Abdominal Crunches After Tummy Tuck with Muscle Repair? (photo)

I like the patients to refrain from all exercise for 2 months after surgery, and not to exercise their core for 6 months.  I just don't think there is any benefit.

Hello Angeella, thank you for your question regarding the safety of doing abdominal crunches after a tummy tuck with muscle repair.

At six weeks post-op, your doctor’s recommendation to start light abdominal crunches is meant to help you gradually regain strength in your abdominal muscles. However, it is very important to listen to your body. If the crunches are causing significant pain, it might be your body’s way of telling you to slow down.

The discomfort you’re experiencing could be due to the fact that your muscles are still healing and adjusting to the repair. Light pain or discomfort is common, but sharp or intense pain is not. It’s crucial to ensure that you’re not pushing your body too hard, which could potentially compromise the muscle repair.

In such cases, it might be helpful to start with less intense exercises that target your core, such as gentle pelvic tilts or leg slides. These exercises can help you rebuild strength without putting too much strain on your healing muscles. Gradually, as your strength improves and your discomfort decreases, you can work up to more strenuous exercises like crunches.

Always remember to follow up with your surgeon if you have any concerns or if the pain persists. They can provide personalized advice and adjustments to your recovery plan based on your progress and specific circumstances. It’s better to take things slowly and ensure a full, healthy recovery rather than risk complications by overexerting yourself too soon.

Good luck with your recovery. I hope this helps answer your question regarding starting abdominal crunches after a tummy tuck with muscle repair.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

I advise my patients at 6 weeks post op that they can slowly return to light cardio exercises and some light weights, gradually building up strength. Abdominal workouts such as crunches etc. are something you probably would want to avoid for the first 2 months at least, most people will struggle before the 3 month mark.  Ultimately, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t eventually get back to normal, it just takes time.

 

 

Thank you for your question! For my patients having a tummy tuck procedure, I recommend that they take three weeks off of cardio at the gym, and six weeks off of any core exercises, weightlifting, or yoga. As for the garment, I recommend that my patients wear it for the first three weeks 24/7 after surgery, then an additional three weeks at night only. After the six weeks mark, most patients do not have any restrictions at that time. I recommend discussing specific post op instructions with your board-certified plastic surgeon. Best of luck!

In our practice we generally recommend that patients avoid
strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least seven to eight weeks following
abdominoplasty.Even when they resume
these activities, we recommend that they listen to their bodies and modify their
behavior based on how they feel.No two
patients are ever exactly the same and for this reason the rate of recovery can
vary significantly between patients. It’s
important to realize that each surgeon has his own post-operative
protocols.These protocols are often
modified based on the intraoperative findings and specifics of the surgical
procedure.Your surgeon has knowledge of
your procedure that no one else has.For
this reason, it’s important that you follow his recommendation in the
post-operative period.

I don’t think there is any evidence that abdominal crunches will help your muscles specifically after an abdominoplasty.  I think walking and eating a low fat low calorie diet will do better for you.

I would recommend you follow your surgeons orders. If it is bothersome when trying abdominal crunches I would say take it slow. You need to start strengthing your core little by little. Be patient and start slow, you don't want to over do it.

I usually recommend patients wait 6 weeks before beginning crunches or abdominal muscle exercises after a tummy tuck. With that being said, I usually recommend starting their typical exercise routines in a graduated fashion and to listen to their body as they increase the level of activity. 

I would trust your surgeon's advice as he/she has likely followed this regimen with success in the past. I strongly encourage women to resume a regimen of core strengthening using a Pilates regimen as this promotes a flatter contoured and concave abodominal wall in contrast to the convex bulging six pack that males generally prefer and achieve with "crunches"..

Hi there- If your surgery was at least 6 weeks ago, you should be able to return to activity with little fear of actually hurting yourself, as human wounds have reached ~90% of their eventual strength at this point. I would be cautious in my return to activity, and listen to my body, backing off of activities that cause pain and easing back into them a few days or a week later, but slowly resuming activity should be safe for you now. I hope that helps you.