Episode #3: What Does “No Direct Core Work” Actually Mean After a Tummy Tuck?

In this episode, we tackle a question that so many tummy tuck patients face once they're cleared for exercise: "What does 'no direct core work' actually mean?" If you’ve ever been told by your surgeon that you can exercise but must avoid direct core work, you're not alone — and you're probably left wondering, what can I actually do then?

We’re breaking down the confusion around this vague advice, unpacking why the definition of 'direct core work' varies so much from one surgeon to the next, and — most importantly — giving you practical strategies to safely build core strength without crossing any post-op boundaries.

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

✨ Why 'no direct core work' is often misleading — and how to clarify exactly what your surgeon means. 

✨ The difference between direct and indirect core exercises — and why some indirect core work can be even more intense than what’s considered direct core work. 

✨ How to use progressions — scaling exercises up or down — so you can safely strengthen your core without risking your recovery. 

✨ The importance of pressure management — learning how to control intra-abdominal pressure so your core works with you, not against you. 

✨ How to advocate for yourself — bringing exercise examples or pictures to your surgeon to get clear guidance.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk: Introducing Munira and Lisa
[00:01:15] The Confusion Around 'No Direct Core Work'
[00:03:20] Why Core Work Matters — Even When You're Told to Avoid It
[00:05:50] Direct vs. Indirect Core Exercises: What’s the Difference?
[00:11:40] Why Planks Might Be More Strenuous Than Crunches Post-Op
[00:17:05] How to Safely Progress Your Core Exercises
[00:24:10] Tips for Managing Intra-Abdominal Pressure
[00:27:05] Breaking Down Complex Movements: Squats, Deadlifts, and More
[00:35:00] The Mental and Emotional Side of Core Recovery
[00:39:10] Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Your recovery doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game. With the right plan, clear communication with your surgeon, and step-by-step progressions, you can rebuild your core strength safely and confidently.

Resources Mentioned: 

Our Tummy Tuck Core Rehab program — guiding you from the first post-op days through advanced core exercises: https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/tummy-tuck-core-rehab

Thanks for tuning in! We're here to support you through every step of your recovery journey.

See you next time!

— Munira & Lisa

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Transcript

Munira: 0:00

Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk. If this is your first time joining us, we are so excited to have you here. And if you've tuned in before, welcome back. I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist who helps patients rebuild their strength, function, and confidence after surgery. I know recovery can be overwhelming. So trust me, you don't have to figure it out all on your own. That's what we're here for. And I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer and pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a former tummy tuck patient Back in 2019, I had my surgery, and let me tell you, there was so much that I didn't know about recovery. And now I'm here to share the real deal. What works, what doesn't, and how you can get back to doing the things you love safely and confidently. Together, we're here to empower you with practical advice and clear guidance for every stage of your tummy tuck recovery. Today's episode is likely going to be a game changer for you. And if you're post op and waiting to get back to exercising, we're tackling the confusing advice that many of you get from surgeons when they say you're cleared for exercise, But avoid all direct core work for X amount of time. If you've heard this and thought, what does that even mean? Well, you're not alone. At first, it might seem like a reasonable piece of guidance, but the truth is, it is vague, and it leaves a lot up for interpretation. And so, you'll soon discover why that's the case from our conversation. So tune in as we unpack what this usually means, what it can mean, and what it doesn't mean, why it can be problematic, and most importantly, how to navigate your workouts safely when given this type of guidance or guideline by your surgeon. So let's get started.

Lisa Ryan: 1:55

Hi, I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer, pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a former tummy tuck patient.

Munira Hudani: 2:03

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist with a specialized interest in diastasis reakfast 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 Ryan: 2:26

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 Hudani: 2:39

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. So whether you are preparing for surgery or are deep in recovery, we've got you covered. This is Tummy Tuck Talk!

