7 Ways to Work Out if You Have Crohn’s Disease
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7 Ways to Work Out if You Have Crohn’s Disease

Exercise can play an important role in easing the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Here are 7 activities to try.
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Updated on June 27, 2025
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group of people working out exercising stretching in a circle from above
Keep Crohn’s symptoms at bay with the right physical activity.

Running. Pilates. Strength training. A workout can be hard enough when you’re feeling strong and energized. But when you’re also coping with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and cramping, exercise can be even more challenging.

Here’s why it’s important to try, though: “As tolerated, physical movement is critical to the health of the body,” says Jessica Philpott, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. “That looks different for different people. But it should be a goal for everyone to get some healthy physical movement and explore what sort of exercise is good for them.”

Regular exercise can also help ease the symptoms of Crohn’s. For example, research shows that both high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity exercise can lower inflammation levels in people with Crohn’s. Moderate-intensity exercise and strength training have also been shown to lower disease activity and boost quality of life.

Physical activity can help ease some of the emotional challenges that can come with Crohn’s disease, too, such as anxiety and depression.

Still, there can be some limitations. People who are symptomatic and have active Crohn’s may want to stick to moderate- or low-impact exercise, says Dr. Philpott. (Higher-intensity workouts outside may also be an option, but talk to your doctor before starting any new fitness routine.) No matter what type of exercise you choose, it might be a good idea to avoid big, heavy meals in the hours before a workout and to scout out the nearest bathroom in advance.

Here are seven types of exercise to try.

1

Strength Training

dumbells
Strength training — exercise with weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight — can help you build strong bones.

 That’s particularly important for people with Crohn’s disease, who are susceptible to a loss of bone strength and bone density, partly because of difficulty absorbing vitamin D in the small intestine. Using corticosteroids over a long period of time or even intermittently can also increase the risk of osteoporosis.

If you’re a beginner, you might want to work with an exercise specialist, who can help set up a program that’s tailored to your fitness level.

2

Walking

sneakers in the grass woman walking outdoors
Walking can be a particularly good low-impact exercise for people with Crohn’s disease. (Plus, it’s easy to get started, since all you need is a good pair of sneakers.) You can likely increase your pace, too: Even regular, moderate-intensity walking doesn’t seem to cause more inflammation in people who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to some research.

Want to give it a try? Shoot for a 30-minute walk three times a week.

3

Cycling

Woman Cycling
Like walking, riding a stationary bike or cycling outdoors can also benefit people with Crohn’s disease. Moderate-intensity exercise in general, including cycling, is associated with an improved quality of life, less fatigue, better aerobic fitness, and a reduced risk of depression in people with Crohn’s disease. A review also found that exercise was linked to a reduced risk of flares when Crohn’s was in remission.

4

Dancing

Senior Black Man Dancing
People with IBD who also experience mental health issues, such as depression, may benefit from dancing. As a form of exercise, dancing can stimulate the production of feel-good endorphins in the brain.

5

Swimming

Swimming goggles and towel
Up to 30 percent of people with IBD also have arthritis.

 That’s where swimming can come in, as it’s a particularly joint-friendly activity. Swimming is also a great exercise for people who have a chronic disease, because working out in water, rather than on land, can mean exercising longer without joint pain.

6

Yoga

Yoga mats colorful
Yoga, a low-impact exercise that includes stretching, meditation, and deep breathing, is well-known for helping boost emotional health and improving sleep. Among people with IBD, it’s been shown to help relieve anxiety, depression, and stress.

7

Pilates

Pilates floor exercises
Pilates is a low-impact fitness regimen designed to strengthen core muscles, improve posture, and increase flexibility. It also can help build bone and lower stress — two benefits that are particularly important for people with Crohn’s.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Sabir G et al. The Potential Benefits of Exercise in Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review [PDF]. Cureus. September 8, 2024.
  2. Depression and Anxiety. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
  3. Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier. Mayo Clinic. April 29, 2023.
  4. Fact Sheet: Bone Loss [PDF]. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. January 2015.
  5. Lamers CR et al. Repeated Prolonged Moderate-Intensity Walking Exercise Does Not Appear to Have Harmful Effects on Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. November 19, 2020.
  6. Fitness and Sports. Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
  7. Neal WN et al. Physical Activity in Adults With Crohn’s Disease: A Scoping Review. Crohn’s & Colitis 360. April 2022.
  8. Exercise and Stress: Get Moving to Manage Stress. Mayo Clinic. March 26, 2025.
  9. Fact Sheet: Arthritis and Joint Pain [PDF]. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. January 2015.
  10. Swimming and Your Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 8, 2024.
  11. Kaur S et al. Yoga in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Narrative Review. Crohn’s & Colitis 360. April 2022.
  12. Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. August 2023.
  13. Pilates 101: What It Is and Health Benefits. Cleveland Clinic. March 10, 2023.
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Tara Collingwood, RDN

Medical Reviewer

Tara Collingwood, RDN, is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer, and a media spokesperson. As a sports dietitian, she has worked with the U.S. Tennis Association, the Orlando Magic, World Wrestling Entertainment, runDisney, the University of Central Florida, and numerous professional and amateur athletes. Collingwood is the author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies and a coauthor of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies.

She appears regularly on national and local TV, and speaks around the world to business teams on how to manage energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. She previously served as a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Collingwood double-majored in dietetics as well as nutrition, fitness, and health at Purdue University and earned a master's degree in health promotion from Purdue University. 

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Ashley Welch has more than a decade of experience in both breaking news and long-form storytelling. She is passionate about getting to the crux of the latest scientific studies and sharing important information in an easy-to-digest way to better inform decision-making. She has written about health, science, and wellness for a variety of outlets, including Scientific American Mind, Healthline, New York Family, Oprah.com, and WebMD.

She served as the health editor for CBSNews.com for several years as a reporter, writer, and editor of daily health news articles and features. As a former staff member at Everyday Health, she covered a wide range of chronic conditions and diseases.

Welch holds a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where she studied health and science reporting. She enjoys yoga and is an aspiring runner.

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