I'm 12 weeks out and signed up to start with a personal trainer tonight. I'm afraid that I'll tear something in my stomach and create a leak. Can someone tell me exactly what I can and can not do? Should I stay away from anything that tightens my stomach muscles? Should I not bend excessively or anything like that?

hey frumpynomore

not sure, maybe your trainer might have some info on your question, or there is always the standby "check with dr"

best wishes

kathy

your stomach isn't a muscle so that shouldn't be a concern. You're about 3 months out - check with your surgeon to make sure you don't have any restrictions. I'm restriction-free at the 6 week point.

Thanks for the info.! My doctor's office hasn't returned my voicemail and my training begins in 1 hour. I've had no problems with and since the surgery and at 8 weeks my doc said I could start exercising. I just wasn't sure if there was anything I could do that would create a leak.

I'd be interested in hearing what your doctor says but, maybe start out slowly and try not to over do it to soon.

Good luck.

I WAS SLEEVED 12/20/11, AND I'VE STARTED EXERCISING WITH NO PROBLEMS. IS IT STILL POSSIBLE TO GET A LEAK THIS FAR OUT?

I doubt the trainer will have any idea as I doubt he know what your surgery entailed. I would check with my surgeon. My first surgeons office actually had an exercise person. I am not sure if your surgeon's office might have one but I would check with their office to make sure.

Actually, the stomach is muscle, which is why the extensive liquid diets that some are put through probably isn't such a great idea - it needs rest and healing, but also physical therapy and exercise; it is a much more active organ than a flaccid rny pouch. But I digress....

The concern with post op execise isn't so much the threat of leakage, but that of hernias around the incision sites and that's why we have lifting restrictions, etc. for a period of time post op. My doc was fine with getting back to some general exercise after 3-4 weeks, starting gently of course, but avoiding doing crunches and other significant ab/core work for 12 weeks, which is about the most conservative that I have seen mentioned on these various boards - so the OP is right in that window where more work is appropriate (as always, check with your doc on these matters. I would expect that a trainer with any sort of rehab credentials would be familiar with handling someone recovering from abdominal surgery in general, which is really the main concern here. Both s/he and you should be starting out gently and working up from there, being sensitive to any adverse feelings that you get - if something doesn't feel right, don't do it; work at it from a different approach and try again later. I'm working around an injured shoulder with my trainer, so if something doesn't feel right, we back off and do something a bit different.

Good luck and happy training!