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When can I again join in a gym after endometriosis surgery?

Understanding Your Recovery

Returning to exercise after endometriosis surgery is a gradual process that depends on individual factors, including the severity of the surgery, your overall health, and your body's response to the procedure.

Key Considerations

Listen to your body: Pay attention to any pain or discomfort. If you experience pain, stop the activity and rest. It’s important to understand the difference between “normal” muscle pain from beginning an exercise program to “not normal” pain which is your body sending signals that the exercise isn’t quite right for you.

Start slowly: Begin with gentle activities and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. Just like one hot day doesn’t make a summer, one workout isn’t going to make you “fit”. Take your time with implementing a program so you can have long sustainable relationship with exercise.

Avoid strenuous activities: Avoid heavy lifting, jumping, or high-impact exercises initially. These activities can put strain on your incision and may cause pain or discomfort.  These exercises may feel good as you challenge yourself, but your body isn’t ready for this type of exercise, yet!

Consult your doctor: Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine. They can provide specific recommendations based on your individual situation.

Recommended Exercises

Once your doctor gives the green light, consider the following low-impact exercises:

Walking: Start with short walks and gradually increase the distance and pace. I recommend walking a lot, it’s a very underrated form of exercise but is so easy to do and maintain.

Swimming: The water provides gentle resistance and support, making it a great option for low-impact exercise. Make sure your incision sites have healed before hopping into the water.

Yoga: Gentle yoga poses can improve flexibility, reduce stress, and strengthen your core. Make sure you are working with an instructor that has experience in women’s health to ensure you are doing poses that may aggravate your incisions.

Pelvic floor exercises: These can help strengthen the muscles that support your pelvic organs. Exercise such as glute bridges and quadruped are great for working the pelvic floor in a functional way besides just isolation exercises (i.e. kegels)

Low-impact cardio: Activities like cycling or using an elliptical trainer can be beneficial. They have low impact on the joints and you can easily adjust the resistance.

Personalised Guidance

It’s important to work with allied health professionals if you do not feel comfortable starting a gym program on your own. I recommend everyone should see an Accredited Exercise Physiologist to ensure they are working at the right intensity, choosing the best exercises, exercising safely, have strategies for managing pain, improving flexibility, and strengthening your core.

Remember: Your recovery journey is unique, and it's important to listen to your body and progress at your own pace. With the guidance of an allied health team and your doctor you can safely and effectively return to exercise and improve your overall well-being.

References:

Tennfjord MK, Gabrielsen R, Tellum T. Effect of physical activity and exercise on endometriosis-associated symptoms: a systematic review. BMC Womens Health. 2021 Oct 9;21(1):355. doi: 10.1186/s12905-021-01500-4. PMID: 34627209; PMCID: PMC8502311.

Amro B, Ramirez Aristondo ME, Alsuwaidi S, Almaamari B, Hakim Z, Tahlak M, Wattiez A, Koninckx PR. New Understanding of Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Endometriosis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 31;19(11):6725. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116725. PMID: 35682310; PMCID: PMC9180566.

Abril-Coello R, Correyero-León M, Ceballos-Laita L, Jiménez-Barrio S. Benefits of physical therapy in improving quality of life and pain associated with endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Jul;162(1):233-243. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14645. Epub 2023 Jan 17. PMID: 36571475.

Australian Government Department of Health. National Action Plan for Endometriosis, 2018 [Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/ default/files/national-action-plan-for-endometriosis.pdf.

Johnson NP, Hummelshoj L, World Endometriosis Society Montpellier C. Consensus on current management of endometriosis. Hum Reprod. 2013;28(6):1552-68.

Dunselman GA, Vermeulen N, Becker C, Calhaz-Jorge C, D’Hooghe T, De Bie B, et al. ESHRE guideline: management of women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod. 2014;29(3):400-12.

Awad E, Ahmed HAH, Yousef A, Abbas R. Efficacy of exercise on pelvic pain and posture associated with endometriosis: within subject design. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017;29(12):2112-5.

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