Episode #1: The Most Important Thing You Can do After a Tummy Tuck

Episode 1: The Most Important Thing You Can Do After Your Tummy Tuck

In this episode, we dive into the single most important thing you can do for your recovery after a tummy tuck: core rehab. Whether you're freshly post-op, feeling strong but unsure how to safely return to exercise, or somewhere in between, this episode breaks down why rebuilding your core intentionally is key. We’ll walk you through what happens to your core during surgery, the mental and physical hurdles you might face afterward, and the exact steps you need to take to reconnect, rebuild, and strengthen your core for lasting results.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why core rehab is the most important thing you can do after a tummy tuck — and why it’s not just about the first few weeks of recovery.
• The mental and physical challenges post-op — from feeling disconnected from your core to being either too afraid to move or too eager to jump back into workouts.
• The risks of avoiding core rehab — how fear of “ruining” your surgery can actually lead to poor movement patterns, muscle compensations, and even injury.

Resources Mentioned:

Our Tummy Tuck Core Rehab program — Your step-by-step guide to core recovery!
https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/tummy-tuck-core-rehab

PDF Guides:
Top Questions to Ask Your Surgeon During Consultations:
https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/narrowing-down-surgeons

Top Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Pre-Op:
https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/getting-a-tummy-tuck

Top Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Post-Op:
https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/had-a-tummy-tuck

Video: How to Return to Exercise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWKuykieAk4&t=334s

Thanks for tuning in! Recovery is a process, and we're here to guide you — one step at a time.

See you next time!

— Munira & Lisa

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Transcript

Lisa: 0:00

You're kind of always wondering, is my belly okay? Is this normal? Should I be feeling this weird pain? And it's just very odd and can be really intense. Hi, I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer, pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a former tummy tuck patient.

Munira: 0:21

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist with a specialized interest in diastasis rectus abdominis and post op recovery. Together, we are bringing you the first podcast specifically on tummy tucks that takes you beyond the surgery table, giving you the real unfiltered truth about tummy tuck recovery, rehab, and returning to fitness with confidence.

Lisa: 0:44

Before we dive in just a quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Munira: 0:57

We are here to break down what no one else is talking about from navigating the highs and lows of recovery to practical tips for healing movement and feeling like yourself again. Whether you're preparing for surgery Or are deep in recovery. We've got you covered.

Lisa: 1:14

This is Tummy Tuck Talk! Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk. I'm your co host Lisa Ryan, CrossFit Trainer and Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism coach and former tummy tuck patient. As always, I'm here with Munira Hudani. Hi. Physiotherapist specializing in diastasis rectus abdominis and post-op recovery. Hey Munira.

Munira: 1:42

Hey, how's it going?

Lisa: 1:44

Good. I'm excited.

Munira: 1:45

Me too.

Lisa: 1:46

So let's dive into today's topic. We're talking about one of the most important things you can do for your core after having tummy tuck surgery. And honestly, this is essential for everyone, regardless of your fitness level, whether you're super active, just starting your fitness journey. Or somewhere in between this episode is for you.

Munira: 2:07

So let's set the stage here. Okay. So let's talk about what happens in the actual tummy tuck procedure and then what happens in recovery. And then we'll talk about what the most important thing is for you to do after you have the surgery. So the surgery is a major abdominal surgery. So it directly affects the muscles, tissues, and nerves of your core. After the surgery, many people experience pain, tightness, restricted movement, a feeling of being disconnected to their body and feelings of tightness and, and just all sorts of various sensations. So the body needs to heal from that. There's usually around a four to six week period where your surgeon has likely told you to stay off doing core exercises, working out, weightlifting, et cetera. But that can also vary. You might have a doctor that wants you to wait 8 to 12 weeks. And then there are some doctors who actually don't want you to work out until even six months later. Now, during that time of rest, your body is healing, but also that's a time where muscles can also atrophy, weakness can set in and there's like this misconception that your core is just going to bounce back after surgery on its own automatically, but it really doesn't do that and that's also the case, even if you were really strong before the surgery.

