How the F am I supposed to exercise if my body is garbage?

[kellygok]

So long story short we had a (welcome) surprise pregnancy almost immediately after I recovered from an abdominal surgery which has come back to haunt me in the last few months.

I am 16 months PP. Apparently my abdominal muscles splitting in half to house a fetus before they could fully heal does not a happy muscle make. I now have a golfball sized incisional hernia that is also causing horrific GERD symptoms.

I’ve been in bed all day in pain because I did a 45 second plank yesterday that appears to have jostled the gaping hole in my gut.

The doctors wont fix it because I could totally live with this the rest of my life (cough cough no insurance to pay cough cough) but I am at a loss on how to remain physically healthy while not agitating this condition. Everything I read says to cut out triggering foods for GERD (everything but oatmeal essentially which is not conducive to weight loss). And now today I am learning I can’t even do the most basic upper body centered exercises without awful consequences.

All I want is to eat and exercise right but my stupid flesh prison won’t allow for it.

Please. Help. Me. Figure this shit out.

 

[jack986]

@kellygok I also have diastasis recti, but not a hernia. I’ve been using a program called Every Mother to heal it. You should 100% not do planks or crunches. There’s other programs too that will help you fix the DR but I’d get a second opinion on the hernia repair.

 

[kellygok]

@jack986 I’m unfamiliar with DR but thank you for the resource! It is so hard trying to lose weight to begin with and when conventional means are no longer applicable its just that much harder.

 

[sunshinegirl23]

@kellygok Can you afford a physical therapist? They should be able to work with you to present MUCH easier abdominal workouts. You're going in too strong on your own.

Also this

everything but oatmeal essentially which is not conducive to weight loss

Is factually incorrect. High fiber vegetables (celery, carrots, spinach, broccoli), fruits pH 5 and higher (bosc pears, bananas, dates) whole grains, legumes, black beans, cannellini beans, grilled chicken..... all are GERD friendly. The Acid Watchers diet is a great book to help you get started, and most people find they experience weight loss when starting out.

 

[peachiekeen]

@kellygok You CAN NOT.
CANNOT.
C A N N O T.
work out your abs in this situation. You need muscle rehab, pelvic physiotherapy, and you most likely have diastasis Recti which you have to close with focused exercise. In fact doing planks and sit ups can aggregate DR. Getmomstrong and ourfitfamilylife on Instagram have some free resources and also paid programming to help you with DR.

 

[grandpa4]

@kellygok Planks are intense and you might be better off starting with more gentle core exercises. I’d look at postpartum specific core workouts. They seem easy but it really does help to start off gradually. Do you have a womens health or pelvic floor physical therapist near you?

 

[segaz]

@kellygok I have used the blog nourish move love. She is a mom and personal trainer so her workouts are pre and post natal friendly. Here is an ab workout safe for diastasis recti. Diastasis Recti workout/ I did this one a lot post partum and I still follow her weekly workout schedules. Good luck!

 

[fizzygiraffe]

@kellygok I’m so sorry you’re having a shit time! It’s not as bad for me, but ended up with prolapse PP when I got Covid and literally coughed my insides to my outsides. I am really struggling with not being able to pick up a proper workout routine, all i bloody do is walk! I get it! I miss lifting, running, bouncing about SO MUCH. I have no advice, just solidarity! Good luck