Sweet Core-oline! Pilates post abdominal surgery.
This one is for all the post abdominal surgery patients out there! The exhausting journey of regaining strength/function post surgery can be overwhelming and perhaps you’ve been given the green light to start exercise, but you have no idea where to start.
These tips will help make the transition a little easier and hopefully have you singing “Sweet Core-oline” while you gently begin to activate your core muscles again (I promise you, they are there!).
Common complaints after abdominal surgery are weakness, pain, and pressure in the abdominal/pelvic area. And honestly, it’s no surprise, because the body has gone through trauma. Things don’t just snap back into place, and we become more sedentary while we are trying to recover; this contributes to more tension and weakness.
Some common mistakes many post surgery patients make when trying to strengthen their abdominals can include the following.
Pushing too soon.
Most doctors recommend waiting 6-8 weeks before beginning exercise, but you may be able to start earlier if you feel ok to do so; it’s always best to check with your doctor first though. You have to be extra aware of what your body is trying to tell you, especially as you first begin to exercise. It should leave you feeling invigorated, not exhausted.
Crunching.
While crunching does strengthen the rectus abdominus, it isn’t recommended especially for those with diastasis recti or pelvic floor issues. Make sure you seek a pelvic floor physio or someone specialized in women’s health to help if these are issues that you are dealing with. There are many other alternatives to strengthening the core than crunches!
Not paying attention to form.
When our bodies are in pain or recovering, we want to move in whichever way feels easiest. This is fine in the beginning stages, but as time goes on we need to pay attention to alignment so that we don’t create dysfunctional movement patterns.
The exercises below are a sample of a progressive core plan you could start after you’ve been medically cleared for exercise. *Cue “Sweet Caroline”.* 😉
1. Breathing.
Yes, you read that right! Breathing is a core exercise, believe it or not.
This can be done lying, sitting or standing; whatever makes you feel comfortable.
Take a breath in through the nose feeling for the expansion through your ribs, abdomen and pelvic floor. As you exhale, begin to lift the pelvic floor, pull your belly button towards your spine and bring the ribs closer towards your midline and hold for five seconds if you can.
Once you can do this with ease and without moving your spine, you can add the next exercise.
2. Heel Slides.
Lie on the floor with your knees bent, spine neutral and arms by your side.
Begin with the breath work above to engage the abdominals and then slowly slide one leg out until it's parallel to the floor. Exhale as you slide your leg back to the starting position.
Alternate legs and work your way up to ten controlled repetitions on each side before you move to the next exercise.
3. Toe Taps.
Lie on the floor with knees bent, neutral spine and arms by your side.
Begin with the breath exercise above to engage your core.
Bring your legs to a table top position (hips and knees at 90 degrees), one at a time. Keeping one knee bent, slowly lower one foot down to the mat and then return to tabletop.
Repeat on the opposite side working up to 10 controlled repetitions on each side.
An important thing to remember is that our core is so much more than just the visible “abs”. When coming back from surgery, you want to make sure that you’re restoring function, so you can perform all your daily tasks more efficiently first.
Go slower than you think and reach out for help: that’s why we're here!
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