Lisa: 3:30

Yeah, absolutely. It's physical, but also very mental. Like, you're kind of always wondering, is my belly okay? Is this normal? Should I be feeling this weird pain? And it's just very odd and can be really intense. I know for me, I had tons of like pains and sensations along with the fact of me being very paranoid about ruining anything, ruining my repair. You know, I just went through this surgery. It's painful, it's expensive, and I wanted to get back to fitness, you know, all those things are in my head. And I was just so worried I would ruin something. Um, so I became quite fearful of getting back to core exercises, even when my surgeon was encouraging me to like, do it, like do tons of core, do all this, but I was, I was very afraid. Um, part of it because I felt sensations, a part of it was just fear. And so that can be an extra challenge to recovering from surgery. So even though I went into surgery feeling very strong, I didn't just wake up feeling strong after surgery. You really have to intentionally rebuild after this surgery, and it can be very overwhelming where to start because you can't just start back to what you were doing before.

Munira: 4:44

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um, so just like we were alluding to, there's just, there are so many ways you could feel afterwards, you know, Lisa had her own experience and, you know, yet some people feel amazing and that can kind of work against them because they may want might want to jump back into their old exercise fitness routines very quickly. But that could potentially cause injury or create injuries and other problems. And then on the other end of that spectrum is the extreme where you could be really afraid to move, which can then lead to more stiffness more discomfort which can prolong your recovery.

Lisa: 5:22

Yes. Um, yeah. So obviously, you know, you have my example, but I had a client who felt very good after surgery, kind of went back to working out, lifting weights, front squatting, and she hurt her back. She was kind of confused, like, Oh, like what's going on. And she just kind of skipped that step of just some intentional rebuilding, reconnecting to your core and then strengthening your core before going back to kind of doing what you were doing beforehand. So we just took like a month together and went through some of the stuff that's in our program that we'll talk about later, but like, and just went through some of the basics and then she was good to go. Right. So it really wasn't super complicated, but just knowing that that can happen if you feel good, if you get back to it too quickly, or you skip some of that stuff, there's a potential for having an injury or just. Having pains in general that don't feel great.

Munira: 6:17

Exactly. Yeah. And so there's that scenario where, um, you might feel great and then you go back to soon, or there's the scenario where you, uh, are too afraid to move. You're too afraid to start anything. Cause there's the worry that you're going to ruin your surgery or pop a stitch. Um, But like we just said, it could lead to more pain, more tightness, more swelling. So it almost feels like there's not a win win situation, but, um, both extremes can be problematic. And, uh, yeah, so when you're feeling very good, you, you might want to jump back in too soon. And if you're too anxious, you may not want to do anything. So,

Lisa: 6:58

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and then there's the group in the middle. A lot of people fall in the middle somewhere where one day you're feeling good, the next day you're like, oh, I don't feel good. Or you're just kind of somewhere in the middle where you don't feel awful, but you don't feel great. And that's still a very confusing place to be because it's just like, ah, what do I do? Especially if every day kind of feels different, right?

Munira: 7:14

Yeah. Yeah. What we really want for you is to know what to expect, There are several things that can happen sort of as a result of just trying to actively avoid using the core, even when your doctor has given you the, okay, to start building up your body and fitness and exercise routines again but what I've seen happen is that if you are trying to actively not use your core, you may try to do other things like squats and lunges and maybe other types of movements which don't directly involve your core, but they will always indirectly use your core. But because you're trying so hard not to engage, those core muscles and you're trying so hard to keep those muscles relaxed, it actually can alter how you're moving the rest of your body. Cause you're so focused on not using certain muscles, which are actually turning on regardless of whether you're actively telling them to do or not do. But that could alter your technique and your form, and then possibly lead to other muscle compensations or movement patterns, which may create some more symptoms, or again possibly injury. Another thing that can happen when you're not using your core either because you're afraid to use those muscles, you're worried about ruining your surgery, um, so you're kind of letting that fear dictate how you proceed, or it could be because your surgeon mentioned that they don't want you to do core exercises, but everything else is still fine for you to start up and doing. But basically what could happen in not using your core is that sometimes you end up holding your breath, which creates an increase in intra abdominal pressure, and that pressure, if it pushes downwards, that's called bearing down, but it could also push out into the abdomen from the inside, and ironically, that will trigger an increase in core muscle activity, so it's now creating a situation where the muscles are turning on when you are actually trying to avoid that in the first place. So we really don't want you avoiding using your core. Uh, in actuality, you can't do that. You, you just have to know how to use your core. And then I think more importantly is you have to feel safe in doing that. And that's whether you're just waiting for clearance to begin, uh, more advanced exercises by your surgeon or, uh, whether that's you trying to work through feelings of anxiety and fear.

