etc)
• Trade starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, lentils) for non-starchy vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes)
• Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1-2 drinks a day.

Did you know regular exercise can help keep your colon healthy? At Inside Out we are passionate about movement and exercise. That's our thing! Here are some of the benefits of exercise for your colon include the following: 

• Strengthen the digestive tract
• Enhance the material in the gut that helps fight infection
• Increased blood flow to muscles and digestive tract
• Alleviates heartburn, gas, stomach cramps, constipation.

By implementing these healthy habits and recommendations you can optimize your colorectal health but also we believe you will experience a shift in other areas of your health. 

Don’t wait to live your best life, we’d love to help you reach your goals and be a part of your transformation!

Most people don’t know how to stay healthy and fit without getting hurt. At Inside Out Strength and Performance we provide a clear plan to get you in the best shape of your life, without getting injured, so that you can be active and confident that you’ll feel your best for years to come.

We help North County San Diego’s active adults and runners dealing with pain or injury get back to living a pain-free, strong, and confident life.

We are the Strength Docs who help active adults and runners live a strong, confident, and pain-free life. Fill out our contact form here to get a clear plan and get started.