How To Work Out After Hernia Surgery

A hernia is a bulging of soft tissue through the muscle wall of your abdomen. Hiatal hernias occur when part of your intestine bulges through the abdominal wall where your stomach and diaphragm meet. Inguinal and femoral hernias are those that occur in the groin area. Large hernias may need to be repaired surgically. The timetable for working out after hernia surgery varies according to your hernia type and overall health, and must be discussed with your doctor.

Step 1

Walk to promote circulation and maintain flexibility in your joints and muscles during the first week after hernia surgery. The exercise at this point should be easy with the main goal of accelerated healing. Gradually work up to walking more distance and picking up your pace over the next two to three weeks.

Step 2

Add in resistance exercises, using resistance bands, after three weeks of recovery. Avoid stretches that pull on your abdominal region. Exercise your legs and ankles by looping a band around your foot and pulling up on the band. Your doctor may approve seated arm curls using light hand weights of less than 5 lbs. on each side.

Step 3

Resume abdominal-strengthening components of your workout approximately a month after your hernia surgery. Bridges and modified crunches, in which you only lift your shoulders off the floor, can help you regain strength in your core.

Tips and Warnings

Check with your doctor before beginning team sports, but generally, you can return to non-contact sports like jogging or swimming about six weeks post-surgery. Once you are allowed to pursue strength training, start with low weights and more repetitions, versus heavier weights and low reps. As you gain strength, gradually increase your weight load.
Contact sports carry a risk of damaging the hernia repair; wait until eight to 10 weeks after surgery before resuming this type of workout. Get back to a weightlifting workout slowly to avoid injuring yourself. Avoid lifting weights, including household objects or small children, for the first two weeks following a surgical hernia repair.