Lisa: 9:43

Yeah, absolutely, and those are all such great examples of different things that can happen with movement, and the feelings that you may be feeling are disconnected like you talked about, especially if you're trying to avoid it, right? That that's going to happen. You're going to feel disconnected that way. You may have numb areas. You may have nerve like shooting and stabbing pains. Um, not everyone experienced these is very interesting. I know I had that. It can be very concerning yet it's normal, right? So it's hard to figure out. Swelling, which, can last a few months up to over a year, very different depending on the person. Um, and then there can be a mix of all those things. Some of the things come and go. Some of them are constant and it's just a lot to deal with. And then trying to manage like, well, how much should I be doing with my core? Like you were talking about Munira and just all the things. So there is no magic solution to make all these symptoms just disappear. We don't want you to let those symptoms stop you from moving your body and your core, whether it's in gentle ways or you're progressing back to more intense movement and exercises. And so being aware of those things, we feel is very, very important for people because a lot of people are just kind of blindsided that they didn't realize that it could be this intense, um, which contributes to more confusion and then more weird body moving because you're not sure what to do, right? So we really want you to feel more supported. In dealing with all of those, this way you can get more out of recovery and you'll feel better and if you don't move, then sometimes these symptoms can get worse. I worked with somebody who wasn't quite sure what to do, and was just still hunched over like weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks after surgery. And she was just like, paralyzed on what to do, couldn't stand up. At this point, she was just fearful of like, what's wrong with me? Is something wrong? Like, you know, a million things. Um, I worked with her in person and she just needed to feel safe. We had to do some gentle stuff, reconnecting, slowly moving. And then she was back to like doing the workout she wanted to do. So, a lot of different things can happen when you're not sure what to do with all of these symptoms. So, um, the longer you avoid this area, the more disconnected you can become. So because of that, we given everything that I went through, um, and then realizing, oh my gosh, like nobody's really getting support for this. So we really feel like going through a core rehab program can help you from the start really being intentional with your core. So it's a step by step process that aims to rebuild your core strength function and capacity after your surgery. You're building that you are reconnecting with simple breathing techniques with your core muscles, but it's progressing to very specific strength focused exercises. That is the goal is to feel really strong again. So rebuilding foundation and then progressing from there. Um, the end of the program that we created, Tummy Tuck Rehab is, has very, very challenging core exercises. I remember filming it and I was just like, Oh my gosh, this is so hard at the very end. So that's the goal. So you start from like the very beginning where you're just trying to breathe and like open up parts of your stomach that feel tight all the way through to feeling really strong again.

Munira: 13:28

And then when we're just talking about the concept of core rehab in general, we're not just saying core rehab is the first few weeks of recovery. Core rehab as a process starts from the first few weeks of recovery, but then takes you into first rebuilding of strength and then advancing your strength. So it's kind of this process that happens, which could take several months, maybe even up to half a year, which is not uncommon. It also doesn't matter what your fitness background is because everybody would benefit in going through a program that is core rebuilding and core strengthening. Um, and it also doesn't matter how you're feeling in your recovery, whether you're feeling great, or maybe you're struggling or you're somewhere in between. So just participating in some form of core rehab in a structured manner can really help you feel ease and a feeling of smoothness in your recovery. So it can give you confidence as well and using your new core and it can just help you get back to what you want to do in a way that makes you feel safe throughout the process.

