An umbilical hernia is a weakness or tear in the abdominal wall near the belly button. When such a hole develops, abdominal organs can push through the gap and lodge there, causing a painful protrusion that may require surgery. Umbilical hernias are often congenital, meaning you have them from birth, but sometimes you can develop these hernias as a result of straining your abdomen repeatedly. If you have a hernia and want to lift weights, you must use proper lifting technique to avoid straining your abdomen further.
Step 1
Warm up with a short, moderate-intensity cardio workout before you lift. Stretch gently, and then begin lifting with light weights you can handle easily. This prepares your body for the harder workout to come.
Step 2
Enlist a friend to be your spotter while you lift. If you lift a weight that is too heavy for you, he can help you lower it without worsening your injury.
Step 3
Lift from your knees in any exercise that involves bending toward the floor. Instead of bending at the waist, bend your knees. Grasp the weight from a squat position, straighten your back and tighten your abdominals. Straighten your knees to lift the weight. Don't bend from your waist or back.
Step 4
Exhale as you lift. Holding your breath or straining to breathe while you exercise is one of the things that can cause hernias, so proper breathing technique while lifting is key. Inhale as you lower the weight back down.
Step 5
Talk to a trainer about the proper way to perform exercises. Tell him about your condition, and ask what exercises are safe for you. Let him observe your technique to confirm that you are executing the moves correctly.
Step 6
Perform exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles. This can help prevent further damage to the tissue in your navel area. Do crunches slowly and focus on curling your rib cage toward your pelvis.
Step 7
Strengthen your transverse abdominals with reverse crunches. Lie on your back with your feet lifted off the floor and your knees directly above your hips. Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, and extend your arms to the sides to support yourself. As you exhale, curl your hips off the floor and bring your knees toward your face. Inhale as you lower your hips back down. Don't change the angle of your knees, and keep them directly above your hips as you lower down.
Tips and Warnings
- Talk to your doctor before beginning a weight-training program if you have a hernia.
- Stop doing any exercise that hurts in the region of your navel. Don't do any exercise that makes you grunt. Grunting is a forceful exhalation that happens when you put pressure on your abdominal muscles. Don't do exercises that strain your abdominal muscles intensely, such as standing military barbell presses.
References
- Stoma.fr; Don't Hold Your Breath!; Adrian March
- Kidshealth; Hernias; T. Ernesto Figueroa, M.D.; September 2010
- Hernia Center of Southern California: Umbilical Hernia
- MayoClinic.com; Weight Training: Do's and Don'ts of Proper Technique; November 2009
- BodyBuilding.com; Seven Steps to Safe Workouts; Matt Danielsson; February 2006
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