Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: Exercising with GERD

When people hear that I work out regularly, they often assume the challenges are the obvious ones: sore muscles, aging joints, or finding enough motivation to get to the gym. Those are real enough. But sometimes the biggest challenge comes from a condition that has nothing to do with muscles at all: GERD.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, more commonly called GERD, occurs when stomach acid moves upward into the esophagus. The classic symptom is heartburn, but GERD can also cause coughing, throat irritation, chest discomfort, a sour taste in the mouth, and even sleep problems.

For those of us who like to stay active, GERD can create an awkward balancing act. Exercise is good for overall health, and maintaining a healthy weight can actually reduce reflux symptoms. Yet some forms of exercise can temporarily make GERD worse.

That does not mean you have to choose between fitness and comfort. It simply means learning how to work with your body rather than against it.

Timing Matters

One of the first lessons many people with GERD learn is that exercise and full stomachs are poor companions.

A vigorous workout shortly after eating may increase the likelihood of reflux. The stomach is busy digesting food. Bending, twisting, jostling, jumping, or lying flat can encourage stomach contents to move in the wrong direction.

Over time, I learned that the gym and lunch need a respectful separation. Giving digestion time to do its work pays off in comfort.

Not Every Exercise Feels the Same

Some activities are naturally easier on GERD than others.

Walking, moderate cycling, and many forms of strength training tend to be manageable for many people. On the other hand, exercises that involve repeated bending, intense abdominal pressure, or high-impact bouncing may provoke symptoms.

This does not mean avoiding challenging workouts forever. It means paying attention to which movements your body tolerates well and which ones seem to invite trouble.

Your digestive system will gladly provide feedback. Sometimes more feedback than you wanted.

Posture Is Your Friend

GERD often improves when gravity is helping rather than hindering.

During exercise, standing or upright activities can feel much better than exercises that require prolonged periods lying flat on a bench or mat.

Even outside the gym, posture matters. Slouching compresses the abdomen. Standing tall gives everything a little more room to behave itself.

Grandma's ninja secret: good posture makes you look stronger even before you become stronger.

Hydration Helps

Many people discover certain beverages trigger reflux. Carbonated drinks, excessive caffeine, and other individual triggers may cause problems.

During exercise, water is often the least dramatic choice.

As a general rule, if a beverage produces burping contests in your stomach, it may not be the ideal pre-workout companion.

Listen to Your Own Data

One of the advantages of getting older is that you become your own research project.

Keep track of patterns.

• What foods seem to trigger symptoms?
• How long after eating can you comfortably exercise?
• Which exercises consistently feel fine?
• Which ones seem to provoke reflux?

The answers are remarkably individual. What causes trouble for one person may not bother another at all.

Consistency Beats Heroics

Like many health conditions, GERD seems to reward moderation.

A sustainable exercise habit is usually better than an occasional all-out effort followed by days of discomfort. Small, regular bouts of activity can build strength, endurance, and balance while minimizing the likelihood of provoking symptoms.

That may not sound as exciting as conquering a mountain before breakfast, but sustainable habits are often what keep us active decade after decade.

The Ninja Approach

A ninja does not fight every battle head-on.

A ninja studies the terrain, understands the obstacles, and adapts.

GERD is simply one more obstacle to understand. It may require adjustments in meal timing, exercise choices, and daily routines. But it does not have to end an active lifestyle.

The goal is not to exercise exactly like someone else. The goal is to keep moving, keep strengthening, and keep doing the things that support health and independence.

That is the real ninja victory.

At my age, I am less interested in setting world records than in being able to carry groceries, climb stairs, keep up with grandchildren, and continue showing up at the gym. If managing GERD is part of the price of admission, so be it.

After all, every ninja has an opponent. Mine just happens to carry a bottle of antacids.

image and some content by AI

Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream big—by training for American Ninja Warrior. Teaming up with her coach and trainer, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch.

While COVID and two disabled adult children moving home permanently put a kibosh on those American Ninja Warrior plans, she continued to train -- a little more modestly but regularly -- and maintain the ninja strength and flexibility she had developed prior to these changes in life circumstances.

Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor.

Grandma shares what she’s learning; her coach explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at 

what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age.

Part training manual, part motivational memoir, Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is packed with practical tips for readers over 50 who want to improve their fitness, health, and confidence. You’ll also get insights into strategies for balancing real life with ambitious goals and hard-won wisdom about success, failure, and the joy of simply showing up.

To read more precerpts from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary, click HERE.

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