Munira: 3:04

Welcome to Tummy Tuck talk. Today's episode tackles a common issue. How do I work out if I am told I cannot do any direct core work yet? But I am cleared for exercise. And what does direct core work actually mean? that everyone gets dramatically different guidelines through their recovery process. Today, we want to focus on specific circumstance where you are cleared for exercise. to work out, but are instructed to avoid direct core from your surgeon. This can be a little confusing and also stressful in some cases, so we want to help you out there. The most important thing is to ask your surgeon about any exercise if you aren't sure. We have found that many women are hesitant to communicate with their surgeons, you know, weeks down the road after they're done with some of their check ins. But this is really the very best route because you don't want to be left wondering and worried about what you should and shouldn't be doing. Communication is key. See what they approve of, then use our guidelines to help you start moving in ways that are within those guidelines. However, we also know some surgeons might not be familiar with all the exercise movements. That you wanna get back to doing. So you might not always get a clear answer, even if you're communicating really well with them. So again, this is where we are here to try to help you make sense of it all in the early stages of your recovery. Yeah. So we thought it might be a good idea to just kind of start off the conversation by talking a little bit about what direct core work means and also what it means when the surgeons say don't do any direct core work. So as you may have already noticed, surgeons vary drastically in what they recommend post op when it comes to returning to exercise. And that also includes when it comes to what is direct core work and what is not direct core work or indirect core work. So what we've noticed that what many surgeons mean is no sit-ups, no crunches, no twisting movement. So something like the Russian twist kind of exercise or anything that rotates your body. But sometimes they're also okay with you doing things like planks. However, some will also say planks are included in direct core work and we'll say, we'll ask you to not do those as well. So again, the definition of direct core work is going to vary from surgeon to surgeon. And if you've been told that you should not be doing any direct core work, you do need to do a little more probing and asking of your surgeon, what specifically they are referring to. We're going to help you out with this as we continue talking. So, as we mentioned in the earlier part or the introduction of this episode telling a tummy tuck patient to avoid direct core work, it seems reasonable right because we don't want you to put any additional strain on your tissues we want them to heal, but this is where we can run into some issues. Yes. So for one, it's just kind of confusing, right? Because we're talking about, okay, what, what, what core work are we exactly talking about? Um, so maybe you're not cleared to do sit ups, planks, or other traditional core work that you may think of when you hear that. But you are cleared to exercise in general. So still, what does that exactly mean? Okay. Yes, we get that you're not doing sit ups and planks, but what about running, lifting weights, burpees, pull ups, swimming? There's so many different avenues with this and so many different avenues where you're using your core still. So you might hear those examples and can appreciate that some of the things fall into indirect core work and comply with your surgeon's rules, but they also seem like they could be a little bit advanced into kind of the is you're getting back to exercise. So that's where it kind of gets confusing. So that is where we want you guys to kind of understand that there isn't this isn't a black and white necessarily. Yes, there's black and white exercises that you should not do if your surgeon says not to do them, so that's black and white. But then everything else is in this gray area. And we want you to understand that you use your core in everything that you do. From getting up off the couch or the toilet, to working out in any capacity. So yes, we can avoid doing certain movements like sit ups with our core. However, the most important thing we can talk about is how to manage pressure within your abdomen while your tissues are still healing. So definitions of core. Um, again, this can be a little vague. So surgeons will often say avoid core exercise that involves flexing and twisting specific movements that also include your rectus. But there's a lot more to the core than just those muscles, right? So the cores we define are all the muscles in the abdomen. Your TA, IO, EO, RA plus your diaphragm and your pelvic floor. And then it gets the support from all the other trunk muscles. But the deep core muscles, like the TA, the pelvic floor, the diaphragm, are not exactly the ones performing the large movements, like flexing and twisting. They are doing the hidden work of pressure management. So that is where it gets a little bit tricky. If they're telling you to avoid direct core, then they may be opposed to you simply learning how to engage your TA in the post op period, and then learning pressure management techniques, which can help you not just in your entry into exercise, but to make you feel safe in what you're doing, but also in your day to day, just physical activities and tasks. So it's good to get an idea of which muscles they're actually referring to when they say, no core work. Right, and then more confusion lies in the fact that indirect core work can, actually sometimes involve more strain on your core than direct core work. And this is where it gets a bit murky because it just depends on the exercise. It depends on your technique. It depends on your fitness level. So for example, you