Exercising with a stoma

I love any type of sport but swimming and running are my favourites.

Its completely understandable that sport can feel challenging with a stoma due to confidence, anxiety, worry and many other feelings, but it can have amazing advantages. Just getting outside can lift your spirits and it’s a really good way to socialise. So many endorphins are released during exercise and in a time where your body has gone through such a change it can help build strength and body confidence by showing how strong you still are.

Swimming was my first sport; I’ve loved being in the water for as long as I can remember. I never thought anything of swimming with a stoma, it’s something I have always done. It was only when I heard of someone being rejected access to a pool because of their stoma I realised how having a stoma and swimming can be so daunting

I have never done anything special to swim, I tend to just make sure the bag I have on is secure and empty but it’s ok if it starts to fill up in the water, it wont leak. I choose to wear a colourful, usually patterned costume to disguise the bag outline. I don’t wear extra support; I find costumes have good support anyway, but many companies sell adapted swimming costumes.

I love to swim anywhere, in a pool, in the sea, I enjoy hot tubs and waterslides. Stoma bags are waterproof and robust so they can cope with all these situations very well.

I used to be competitive and competed at national level whilst having a stoma but now I take part in sport for fun.

As the years went by after my reversal, all my symptoms made it very hard to participate in sport particularly running. After about a kilometre I would feel like I need the toilet and couldn’t push myself too hard in case I had an accident. I’m so grateful now that I can run as long as I like without having an emergency toilet stop.

For 11 years now I have been taking part in parkrun, Saturday has been known as parkrun day since then! parkrun is for everyone, it is so inclusive and accessible, I love being able to go each week, put on my music and just not have to think about anything else for an hour or so. After my ileostomy surgery I was so looking forward to getting back to parkrun and being active has helped my recovery massively!

This month I completed my 400th parkrun, I’m so proud of this achievement and it has made me realise how important just turning up is, I’m not fast I just enjoy going each week. Sport is for everyone, you don’t have to be training for something special or race competitively, I do it for fun now and have made some really great friends.

Through all my health problems sport has given me something else to focus on, I am able to switch off for an hour or so a day and just enjoy my surroundings. I really feel that being active has helped me get through some hard times. My mental health has improved so much through sport, it gives me a routine, a hobby and makes me feel good about myself.

Anna
@what.happened.nec.t