Should i be holding/sucking my stomach in or just relax my muscles? Can i do kegel exercises after a Tummy tuck?

After a tummy tuck with muscle tightening, the muscles should be as tight and flat as possible and do not really need to be worked hard to keep them that way (such as with sit-ups or crunches).  In fact, in my opinion, too vigorous excercise, especially in the early healing period, could do more harm than good.That being said, I have seen a couple of patients who relied so heavily on their compression garment to hold everything in that the muscles actually got lazy, lost tone, and let the belly pooch out.Due to that, I will sometimes recommend for patients to do isometric excersises such as holding the muscles tight and/or sucking the stomach in to help keep up the muscle tone. In general, after a tummy tuck, I believe core strengthening excercises that work the muscles without vigorous activity, such as yoga and planks, are better than other more active excercises such as sit-ups.Thank you.

Hello Yanet,Great question. There should be no need to suck in your abdomen or muscles. Especially if your tummy tuck included muscle tightening. I will suggest following up with your surgeon for post op instructions.

A normal tummy tuck would include tightening  the muscles to help flatten out the belly so you would not need to do anything special or try to suck in your stomach. I do occasionally do a skin only abdominoplasty where I do not tighten the muscles and that would be a different situation. Those cases are very unique ,  I’m sure you’re surgeon  discussed this with you.

There is no need to hold in your abdominal muscles after a tummy tuck.  You can relax them and be comfortable.  After your surgeon clears you, you can return to an exercise routine that can include abdominal exercise.  It is fine to do kegel exercises after a tummy tuck.

You should follow the instructions that you were given by your surgeon. I usually advise my patients to avoid specific abdominal muscle exercises such as sit ups for 3 months after abdominoplasty with muscle repair. I do not give specific advice on holding or relaxing the abdominal muscles I would advise them to do what feels comfortable to them.I would advise my patients that Kegel exercises are fine.Best wishes