could be doing something like a squat, a squat would be an indirect core exercise. So it would fall under the surgeon's guidelines for you, but you could do a squat while holding your breath, and that could potentially create more core muscle activity in this indirect core exercise than if you were to do an exercise that would be a direct core exercise, like lying down on your back and just sliding your heel out on the ground like something really gentle. So again, you have to take into account. Your form, your technique, and even your fitness level. If you've never done a squat before, and it's the first time you're entering into squatting post op. Again, if you do it while holding your breath, it may not be very, it may not be advisable for some, for you to do as a starting point. And then there's also this assumption that indirect core work involves less core muscles kind of following along the same point as before. But in actuality, muscle activation patterns, intra abdominal pressure levels, all can vary drastically from one exercise to another based on the position, again, based on technique and form the movement itself. They don't always line up with these black and white categories of direct and indirect. So here's an example, and this, this is why it gets really complicated. If we compare something like crunches or headlifts, just simply lifting your head and shoulder blades from the ground to planks. Okay. So the reason why I'm bringing these two together is because I've often heard surgeons say you are allowed to do planks, but you cannot do anything like a crunch. Any kind of flexion, even if it's a very simple thing, like lifting your head off the ground. So let's break this down a little bit. Planks, planks are typically seen as safe because they're static. You're kind of stationary in one place. So the problem is depending on your fitness level, if you've done planks before, or if you aren't really, If you haven't done planks in a while, or just, they haven't been part of your repertoire for exercise exercises that you typically do, then actually in that scenario, they can be far more challenging and demanding than doing a crunch. It's because planks don't just engage your core. The fact that you have to hold your whole body off the ground means you're involving your upper body, your lower body, a lot of glute muscles. And if you have weakness in those areas. Your core is going to be triggered to come on more, and this can increase fatigue in the core muscles. It could raise intra abdominal pressure, and it can make the exercise much more strenuous overall. So another important point to mention here is that research shows planks generally activate more core muscles and generate higher levels of intra abdominal pressure. Then crunches yet they're typically categorized as safe by many surgeons. And then on the other hand, crunches are often exercises that are off limits. Um, and again, because they involve flexion of the body and they use that rectus abdominis muscle, which was directly involved in the surgery. However, again, when we break it down and compare it to planks, crunches involve fewer core muscles in general, compared to planks. And that's because the TA, the transverse abdominus, the deep, the deepest abdominal muscle typically isn't involved inside of that head lift maneuver. I'm just talking about a head lift. I'm not talking about setups where you're lifting your whole body all the way up until you're sitting upright. I'm just talking about crunches and head lifts where your shoulder blades are the only thing that are clearing the ground. So studies show that this movement can produce the same level of rectus abdominis activation as a plank, but it produces way less intra abdominal pressure. Um, and the amount of pressure that, Interestingly that it produces is less than the amount of pressure that would be produced. If you were just going to stand up after sitting down. So the act of standing involves much more core activation and produces much more pressure than just doing a simple crunch. And we stand up all the time, right? We're sitting and we're getting up. That's just part of our day. So when you're comparing the two. Actually, crunches seem to come out on top. They produce less pressure. They are also, they tend to use less core muscles. Again, it's a misconception that crunches are actually worse off for your core than planks. Another thing that I think is kind of important to mention here is when we're talking about diastasis, there's research that's been done on what happens to the rectus abdominis muscles when you're lifting up your head from the ground. And actually, it turns out that the muscle bellies come closer together. So instead of the muscle bellies pulling further apart, which is. Um, a conceptualization that is often put out there. It does the opposite. So the muscle bellies come closer together. So instead of creating more tension and strain across that plicated linea alba, it actually creates more slack in it. So this movement technically in the post op period would be less strenuous, stressful on that linea alba than doing a plank. So. And this is just a side note, but there's just so much fear mongering around this rectus abdominis muscle and flexion exercises when you have diastasis. So a lot of people have been avoiding using this muscle before the surgery and therefore can have a significant amount of weakness in their core specifically because of this muscle has not been trained or they have not been working on it. And that is yet another reason that we think it's important to train the rectus abdominis muscle after surgery. Because for many people, it's already starting from a weaker place. Okay, but getting back to this whole notion of no direct core work. So when surgeons say that, they may be picturing even exercises like bicycle crunches on the ground and labeling