How Long to Wait to Do Abdominal Exercises After Surgery?

I let my patients resume cardio and exercise at 2 weeks after a tummy tuck (but no weights). At 4 weeks they can do weights.  At 6 weeks they can do situps and "abdominal crunches".  That is that last thing to wait on to ensure the plication sutures don't come loose!  so I do think it's important to wait the full 6 weeks for ab workouts. I hope this helps!

At 2 weeks, your tissues will be around 70% of the preoperative strength. At 6 weeks, it will be 90%. From 6 weeks on it will to different changes (remodeling). This is why it takes around 6 months for it to see final results. At this time I would recommend you to start exercising your abdominal muscles. I agree with the idea of starting light and then working you self up. Best, Dr. RG

Patients who
undergo repair of a rectus diastasis can anticipate limited physical activity
for two weeks following surgery. During
this period of time patients are allowed kitchen and bathroom privileges. At two weeks, they’re allowed to gradually
resume normal activities with the exception of strenuous activities.Patients can usually return to work in two
weeks if no strenuous activity is involved. After 6 to 8 weeks they can resume all their normal activities including
heavy lifting and strenuous activity.It’s important to go slow at first
and gradually resume your normal exercise routine.Make sure you listen to your body.If you’re not ready for a specific activity
your body will let you know.In someone
who’s one year post-op there should be no restrictions on physical activity.

It should be safe for you to start doing abdominal exercises given that it's been a year since your surgery. Strenuous physical activity like strength training and sit-ups are not permitted until 6 weeks after surgery, and you are well past that.

I tell my patients that if they heal normally, they should expect to have no limitations in abdominal exercise at 6 weeks after surgery. You really should have no concerns about any activity at this point.

Normally a you can start doing core work in about six weeks after a TT ....but....most of the utilize patients are still too sore for full activity but by one year you should be fine..People that have true Hernias are always at risk to develop new ones their whole life so take it easy!

Most of the time, a patient can resume full normal activity 6 weeks after any surgery. With it being a year from your procedure, I feel pretty confident you can exercise the abdominal muscles any way you wish.

Hi, the usual recomendation for resuming abdominal excercises after a tummy tuck with muscle repair is 6 weeks. being a year out now, it should be ok for you to resume all kinds of abdominal exercises.

Most of my patients will wait 6-8 weeks post surgery to exercise to give your body and muscle a chance to heal.  Its best to start slow and build up a tolerance.  Your surgeon will tell you a definitive time based on your recovery.

After diastasis recti repair, the abdominal six pack muscles that were sutured together need time to adequately heal.  I typically advise patients that they can return to light exercise at 2 weeks after diastasis recti repair with cardio workouts such as jogging.  At 4 weeks, they can increase their activity but still avoid exercises that could cause strain on their abdominal muscles.  At 6 weeks, there are no further activity restrictions; patients can lift heavy weights and do sit-ups at that time.  Be sure to discuss all your activity questions with your particular surgeon and follow his/her specific recommendations after surgery.
Ziyad Hammoudeh, MD