Slow recovery and pain after hernia surgery when returning to exercise

[WorryWife]

I’m really annoyed and need some help.

i started working out around a year ago and since i had a small hernia decided to get it fixed as it was limiting a lot of exercises I couldn’t do. I had the surgery open one with no mesh as the hernia was around 1 cm end of February and I returned slowly to exercising I started really light bodyweight work around 4-5 weeks after. The thing is it’s going so slow! Last week I decided to do some Pilates and did some dead bug and little leg raises and since then it’s been 4 days I’m in slight pain and haven’t done anything.

Before that a couple of weeks ago we were in the park and I played a bit of football with my child - again was in pain for a couple of days.

so it seems every time I start exercising I’m failing and resting for days, then starting slowly again and at some point I irritate it again.

now I’m even wondering whether I have recurrence as the pain is not going away :(

does anyone have any experience with hernia recovery and what am I doing so wrong?

i feel so sad and deflated, I was strength training 5 times a week before the surgery, even bought 6 kg dumbbells which for me was a huge milestone as I started with 2 kg and doing core work almost every day … now I sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself :D

Not hernia surgery, but abdominal surgery. It takes ages to get your strength back. Walking is good, and upper body strength (with really light weights, as you use your core to lift). You just need to ease back
in and give yourself some grace. Ballet barre is another good one (but modify the core work). I also found core exercises for post-caesarean women were helpful, as they target post-abdominal surgery areas gently.

Thank you, I have 2 csections but after giving birth didn’t pay much attention to the pain so don’t even remember what it was like :)