those as off limits. Now, we agree that this kind of exercise is not appropriate as a beginner person. Stage exercise for recovery. What's important to remember is that every exercise can be broken down into more manageable components. So instead of jumping, jumping right into bicycle crunches, you could start off just by lying on the ground and doing a single leg heel slide, or. And then you can progress on to sliding both legs and then sliding them a little higher up off the ground. And then you can do with both arms up in the air. Like there's just ways to progress it. There's ways to regress an exercise all the way down to a very basic, easy version of it. And then there's ways to progress it back up. So. Keep that in mind that every exercise kind of has like a range or a continuum of very easy to very difficult within, within that particular movement. So the question isn't whether the exercise is off limits, but which modified version can you do? So by breaking down movements into their functional parts, you can rebuild your strength progressively, but that still also is done. While respecting your body's healing process. Yes. I get so excited when you talk about progressions, right? Because yeah, that's what it's really all about. Um, yes. Like we said, there's going to be some black and white things. Don't do this till this time or this time, but in general, we're looking at progressions, um, and what's appropriate for you and, um, kind of setting up your own individual healing journey. So what we think are better guidelines than the phrase no direct core work. We're going to talk about that next in more detail. So the blanket guideline no direct core work, instead of saying that, we thought it'd be best to tackle this from two different angles. Tips for when doing the direct core work that, um, you know, certain exercises that the surgeon has, you know, said or, or, um, giving you a list of things. that, um, like they qualify as direct core work. And this also assumes that you've asked them specifically, right? So what you can and can't do again, very, very important. We keep saying that, but communicate, communicate, communicate with your surgeon. And then the second part to this is tips for when you are doing indirect core work to still manage the pressure in your body and promote healing. Okay. So again, we're still assuming that you've asked them. Can you squat? Can you do lunges? Can you go, can you go running? Right. And if they say that you can, then we want to give you tips in order to do those activities. Yeah. So let's tackle some of the tips that you can do when starting direct core work. Um, and kind of starting off this section, I think it's helpful to potentially rephrase the guidance of no direct core work with something like start with light core work only. Okay. So this is just our way of kind of rephrasing it. It's not us telling you to just ignore what your surgeon told you. That's not what we're doing here. We're just trying to provide some helpful ways of looking at it that could promote you getting back to exercises potentially a bit earlier. And whether that's just. Uh, easier, more gentle form of the exercise because really everything can be broken down. And that way we're not delaying your return to exercise because we know how important it is to for many people to get back to that. But also there's no delay in your, uh, recovery as well, especially if you're doing it gradually, um, with an informed approach. So start with light core exercises only. That's kind of what we think is a good. Sort of catch all phrase here. So you want to, again, you want to ask your surgeon what they mean by direct core work, because the surgeon is going to have a certain image in their mind about what they do and don't want you to do. Um, and you need to know what that is because you can take those specific exercises again and break them down into their components and scale it back. And then you can go back and ask them. What about these exercises? So you can say, Well, I know you don't want me to do these other exercises like the bicycles on the ground. But what about heel slides on the ground? You know, do you get what I'm saying? So if they say something like, I don't want you doing any sit ups. Well, what about just sitting and doing small range rollbacks, like you're sitting on a chair and just gently rounding through your spine and then sitting back up. Okay. So that's a scaled back version of a sit up or what about just a shoulder blade lift, like a gentle lifting of the head and holding for a few seconds. How is that in their minds? Um, again, if they say something like, we don't want you doing planks, okay, you can then ask them, bring it down to a simpler version of that exercise. What about doing a wall plank? Can I do it on the wall instead? Is that okay? Um, generally speaking, exercises that are done on your ground, they tend to be less stressful for the core. If you're only lifting one leg at a time, comparative, if you're lifting both, it's less stressful. Thanks. It's not always the case, but this is also something you can use when you're planning your return back to exercising. So again, rather than just accepting that this is your rule that you must follow, just find out if you can do any of the regressions of that exercise. And it really helps if you have pictures that you can show them, um, so you can, so that they can see what you're thinking of doing. And we include so many exercise handouts and summary pages and pictures for you in our tummy tuck core rehab program. So if you're looking for that kind of guidance, you could simply print out or download those handouts. Take them with you to your post op appointments and you can at least show them to your surgeon. We found this to be one of the most helpful, um, aspects of returning back to core exercise. Yeah, absolutely. I know coming from someone