Workouts for People with Hernia

[Tybudd]

What workouts can I do with having a hernia, my Dr. said that hey wouldn't perform the surgery on me because I needed to lose 60 pounds or more minimum. Because the with the pressure on my abdominal walls right now, there was a larger chance that it would tear open again.


But the question is this, how do I lose the weight if I'm limited on what I can do, what is a good workout that I can do as of right now while I have the hernia to lose that 60 pounds?

[Tybudd]

What workouts can I do with having a hernia, my Dr. said that hey wouldn't perform the surgery on me because I needed to lose 60 pounds or more minimum. Because the with the pressure on my abdominal walls right now, there was a larger chance that it would tear open again.


But the question is this, how do I lose the weight if I'm limited on what I can do, what is a good workout that I can do as of right now while I have the hernia to lose that 60 pounds?

I'm really hoping its somebody out there that has worked with this problem, its beyond the point of dropping your moral when you get stuck and can't workout for like 2 weeks and see that you've gained another 0.7% body fat in that time

[fischer7585]

I'm really hoping its somebody out there that has worked with this problem, its beyond the point of dropping your moral when you get stuck and can't workout for like 2 weeks and see that you've gained another 0.7% body fat in that time

I recently had a hernia repair but I worked out for a long time with the hernia so it is possible. My situation was a little different. It depends on a few things. I'm guessing you have an inguinal hernia since they are most common. Are you in pain from any movements? First you need to listen to your body and not injure yourself more. I did everything unrestricted for a long time but towards the end when I was in more pain I could only skate and on good days ride the bike. Explore your options and see what feels right and what hurts.

For loosing weight, great gains can be made from a very controlled diet and concentrated cardio. If your hernia and cardiovascular system can handle it I would try interval training (or HIIT if you feel up to it) to shorten the time you need to do it but still boost your metabolism. For instance, right before and after my surgery all I could do was walk. So I would walk on a treadmill at max incline to get my heart rate up for a few min, and then recover by walking flat for a while. This stressed my herniated area very little but I was able to burn a decent amount of calories and get a little sweat going.

Also depending on how bad your hernia is, adding strength work may be beneficial IF you do not overdo it. With a hernia stay away from legs and abs, and keep the weights lighter and reps up. Most importantly breath properly. It seems like your doctor would advise loosing weight before the operation only if the hernia was not as serious but you may want to clear it with him just how active you should be when trying to drop the weight.

[Tybudd]

Epigastric Hernia is the type of Hernia I have.
As far as pain from movement, when everything is fine I don't have much pain at all, but when it seems inflamed, it starts to Strangulate and then at that point I can't even walk, or sit down because it makes it worst. I have to lay down flat on a hard surface and slowly message it in, until it pops back in, and then at that point I feel ok, but then after words for like a week, it feels like the hole is vulnerable, for example I can't hold a pushup position without feeling like its going to come through and strangulate again. But after that period of time, it seems ok again, just depends.

What do you consider concentrated cardio?

[fischer7585]

Wow I am no doctor but that sounds rather dangerous that your doctor has indicated for you to work out with the possibility of it strangulating like that.

By concentrated cardio I meant just a shorter more intense time frame. I personally go a little nuts after 45 min to an hour on a machine and have had better luck pushing myself hard for a shorter time period with intervals. Then again between hockey and tennis I have been training in short intervals for years and my body is used to that. Sounds like that might not be the best move in your situation.

My best guess would be to jump on a treadmill and just walk comfortably and put it on an incline if you need more resistance. That is what I found to be the least stressful both before and after my surgery.

I know they have support belts for all different hernia placements. Have you tried one of those? I had bad experiences with trusses but you never know.

Remember that it is much much easier to cut the calories going in rather than burn them off.