Crunchies & Ab exercises?

Hi, I will be eight weeks out next Thursday and I was wondering if it is okay to start ab toning. My surgeon released me for general exercise at three weeks post-op, but I really feel I would benefit from some upper/lower ab training. I already use small free weights and an ellyptical(sp). I tend to carry more flab just above and below my waist. Any advice? Thanks, Angie

Congrats on being so motivated! If you had lap surgery, ab exercises will be fine. Normal crunches, leg lifts, etc will not do any damage at 8 weeks out! If you had an open incision, call your doc! I am assuming it was lap, you would have never been cleared for exercise at 3 weeks with an open surgery! Go Angie! You should be very proud of yourself girl! Bonnie 264/155

Thanks Bonnie, Yes it was lap----I tend to forgrt some people have to have open. Oh, I would've been miserable.... I am trying to avoid plastics. I am 34- so I'm figuring I should be able to stop some majordroopage. Angie

Hi Angie,

I'm glad you're motivated to do more. General exercise to me is walking or elliptical type cardio stuff.

 

 

I was warned against doing abs stuff like crunches at first, because there is an increased risk of an incisional hernia if you get too gung ho on the abdominal exercises.  Guess what? I just had 2 repaired and trust me, you don’t want one.

 

 

You’re not going to believe this, but you’ll get better overall results right now by kicking up your cardio than you will with doing more crunches. Ab work really doesn’t help much with the loose skin. I’m not saying don’t do any ab work, but it’s not the cure for a big midsection.

 

 

Good luck

 

Earl

I agree with Earl, aerobic exercise (like the elliptical) is much safer than doing ab exercises so soon. Your surgery is going to make you lose weight FAST, much faster than your skin will be able to handle and you will have loose skin...no matter what exercises you do. You CANNOT spot-train. Spot-training is when you exercise a specific part of your body to turn fat into muscle. You can have fat and muscle in the same place at the same time. That being said, your diet and aerobic exercise will burn your fat while you rev up your metabolism which is what burns fat all over your body. Good luck! Chris Gillette, MS

Angie, I too will be 8 weeks out next Mon and was thinking of doing isometric or isotonic (can't remember which is correct) ab and glute work. I contract or hold in my abs many times for  a certain length of time then release. I repeat that 5 times then increase both time held and number of repations. The same for the buns. Sitting or standing I squeeze then release. You can do the pelvic floor as well. Just an idea. bmah