At 9 months after a tummy tuck, normal gradual abdominal exercise usually should not harm future liposuction results, as long as your own surgeon has cleared you for core work and it is not causing pain or a new bulge. Strengthening the abdominal muscles can improve tone and posture, but it will not remove residual subcutaneous fat or tighten loose skin. If the abdomen is still not flat, the cause can be residual swelling, scar firmness, remaining fat, skin laxity, muscle separation, or a small hernia. These look and feel different on exam, and the best treatment is different for each one. Liposuction can refine localized fat, but it cannot tighten loose skin or correct muscle laxity. Keep exercise gradual and pain-free, maintain a stable weight, and ask your plastic surgeon to examine the area before deciding on liposuction. If you notice increasing pain, a firm enlarging bulge, redness, fever, drainage, or sudden swelling, you should be evaluated promptly.