When Can I Exercise After Hernia Surgery?

If you have been living with a painful hernia, you probably have not been doing a lot of exercise. The excess pain of moving the wrong way or exerting certain muscles made working out virtually impossible.

Now that you finally have had hernia repair surgery, the first question you ask your doctor is, when can I exercise after hernia surgery?

Follow Your Surgeon’s Advice

The kind of hernia repair you had performed, the type of hernia, and the difficulty of performing the surgery will all determine the answer to your question. Every patient is different and heals differently. Sometimes, your doctor may modify his advice when you begin activities.

Be Cautious In The First Week

Walking is a simple type of exercise and is acceptable in moderation. Moving around your house is encouraged, but most everything else is not. Do not go back to work or drive for the first week. Refrain from small tasks that cause you to move too much, like even making your bed or doing light gardening.

In Week Two – Move As You Can

You still want to be careful, but if most of your pain is gone, you can begin driving again. Sitting at a desk to work is acceptable, but do not lift anything heavy or do any other type of exercise.

Stretching After Three Weeks

If you continue to improve, you may start doing some stretching exercises to help build up abdominal muscles and core strength. If anything hurts or does not feel right, stop immediately. You don’t want to sabotage your recovery.

Begin Low Impact Movement After One Month

Try swimming, cycling, walking, using the elliptical as long as you feel no discomfort. Your body will tell you what other movements you can add.

The Six Month Mark

By this time you should be able to engage in more high impact movements. Be sure you get Michigan Hernia Surgery’s clearance before beginning.

Sports like baseball, gymnastics, diving, tennis, skiing, cross country, and even weight lifting can be part of your exercise regimen at this point. Whatever you were doing before your hernia should be easy for you now.

Laparoscopic Vs Traditional Hernia Repair

If you had less invasive laparoscopic repair, you may find that it will take less time to reach each level of difficulty.