Can You Exercise With an Inguinal Hernia?
For active people, being diagnosed with an inguinal hernia often raises an immediate question:
Can I continue exercising?
There isn't one answer suitable for every patient.
The size of the hernia, severity of symptoms, type of exercise and overall health of the individual all need to be considered.
Why Can Exercise Affect a Hernia?
Activities that increase pressure within the abdomen can make an inguinal hernia more noticeable.
Patients can therefore experience increased discomfort during activities such as heavy lifting or straining. Hernia symptoms themselves commonly become more noticeable when lifting, coughing or straining. Read More
Can I Go to the Gym?
A diagnosis does not necessarily mean that all physical activity must stop.
However, attempting to "push through" pain is not advisable.
If a particular movement causes pain or makes the hernia more prominent, discuss the activity with your healthcare professional.
Can Exercise Make a Hernia Disappear?
No exercise programme has been shown to close the abdominal-wall defect responsible for an inguinal hernia.
Improving general strength and fitness may provide wider health benefits, but this is different from repairing the hernia.
What About Exercise After Hernia Repair?
Patients should follow their surgeon's recommendations.
The appropriate timeframe depends on the type of repair and individual recovery. One NHS hospital's guidance, for example, recommends avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for approximately two weeks following keyhole repair and four weeks after open surgery, while stressing that these are general guidelines. Read More
Minimising Disruption to Active Lives
For many patients, the ability to return to sport, exercise and normal physical activity is an important measure of treatment success.
It is one reason why continued innovation in less invasive inguinal hernia repair matters.
PerQHern's technology is being developed around a percutaneous approach intended to rethink how the repair itself is delivered.
Always seek individual medical advice regarding exercise with a diagnosed hernia or following hernia repair.