Lisa: 14:38

Yeah, absolutely. It's all about giving you a foundation. Right? So it's just like knee surgery. If you have knee surgery, you need a clear plan for your recovery and a process to rebuild strength. Tummy tuck surgery involves your muscles, your rectus muscles. So it's the same thing. We're thinking of it in the same way. Having that plan means you're not left to guess what's safe, what's not, what's going to make it worse. You know, you won't have that fear. Um, a lot of surgeons will say don't do core exercise for whatever amount of time, but that doesn't mean you don't have to do anything. There's lots of gentle breathing and gentle movement exercises that can help you reconnect and start building that foundation. Even if you aren't cleared for all core exercise yet too, which is another really important point, because I know that everybody can be on a different timeline with that, but things like breathing, working on your posture, working on connection to your core, really helps you mentally because if you do have restrictions, you at least feel like you're making some kind of forward progress, even if it's little, but little things add up to big things.

Munira: 15:46

Yes, exactly. I completely agree. Everything you're saying. Um, this is sort of why we kind of joined together because we believe that core rehab is so important. For everyone, no matter how you're feeling and even no matter how comfortable you may be with your core beforehand. So a lot of people naturally are going into the surgery because of a significant diastasis. So that means they likely were working on core rehab, diastasis exercises, um, core strengthening before the surgery. So even if you've done all of that, core rehab post op is a completely different story and the experience in the post op period is like no other. So. There is just like we've already mentioned, but there's just a lot that happens mentally, emotionally, psychologically, but then also physically that's just a completely different ball game than when you might have been doing exercises beforehand for your diastasis. And, beyond that, just even physiologically, if you think of what happens when you're using your muscles post op, we are actually getting an, an increase in blood flow through those muscles contracting, even if it's a very gentle contraction. So there's improved blood flow. There's improved oxygenation that helps also to increase nutrient deliverability into the tissue as well. And it just, all of it can help with healing of the tissues. And. Again, this is also why we say this is the most important thing you can do after your surgery as in the title of this episode, because we full wholeheartedly believe that this really is the most important thing for you. And it's because in going through that process, you understand how your core responds to things, even if it's gentle exercises, how it reacts to movement, you'll notice where swelling occurs. You'll notice where pain occurs and how much and when, and where the tightness is. And so it gives you a baseline to work with, and that's just invaluable for moving forward. And so if you are experiencing all of these different sensations that you've never had before, because you're doing it in a somewhat methodical systematic way, it allows you to go through the process with intention and process these things on a sort of a mental level rather than just sort of being surprised by it, you know, when, when it just happens on their own and you not expecting least you can experience all of that in an intentional way by going through a structured core program rather than by surprise, and just being just wondering if what you did maybe was just too much for you.

Lisa: 18:22

Right? Yes, absolutely. And you know, this is something that I know, was really hard for me, like just the whole listening to your body thing. Like, it just, it's hard when they're like, Listen to your body, but stabbing nerve pains are normal. It's like, uh, you know, it's just, it's very hard to figure out what to do. I mean, it was hard for me. I've had, you know, all these burning and stabbing sensations that they say are normal, but then I'm like, This is concerning. How do I deal with this? So that that is very confusing. Um, that's happened to many clients I've worked with that they're like, is something wrong with me? Is this normal? Is something wrong? Am I doing too much? Um, different extremes with that, like we talked about earlier, I've worked with people just on all different spectrums there and so just having a plan of what to do can help with so much of that right because it takes a little bit of the fear out and puts that support in, uh, at wherever place you may need it.

Munira: 19:33

Mm hmm. Yep. And the reality is after the surgery, your core and your body have changed. So you're dealing with this core that feels completely new. You're dealing with, again, all these new different sensations, and it's just hard to make sense of all these things that you're feeling. And it takes time for your brain to catch up because your nerves have moved, your muscles have moved. They're in a different position. Your skin has moved. So this, it creates like a mind body mismatch, and that can be very confusing and overwhelming to deal with. So again, in going through a well designed core rehab program, it gives you a chance to spend some time to reconnect with this new part of you. And then it also gives you time to just rebuild that mind body connection, which is so important for you to feel safe when you're venturing outside of core movement and core exercise. And you're doing maybe higher. You're hoping to do higher level exercises later on. So again, uh, we may, might sound like a broken record, but it helps that physical and mental foundation. It is prepping your mind. It's prepping your body and prepping your core for them to receive and be the benefit of strength gains in the future.

