Many people feel comfortable returning to sport such as golf and tennis around 6 weeks after hernia surgery.
If you are considering a hernia repair, one of the most frequent questions is: how long will it take to recover from hernia surgery? Every person’s body is different, but most people return to light daily activities within a week and but lifting and full strength takes a little longer. As a good rule of thumb based on wound healing studies. There is no strength in the repair for 2 weeks, 50% at 4 weeks and 80% at 6 weeks. 80% is enough to be able to do almost anything you routinely did before surgery. After 6 weeks the wound strength increases further, but slowly over the next 6 months and never quite achieves 100%. Our hernia recovery programme is designed to protect your repair while you get back to activity. You can carry on using the hernia pants if returning to weightlifting and heavier activities at work or leisure till you feel confident that they are not needed.
The below timeline is what we would typically expect for our patients after a hernia repair using local anaesthesia and sedation alongside our hernia recovery package: As we are all different, we cannot give a clear timeline, but a general indication is possible based on what we know about wound healing.
Expect bruising and swelling – this is normal! Wearing our recommended Hernia Support Garments for at least 48 hours helps reduce bruising and swelling. Movement is essential; short walks and early mobility help prevent stiffness and soreness.
Patients can shower from day one and drive after 10–14 days (The law says you cannot drive unless you can make an emergency stop). Light household tasks are fine, but you should avoid lifting anything heavier than a small shopping bag in each hand (up to 5kg each).
From Day 2 post-surgery, you can start gentle abdominal exercises such as our Hernia Rehabilitation Exercise videos. During the first 1-2 weeks after surgery, these exercises help boost blood flow to your repair and improve wound healing.
You can introduce gentle aerobic exercises like swimming (once the wound is healed, usually after your dressings come off at day 12), running, exercise classes, Yoga, Pilates, or Tai Chi.
From 4-6 weeks until around 6 months post-surgery, your scar tissue During this period, our Hernia Rehabilitation Exercises help influence a more flexible scar and more comfortable repair long-term.
The exercises increase in difficulty with each video. The key is to build up gradually – comfort is your guide, and you should never push yourself to the point of pain. Please do not make it a competition to get to the end. , and that is okay! By 4 weeks you will feel well, but you need to carry on being careful particularly with lifting heavy objects. When you do return to lifting, remember to lift using your legs and not your trunk to avoid exerting too much pressure on your repair.
Most post-surgery problems arise from simple activities such as gardening. Don’t forget – you’ve just had surgery and should be careful lifting, pushing and moving things in the first 6-8 weeks.
Heavier lifting and high-intensity sports should wait until at least 8 weeks. Even then, increase weights slowly (higher reps and lower weight gets the same result as big weights and few reps) and use proper lifting technique.
By 3 months, your repair has regained full strength, but your scar continues to remodel (“organise”) for up to another 12 months. We recommend using our Hernia Rehabilitation Exercises 3 times a week for 6 months.
