onExercise

Lack of energy is in the top 3 complaints among IBD patients. 40% of patients indicate that they suffer from this, even if they are in remission. There is insufficient attention among practitioners for the effects of reduced energy on quality of life among IBD patients. The uncertainty of the cause of the fatigue may play a role in this.

The causes of fatigue seem to be related to, among other things:

• The severity of the disease
• Anaemia
• Medication
• Malabsorption
• Stress/emotion
• Lack of sleep)
• Work
• Physical Activities

There is a strong connection between the psyche and the body. Exercise is good for the body and mind. For example, exercise reduces body fat and the risk of diabetes, improves (heart) muscle strength, coordination and memory and lowers blood pressure, stress and cancer risk. Not exercising is just as deadly as smoking and leads to a 17% higher risk of death.

For these reasons, it is essential to draw more attention to fatigue among IBD patients. With moderate efforts, sufficient exercise ensures fewer flare-ups and improvement of partial complaints. Exercise is not insufficient for IBD, has many positive effects, including fatigue and lowering the risk of death.

The editorial board of IBD onPlay has compiled this animation based on clinical insights for practicality in combination with recent insights from the literature, including guidelines. The content is intended for educational and informational purposes and is not intended to replace guidelines or provide unambiguous advice in individual situations. No part of these animations may be copied in any way without the prior written permission of the editorial board. These animations were created in collaboration between the editorial board and FourCorners and made possible by Ferring B.V.