Lisa: 20:43

Absolutely, it's also good because it helps. You understand your body to begin exercising again. You understand what to look for when resuming fitness routines. Understanding when to progress, when to slow down, overdoing versus underdoing and adjust along the way. All things we've kind of touched upon. But actually having that there, can be huge. Cause whether you were a CrossFit athlete like I was before surgery, right? And feeling more lost as ever in my own body, or any number of things that you were doing before surgery, whether you're being a mom, physically picking up your kids and doing physical things around the house all the time, and all of a sudden you're like, Ooh, I don't know how to like, get back to doing this. It doesn't matter what you were doing before. Life is physical. And your core is your center. Like that's your center. Center of your body. It's core is life, right? And so you really just need that support so you can feel really strong again and whatever you want to do.

Munira: 21:41

I mean, think about it. You're going in to get this major surgery done and you have likely paid a lot of money for it. And this is something you can do to help maintain the results of that aesthetic that you are now experiencing maybe for the first time in a long time. And so while we can't ever promise that you're going to have the specific aesthetic changes in going through a strengthening program afterwards, because really nobody has control over how your body will respond. But having that foundation can lead to a level of strength and tone in your core, and that can help your tummy look better as well. And so specifically in our program, we have a process that is divided into four phases. Phase one is reconnecting to your core. Phase two is rebuilding foundation. The next is rebuilding strength and then advancing strength. So it's not just a program where you're kind of left to figure out what to do after you've sort of learned how to reconnect to your core. Like we mentioned earlier, core rehab is not just in the first few weeks. It's about building strength over time, potentially even up to a half of the year until you're doing high level exercises and have that full confidence and trust back in your core. And so really by the end of the program, you will have no problem doing exercises that are often seen in Pilates and yoga, high level core movements that you would see in bootcamps and even in CrossFit. So again, it's progressive.

Lisa: 23:10

Yeah, and I know I've talked a lot about this, but obviously as a tummy tuck patient myself going through it, I remember how hard it was mentally. So, Munira and I added a ton of check in videos throughout each, throughout each phase and in the middle of each phase because we know that you can be in a variety of places with physically how you're feeling and mentally how you're feeling. And then also, surgeon's guidelines, which are all different. So, it can truly be a wild ride. So, we want to take the mental worry out, we want to talk about all the things you can be, feeling in the sensations you may be having and then how to adjust accordingly. Do you kind of move through it? Do you wait? Combination of both. Hopefully so you can feel less distressed. And more confident to move through the program at the pace that's appropriate for you.

Munira: 24:00

Yes. And then we also have a combination of videos for the exercises and PDF guides. So the advantage of having both is that if you are a not by a computer, you can just take the PDF guides, which has every single exercise that we've done in the program. In, um, in a downloadable handout instead, and you can just kind of review it on your own, but also that's kind of nice sometimes because then you don't have to focus your attention on what you're seeing on the screen. And this gives you time to sort of tune in to what you're feeling instead, which is kind of what we wanted for you as well.

Lisa: 24:33

Absolutely. And you can really, like I said, individualize a timeline for your unique situation, given all of those things, surgeon guidelines, how you're feeling, all of that kind of stuff. And, I know I had one client who did our core program first and then worked with me on getting back to like CrossFit type movements, and she's just said it set such a great foundation for her. And it was really fun to work with her and see how she felt and test different things out. Um, so that was really cool to see. But. Really, she did talk a lot about how much mentally it helped her in addition to physically because she felt more confident progressing along because she had the support. So whether you're feeling amazing, struggling, or somewhere in between, starting with Core Rehab, we feel is key. It bridges the gap between doing nothing and being clear to do everything. You'll feel more connected, more confident, and ready to take the next steps to your recovery.

Munira: 25:26

And no matter where you are in your fitness journey, rehab gives you the tools that you need to move forward safely and with confidence. And that's what we are all about.

Lisa: 25:36

Yeah. So thanks for tuning in to tummy tuck talk. And remember, recovery is a process and taking it one step at a time will get you where you want to be.

Munira: 25:44

See you next time.