that was in the surgeon's office a lot who, you know, I like to talk. I feel like I'm a pretty good advocate for myself, but it's easy to get nervous. Like I always get mad at myself. I'm like, why am I nervous? So, you know, but, and, but if, if you have the hand, you can just hand it to them. Right. And it's not like having this whole big conversation. You're explaining stuff like it's very, you know, these are, and there's pictures of them. And so it can help with the nerves. It can also help with feeling sometimes if you feel rushed in there, you know, you can say, well, look at these and let me know later or whatever. So it just helps for a number of reasons. Um, so when you're doing indirect core work, right off the bat, it's important for us to put out there that a lot of things would be considered indirect core work, like running, lifting weights, burpees, pull ups, swimming. We would generally recommend waiting until you're cleared to do direct core work, since these are pretty advanced. These are things that are very dynamic. They involve multiple muscle groups. They involve upper and lower body coordination. So definitely hold off until fully cleared to exercise for a lot of those types of things. And we'll talk about weightlifting in a little bit. But even when you are cleared to do them because they are indirect, or because you waited until you were given full clearance to do direct core work too, we want you to start light. And this is something I talk about all the time. So you have to ask yourself, is there any area of my body that needs strength in order to complete this movement or exercise? It's a great question. For example, in order to do a pull up, your body needs bicep strength, lat strength, core strength, just hanging on the bar is a lot of core, which sometimes you don't really realize until you, after you get this surgery. without even pulling at all. So you need to work on all those things individually first before a bunch of muscle coordination. like, um, activities like pull. So another example is running. So you need lower body strength. You need stamina, endurance, core strength, single leg strength, because it is a single leg movement. Technically it's right, left, right, left, right. When you're running. So you want to work on those things first, lower body strengthening exercises, low impact bike, elliptical things like that can be so beneficial. I know sometimes like it's not exciting. If you're used to doing. deadlifts or squatting weight, you know, doing some single leg deadlifts don't feel as exciting as just getting back to it, but that's the best place to start. For weightlifting, we can't go over every exercise, even though I would like to, but in general, here's a few examples. Okay. So you've got squatting with weight and deadlifting with weight. You're using your core in both of these things, especially a front squat versus a back squat. Um, and especially in a deadlift. So you want to follow the recommendations in learning how to reconnect with your core, learn the pressure management and how to engage your core safely after surgery, doing all of those things first. Again, those aren't fun and exciting all the time, but a really important foundation. So with deadlifts, you can work on your setup, work on how and when you're breathing, distributing the pressure in your breath. Is it going all into your belly? Or is it, are you trying to distribute it into your upper ribs and lats more, right? So where you're breathing, all those strategies can make such a difference. Um, obviously staying lighter on the weight will be less pressure in your core. Light is not a specific term. Um, I don't want to, I'm not going to give you a certain percentage, but you want to think extremely light. Because you're also deconditioned and you've lost strength, right? So what you were lifting before, like extremely, extremely light from that. Um, I talked a little bit before about single leg work is a great place to start with some weight. You know, you can load up a little bit more there if you want, um, versus, you know, doing a really heavy deadlift and that will set you up for more of your left. Front squats. Again, just holding weight in the front is core. Just holding it right, so making sure that you are managing the pressure there, um, and not holding your breath yet in that lift is key. So, um, even if you are cleared for direct core work, it is still smart to use pressure distribution techniques. work on building the foundation of your core first before putting on a ton of weight. And then we're looking at upper body lifts. Um, same thing. We're kind of looking at you wanna look at position and breathing, right? So still not doing big breath holds while we're lifting. But if you're doing like a strict press overhead, you're not leaning back a ton. That's just a position thing. So we were just not straining your core when you're leaning back. But you know, you have your ribs down and you're in a stacked position, ribs over pelvis, bench press, something simple like not putting your feet to the ground over the bench. But keeping your feet on the bench because that's a little bit less pressure in your core while you're doing that lift again, you're gonna be light. So yes, you won't have that lower body to help support you as much in the lift, but you shouldn't need it yet. Cause you're just staying light in the beginning. All right, so I think it's also good for us to go over some other tips that you can use when getting started with indirect core work. So number one is don't hold your breath. We've kind of talked about this already, but we don't want you holding your breath. Now, it is possible to hold your breath and be fine. It is possible that you're not increasing pressure and you're not producing more strain to your muscles by holding your breath. But what can happen is in some cases, holding your