who exercised before surgery??

Hi,

Exercise is good for you! Just listen to your body and make sure you're not overdoing.

I too had multiple fibroids and was able to alternate Pilates + cardio/strength training dvd's 5 times a week for several months pre-op except for the last month when I was just too exhausted (anemia).
It is a great combination for me. In 8 months, I was able to lose 17 lbs and felt a lot healthier at 135 lbs ( I'm 5'1"). I have Mari Windsor Pilates dvd's and I found that they help shaped my body (buttocks, abs, thighs). You can feel your muscles working with these exercise but it's also relaxing with the stretching & breathing techniques. Combined with the cardio exercises it really helped burn the calories.

At 7 1/2 weeks, my recovery has been going very well and I'm sure being in good shape helped.

Keep moving and good luck!

I did a lot of exercise before my surgery: biking, hiking, situps and dancing. I was anemic so I didn't have a lot of energy, but it did pay off. I had a great recovery, and healed quickly. I was back to hiking and dancing in three weeks, with the doctor's OK. She said to wait until the six week mark to resume situps, though.

Thanks everyone for your input!

I feel like I need to up my exercises after reading some of your posts

Take Care everyone!

-Kim

Thanks for the tips Lipagan...and I think your advice to Fitms is right on. I do some pilates type work for extra toning and because it gets the blood moving into my muscles which helps them when I next try my yoga poses (these 40 year old muscles aren't what they used to be!). Fitms: I have 6 mo fibroids and also notice some problems. I have found that if I isolate above and then below my uterus, I feel much better. I cannot do any exercises that require me to bridge across the abdomen. What works for me is this: I do my "hundreds" with my legs at 90 degrees to the floor--so my lower abdomen is not working to stabilize my legs too much. Then I focus my work in curling just below my rib cage. (In the "hundreds" you curl your upper body while stretching your hands behind and beyond your knees, eyes look at the knees. 5 seconds to curl up on exhale and 5 seconds to inhale, allowing the expansion of the lungs to roll the upper body back until the shoulders are not quite back to the floor, then repeat ten times. Ten times 5+5 = 100). I repeat this also with both hand to the left or right of my knees. For the lower ab I do a very slow and stable bicycle. Put your shoulders and head on a pillow so you can see the work without any stress above the abdomen. Then I extend one leg out with the foot off the floor while the other leg is bent at the knee. I can use the angle of the extended leg and the bent leg to adjust the stress--lower straight leg or bent leg less centered over my chest will increase the stress. Some days my straight leg is only about 45 degrees to the floor--but any day I can do something is better than nothing! I switch the extended leg with each inhale/exhale. (Like inhale while right stretched out, exhale while left stretches out). The slow motion helps me to really keep aware of my body, isolating the movements and checking that the stabilization of my lower back is OK. REALLY IMPORTANT: you need to stay aware of the arch in your back. If you cannot keep your lower spine stable and pushed down towards the floor (you should not be able to slide your fingers under your lower back at any time in the exercise), you need to lower the stress by bringing the bent leg more over your center, and not so low to the floor with the straight leg. If you still cannot keep your lower back stable on the floor, then it would really be better for you to have a qualified instructor, probably someone specialized in rehabilitation training--you really cannot afford an injury to complicate knowing what is going on in your body right now!

I hope starting this before the surgery will help me know my body and learn the isolation techniques so I can start back with some non-ab exercises after the surgery. And I am doing a lot of stretching across the abdomen because I read they just move the muscles aside (which seems way better than cutting them!) and I thought that the more flex they have, the less sore I will be after. Can't hurt at least. I can do the Dhanurasana (bow pose) now, but I pee every time--can't wait to try a bow without this big lump in the way!

Sorry this is so long, but I thought I could share what has worked for me....remember, I do not know your level of fitness and you need to be very careful to talk to a professional near you if any of this seems hard to you.

	Quote:
Originally posted by kimberlir Hi ladies! I've been walking about 36 minutes, 4 times a week for the past 2 weeks. I'm trying to get a little in shape before my surgery (I think sometime in Feb or march). I was wondering if anyone else did this and does it help the surgery? I'm thinking of doing situps and ab exercises but was also wondering if building muscle in the ab area would make cutting, healing worse?? Or should I leave my big flabby stomach alone?? Thanks for any input. Not over overweight, but wear a size 16-18 (don't own a scale). Thanks! -Kim

I never did it but then again I hate exercise with a passion. Never do it. LOL

My surgery is scheduled for 1/21 --

I have been doing high impact aerobics (sometimes with step) every other day for one hour; ab 100's, crunches, leg curls/lifts, bridges, pelvic floor exercises (6 x a day), tricep dips, push ups and bicep curls every other day, and back, shoulders on the other days.

Nobody told me whether this was good or bad, but I feel it certainly cannot hurt to be stable in my core, and to be able to lift my body with my arm muscles during recovery.

I am also challenged with my bulging lower ab area (fibroids), however, I work through it. Luckily I'm not in pain, just feel a lot of pressure.

I have also been eating only meat and dairy products without hormones and fish and seafood without chemicals, and taking a variety of supplements to hopefully keep my tumors from getting any bigger between now an surgery. Would be great if they would get smaller. I can't wait to not feel this fullness and pressure on my pelvis anymore!

Of course, I have been cautioned to stop taking my supplements two weeks prior to surgery date.

Good luck and good health to everyone.

Great detailed info, Journneywoman1.

I would def. exercise a bit before surgery.. Im nineteen years old and after my hysterectomy it was my back and arms that hurt. I figure the reason for this is because i had to overwork those muscles because i couldnt use my stomach muscles.. Not trying to sound cocky but being nineteen i thought i wwould be fine.. i play softball run and am pretty active.. even this for my arms and back still had them sore

HI: Yes I'm convinced exercise was good "training". I consentrated on arm strength, abs, and legs. Getting in and out of bed really helps if you have some muscles. I was walking the halls of the hospital floor from day 1 after surgery, which really helped get "everything" moving. I surprised myself, because I am 52 and 30 pounds overweight, but my strength training made all the difference. You will be surprise that you have hidden inner strength to draw on when you need it. God bless you. kathy M



TAH BSO fibroids endo