How Pilates Rebuilt My Core 2 Years After Abdominal Surgery
After abdominal surgery, getting your core strength back is not impossible; in fact, you can come back even stronger than ever! It will take some hard work and determination, but it’s feasible and well worth it!
I recently passed the two-year mark after my abdominal surgery that removed over a dozen fibroids, and I’ve been reflecting on those two years – two years that included some of the hardest moments of my life. While I’ve finally hit my stride once again, one of the things that was really bugging me at the beginning of the year, but that has changed over the past few months, has been my lack of core strength.
Pre-surgery, I was powerlifting and was the strongest I’d ever been – including my time playing Division I volleyball in college. Post-surgery, my core had never felt weaker. In fact, there were times when my core felt absent.
I remember one day, a couple of weeks after surgery, I was being especially hard-headed and decided to completely defy my doctor’s orders. You see, I was told that I should not try to lift anything more than 5-10 pounds a couple of weeks after surgery, which just sounded completely ridiculous to me. I could deadlift more than my bodyweight. 5-10 pounds is nothing. Well, boy, was I wrong. It was like handing a kettlebell to a newborn and telling it to try Turkish get-ups. Yikes. Lesson learned!
As the weeks and months went by, I was able to start physically lifting much heavier weights again, but my core strength still seemed practically nonexistent. This was leading to struggles with my physical yoga practice, posture, and balance. The harsh reality was this: While the physical wounds had healed and my largest fibroids were gone after abdominal surgery, the core I knew, the one that allowed me to lift heavy, progress in calisthenics, and stand tall and balanced, was still essentially damaged.
For months after abdominal surgery, fear ruled much of my movement. Every dismount from the spin bike, deep squat, and certainly every attempt at an abdominal exercise, was met with a protective, anxious brace. I often wondered: Would I ever get my core strength back?
To his credit, my personal trainer helped me start getting my strength back, and the fear and anxiety began to dissipate. Frustration, however, loomed over me like a dark cloud. I refused to be resigned to having a weak core forever! And so, I kept my head down and worked at it.
Despite my best efforts, a year went by, and while there was marked progress from post-surgery, I still had a long way to go. I needed something that would get my transverse abdominis working effectively again, so I decided to go back into my fitness bag of tricks. That search led me back to an old favorite of mine: Pilates.
A fun fact about me is that I’ve done pilates workouts for years. In fact, I used to work out to my mom’s Denise Austin videos to add in some workouts at home. I cursed Denise Austin to the high heavens, but that woman knew what she was doing! I guess you could say I was in a bit of a bad romance with her at that time, but it worked! (Apparently, nobody in my family knew I was doing this, as I mentioned it briefly a couple of weeks ago, and everyone was surprised!)
Time Out: I’m Going to Do Pilates Teacher Training?
Coincidentally, a conversation was being had on Threads about the lack of diversity amongst pilates teachers. In the midst of this conversation, a friend of mine who owns a pilates studio in Brooklyn offered me a free mat pilates teacher training. I was shocked, elated, and extremely grateful.
Let me tell you: If you are ever unsure about your core strength, go through pilates teacher training, and you’ll find out where you stand pretty quickly!
Needless to say, I learned so much during my training and got to put my core through the wringer (which was much-needed), which was exactly what I was looking for.
The Turning Point: Hundreds of Pilates Hundreds
Once I finished my training, I decided to start small with my mission to get my core strength back. Starting small meant I could be consistent, utilizing the concept of SMART goals. My plan began with a daily dose of the Pilates hundreds. I would modify as needed until I could do a more advanced version, and I would do it every day – even if I had to do it in my pajamas and right on top of my bed!
It was tough at first, maintaining that abdominal scoop without my neck hurting or my powerhouse getting tired before hitting 100, but just like those days on the family room floor with Denise Austin speaking softly to me, I suffered through it. I knew it was going to make a difference, and make a difference it did!
It was frustratingly difficult at first. That feeling of disconnect was real; it was hard to send the message “engage” to the muscles around the incision. But within just a few days, something shifted. I noticed a new resilience, not just in my abdominal muscles, but critically, in my pelvic floor.
That immediate feedback — that I was building strength and control safely — was the most motivating thing I could have asked for. The exercise that had felt like climbing a mountain on Monday felt like a hill by Friday.
Why Is Pilates So Popular?
Some people feel like Pilates works miracles on their bodies, helping them become stronger, heal more quickly, and even align with their aesthetic goals. The real magic of Pilates isn’t in what you can do on the mat (or how you look in the process), but in what it allows you to do in your life. The changes for me weren’t just aesthetic; they were functional and profound:
- Improved Posture: My core was finally supporting my body again, meaning my stabilizer muscles in my shoulders and upper back were no longer overcompensating. The tightness I had carried for two years melted away, and my posture immediately and dramatically improved. I noticed I was standing taller and experiencing far less compression in my lower back.
- Rising with Ease: The seemingly simple act of getting up out of bed, which had become a lot harder post-surgery, requiring awkward rolling and bracing, became smooth, seamless, and pain-free.
- Overall Fitness Improvement: Getting a stronger “powerhouse” and taking away pain in my upper body helped improve my fitness in general. Push-ups became easier, as did exercises like squats and deadlifts; my lower back hurt a lot less at the end of a night of volleyball, and even sitting at my desk at home, working for hours on end became less painful overall.
Beyond the Mat: Pilates to Powerlifting
Gaining core strength wasn’t just about feeling better in my daily life; it was about opening the door to my next fitness goal.
One of the greatest lessons from my certification journey was mastering lateral breathing. This deep, 360-degree engagement allows the ribcage to expand sideways without a deep expansion in the belly. This deep engagement was the foundation I desperately needed, particularly when it came to my heavy-lifting game. My trainer would give me cues like telling me to breathe into my squat belt when performing back squats, and I just… didn’t get it.
Now, two years out, with a stabilized pelvic floor and a core I can implicitly trust, I’m not just healing, but ready for a new challenge. The foundational strength I built on the mat finally gave me the green light to pick up those heavy weights again. I can confidently return to powerlifting, knowing that my core is finally strong enough to handle the intensity of squats and deadlifts without fear of injury to my back or anything else!
My post-surgical core is now, without question, stronger and more resilient than it was in even a few years before the operation. Pilates wasn’t a workout; it was part of the language of healing that allowed me to trust my body again. (Yoga, of course, played an integral role as well.)
If you’re reading this and dealing with your own post-surgical recovery, please know that patience and consistency are your greatest tools. The recovery timeline may not be speedy or even linear, but your body is capable of incredible things.
Don’t rush into aggressive workouts just because you “used to” be able to do them. Your body today is different from your body then. As I tell my classes, your today body is even different from your yesterday body!
Instead, start small, listen to the quiet messages your body is sending, and focus on the integrity of every movement. For me, the mat was the compass that helped guide me back to my strength, transforming a feeling of disconnection into a profound sense of empowerment.
I hope my journey encourages you to find your own path back to feeling strong, confident, and whole.