breath can lead to something called bearing down or bearing out where pressure on the inside of your abdomen is pushing out on your abdominal wall from the inside or down into your pelvic floor. So that's why we really don't recommend holding breath. Even though it's possible that you might still be okay. If you do just avoid it for now, especially when you're early post op. Absolutely. And I think too, as they're healing, right. I mean, they're like, I know I had a lot of like pelvic floor pressure. I wasn't used to having for a little bit of time after surgery. There's just a lot going on. Right. So you just want to set yourself up in the best possible scenario of supporting everything as well as you could, like, could you and be fine. Sure. But like, Just don't do it because it's better to set yourself up to feel as good as you can, right? Yeah, yeah. So that's why we want you to get into the habit of not holding your breath during an exercise, um, because it is a strategy that can sort of feel comfortable, uh, especially when you're first starting off with exercise post op. Number two is learn how to engage your core properly and appropriately. So what we mean by this is by learning how to specifically engage your transverse abdominus muscle, which is responsible for pulling in the abdomen drawing in the abdomen, and this motion of this inwards motion of the The abdomen can really protect against raises and rises of intra abdominal pressure. And so that's why it's kind of good to know how to do that and have practice with that before going into just exercise in general, because there may be some movements like a front squat or even, um, If you're doing any kind of overhead movement where you might feel a little bit vulnerable in your core and for you to just know how to kind of draw in the abdomen beforehand, you can use that when you're kind of practicing and exploring other movements outside of the core. So learn how to engage your core. We cover this in really full detail in our program, but just an overview and at a glance, it's where you practice drawing in the lower abdomen, the middle abdomen, the upper abdomen, and releasing it and just seeing how it feels. And you want to do that in different positions. Positions that you will be exercising in in the future. So it could be in standing in sitting in lying on your side or on your hands and knees. So you really want to get comfortable with this. It's not that we're asking you to fully brace or pull in aggressively. It's just a gentle activation, which is likely less than what you're probably already doing in your day to day activities, like getting out of a car or even just lifting a light grocery bag up a few steps. So we're not talking about intense activation, just the knowledge, the mind body knowledge of how to draw in the abdomen is a simple technique that you can use. And it's very beneficial for you. Very beneficial. And as you, sorry to cut you off, but as you go through The, the goal of this is eventually you're not going to always have to be thinking about all this stuff, right? Like that's our, the goal is we're doing this now. So later you're just doing stuff, right? But in the beginning that mind body connection, like you're just disconnected, like things are in different spots. So it's in, it's intense, right? And I don't think people talk about that enough. So, so it'll help you feel safer in your core, in your body when you're venturing outside and doing other movements. Um, and then number three is what we call building your foundation. So this means going back to all the basics and seeing how your body responds on a physical level, on a mental level, on an emotional level to doing some gentle exercises. So for example, if you're trying to get back to powerlifting and machines and going to the gym and, and, or doing, wanting to get back to bootcamp classes, or maybe even just squatting with some weights, the black, the best place to start is by connecting to the movement without the weights, slowing it down and again, just seeing how your body responds to that'. Some additional helpful tips here would be if the exercise typically involves moving quickly, then do it slowly. Um, if the exercise is already a bit slow, like maybe a squat, you're not really doing it at a fast tempo. You can slow it down even more if you like. Um, if an exercise involves dynamic movements in different planes, break it down and just do a single plane movement first. If an exercise involves upper and lower body movements together, combined again, break it down and work on those things in isolation. Um, if an exercise is done on a machine, try it off the machine, or you could try it on the machine, but with no weights. And if you love Olympic style lifting, and that's what you're trying to get back to again, break it down, break down the positions of those lifts and work on that work on holding those positions without the weight. So, essentially, you're just starting from the easiest form of any exercise that you do. You can make any exercise easier. So this kind of exploration of various movements and seeing how your body responds and seeing how you respond mentally and emotionally as well. Like if there's any anxiety that kind of pops up, this might last a few weeks, but it's a very important thing to go through. It's a process to go through. And, um, this is what we mean by setting up the foundation, building up your foundation. Absolutely. I think. I felt so deeply when you said at the very beginning of this about mentally, physically, and emotionally like testing out the movements, right? Like core is life. And so you get back to these things that you were doing before and it can just be more than the physical. Right. And so a lot of times some of this, you know, core reconnection stuff, it helps you mentally feel in control again, feel connected, um, because it can be real emotional when you get back to stuff and it's just like, oh, this doesn't feel good. Like, it can be really frustrating, sad, scary. Um, you can feel angry, I mean all kinds of things. So I just really felt that and how important that sentence was that you said. So um, a couple few takeaways that are key, um, is clarify what no direct core work means. