Building strength is one of the most difficult challenges of recovering from an ostomy surgery. Not only is your body healing from a serious surgery, but you may also be trying to heal from whatever ailment led to your ostomy surgery in the first place. In my case, I was severely malnourished and sick from Crohn’s disease leading up to my surgery, so I had to allow my body to recover some mass before I started building strength. It is also important to strictly follow your doctor’s guidelines when it comes to lifting weights. Do not attempt these exercises without being cleared by your surgeon! One mishap with the ostomy could be a huge setback, so take it slow!
I chose these five exercises because I believe they provide the most value for a person in this situation. They can also be done with a small amount of equipment, so they are more accessible for everyone. After an ostomy surgery, it is key to train your body to work in unison so you can redevelop strength in your core. All these exercises challenge your core without directly targeting your abdominals, which can be too stressful for the ostomy. When you perform these exercises, keep focused on bracing your core and staying strong throughout the movement.
DEADLIFT
My number one choice is of course, the deadlift.
Deadlifting is simply picking something up from the ground, and then placing it back down. The tricky part is making sure you hinge at the hips correctly. This “exercise” should really be thought of as a fundamental part of life more than an exercise. After all, how often do you need to bend down and pick up objects from the floor? I would say, a lot. Many people lose the ability to properly hip hinge properly which can lead to lower back stress and injury.
After my surgery I noticed that I was ‘guarding” my ostomy which led to a forward shoulder hunched posture. This is not great for long term mobility and living a pain free life. The deadlift is great for ostomates in this situation because it works to develop the posterior chain (muscles on the backside of your body) which offsets the slouching position and keeps your trunk strong and stable.
This exercise is perfect for both beginners and advanced. Start with practicing your hip hinge throughout the day without weight. Work up to lifting light dumbbells or kettlebells. One of my deadlift favorites for ostomates is the hex bar, so utilize this beast if you have access to one. Eventually work up to the barbell deadlift, which is one of the most technically difficult exercises. I would suggest mastering the deadlift with the other options before working with the barbell. Always remember that deadlifting is totally safe until your technique fails, and then it becomes a huge injury risk.
OVERHEAD PRESS
Another one of my all-time favorite strength builders, the overhead press. After my ostomy surgery, my core felt especially weak when I had to extend my arms above my head. Maintaining a strong core when reaching up or hanging was one of the most difficult challenges. When you are ready to get back to exercising, properly training the overhead press will help improve your overall strength and core stability. Performing tasks overhead is another fundamental part of life that tends to be neglected. Using this exercise will help to make sure you do not lose your overhead range of motion and strength.
Start off with bands and work on your technique. Eventually move up to free weights and then the barbell. Your lower back should never feel stressed and stay focused on keeping your muscles active when you lockout at the top of the rep. You can even do these reps super slow which will increase the time your core has to support the weight. This is a nice little hack to progress the exercise without adding weight.
FARMER CARRIES
This is going to sound super vague but lifting and carrying heavy objects is one of the best ways to get strong. Because there is an endless amount of shapes and weights to move, farmer carries never lose value. You are also improving your durability and capacity for work, which is key for keeping a core strong enough to support an ostomy. An example of good durability is being able to hike for miles while carrying a heavy backpack. You must have a nice mix of endurance and strength to do this type of activity. Durability is also super important for injury prevention since a lot of injuries occur after fatigue sets in and you lose control of your body. The more durability you possess, the more stress you can withstand.
Start your carries with something lightweight and go for more time or distance. You can gradually work up to carrying heavy objects like sandbags, atlas balls or loaded hex bar. The sweet thing about farmer carries is you always must execute a good deadlift to begin the carry! A good workout to start with is try a 15-minute walk with a dumbbell and try your best to never put the weight down or stop walking. Once again, focusing on posture when you walk is key to training the core.
DEAD HANG & PULLUPS
A similar story as overhead press. Post-surgery, I found that extending overhead to perform a pullup made my abdominals fell extremely uncomfortable. Both exercises are included because you should feel strong with a dead hang before you start performing pullups. At first, try hanging for 10 or 15 seconds at a time. Eventually work up to longer periods and assisted pullups. You can use a band or chair to assist your pullups. You should be focused on quality not quantity and shift your mindset to perfecting the technique of pullups instead of trying to do as many as possible. Therefore, these are best done in small quantities throughout the day and not all at one time.
Prioritize bracing your core and never allow your muscles to release so you are literally dead hanging. The exercise should actually be called an Alive Hang because everything needs to be working in unison to support your hanging weight.
PUSHUPS
Yay, everyone loves pushups. The undisputed king of bodyweight exercises.
I never truly knew the importance of core strength until I tried to perform a pushup after my ostomy surgery. I was sagging in the lower back and could not support myself in plank position. I had to go down to my knees and focus on good technique before I was able to build strength enough to get back to normal ones. Like the pullups, these are best done by accumulation throughout the day. Just bang out a few here and there and keep your core active all day. I suggest starting on your knees and focusing on bracing the core. If you are consistent, you will be up to regular ones in no time.
For more tips on how to exercise with chronic illness, check out my guide below!
MSTB Fitness always recommends that beginners get with a great personal trainer. This is especially true for beginners who are recovering from an ostomy surgery. Reach out for online and in person coaching options!
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