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Ask your surgeon what they specifically mean when they say no direct core work. It can vary widely and understanding their exact recommendations helps you avoid any unnecessary restrictions because we do want to get you moving as much as you can for many reasons. You'll feel better mentally and emotionally Um, your core is engaged in everything you do from getting off the couch to walking to exercising, so it's not about avoiding your core, but we want you to be using it intentionally and pragmatically while respecting your healing process. Not going too quickly either. Not all exercises are created equal. Exercise labeled, exercise that are labeled direct or indirect core work can vary significantly in how much they challenge your core. For example, planks can generate more intra abdominal pressure than crunches, depending on the individual. and the technique used. So always assess what feels safe and manageable for you. There's many layers to it. Yes, and a couple more takeaways here. So, again, um, we have said this before, but ask your surgeon about specific exercise progressions. So, if you're not allowed to do something like the dead bug exercise, ask if you can do heel slides and work up to dead bugs over time. You need to bring enough information with you to your appointments so you can get that clarity from your surgeon. So bringing in exercise pictures or even videos on your phone, those will be crucial for you. And then focus on pressure management. So learn how to manage intra abdominal pressure. And I know we say this a lot in, um, our episodes, and we'll probably cover this in great detail in another episode. But, essentially you want to know what pressure feels like in your core after you've had your surgery, and you want to see if you are using pressure in a way that pushes it out into your abdomen on the, from the inside or down. You want to avoid those two scenarios. So, and those are things you can, you can do. And using your breath by exhaling, not holding your breath is one way to manage pressure. There are more. And again, we do cover a lot of this in our tummy top core rehab program, but. We do know that all of this can be so confusing still. Um, and so if you do want a bit more clarity and more guidance on how to actually get back to using your core safely and rebuilding it, and you just want to know that you're doing it safely, well, definitely check out the tummy tuck core rehab program that we have designed, um, because it covers all of that. The thing is surgeons aren't trained to guide you through these kinds of specific things, but that's why we're here is we want to bridge that gap for you. Yeah, and another note is really try not to compare your recovery with anyone else's recovery, especially when direct core work may be delayed or different from somebody else's start for that or also, everybody feels very different, right? So it can also depend on how you're feeling, But it can be hard not to compare. But there is a drastic spectrum in the surgery with healing surgeons guidelines. As you can see, there's a lot of gray areas, what we talked about today. So make sure you don't get in the comparison game with others. I know that was a little bit hard for me. I was anxious to get back to doing what I wanted to do. But, um, very, very important, both mentally and physically to make sure that you're in a good place. Okay. So as you can see, being clear to exercise while avoiding direct core work, isn't always clear cut. And additionally, your body is healing in ways that feel unfamiliar. So without a plan or guidance, it is still easy to feel confused and even discouraged. So we just want to acknowledge that that could be where you're at right now or it could be a scenario that you find yourself in after you've had the surgery. But the good news here is that you don't have to figure it all out if you are hoping to have more guidance and clarity around all this. That's exactly why we created our resource like the tummy tuck core rehab program. It's again, just to bridge that gap between surgery and then getting back to all the activities and exercises that you love doing while also following your surgeon's recovery guidelines. Yeah. Remember, recovery is a journey, not a race. With the right knowledge, a clear plan and patience, you can rebuild your strength and confidence safely and effectively slow as fast. So you've got this and we're here to support you every step of the way. See you next time Wow. That was a real deep conversation. So if you have been told no direct core work in your return to exercise journey, and you were scratching your head with that, we do hope that this episode provided some clarity, cleared up some of the mystery there and gave you some tools to navigate it with, with more confidence. Remember your core is always working in everything you do again from getting up out of bed, picking up groceries. So you can't avoid it. And actually it's not about avoiding your core. It's about being intentional and strategic in how you use it. Yes. Um, if this episode has resonated with you, do us a favor, share it with a friend or a loved one who's going through your own recovery journey. We're so passionate about getting as much information out to help people as possible. And if you haven't already. Hit that subscribe button so you don't miss the episode, the next episode of Tummy Tuck Talk. Thanks for joining us today. And as always, thanks for letting us be a part of your journey. Bye for now.