Return to Exercise & Loading
Return to Exercise & Loading
Because getting strong again is not reckless… it’s recovery done right
There’s a myth that after a hysterectomy you have to tiptoe through life forever, that lifting, stretching, or running might “undo” your surgery… That’s outdated.
Your body is built to heal, adapt, and respond. The key is to move early, move wisely, and build at a pace that matches how you feel, not what the calendar says.
Modern research from Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs shows that early movement (gentle walking, breathing, and mobility) actually helps reduce pain, fatigue, and complications while supporting mood and confidence.
Staying still for weeks doesn’t make you safer, it just slows you down.
Understanding the Recovery Curve
Phase 1: Reconnect and Recover
Focus on comfort, rest, and gentle circulation.
Short walks (even to the bathroom or around the room) are encouraged as soon as you feel steady. Standing up, walking a few steps, and deep breathing all count.
Use relaxed breathing to reconnect your diaphragm and pelvic floor. They’re a team. Inhale and let your ribs and belly soften. Exhale and feel a gentle lift through your centre.
Women who start gentle walking and breathing within 24–48 hours tend to recover faster, with less pain and anxiety.
Healing isn’t linear or identical. The best guide is your own body.
Think of recovery as overlapping phases, not fixed weeks or rules.
Phase 2: Reintroduce Natural Movement
As you feel stronger, start returning to normal daily activities, making tea, gentle tidying, short outdoor walks, or light upper-body stretches.
There’s no benefit in avoiding daily life if it feels comfortable. In fact, getting back to natural movement supports blood flow, mood, and strength.
Evidence shows that resuming day-to-day activities based on your own comfort does not increase complications and can improve confidence and pelvic health.
Phase 3: Build Capacity
When daily life feels easy and symptom-free, begin light strength and stability work.
Think of this as teaching your body that load is safe, not testing your limits.
Great starting moves include:
Supported squats or wall sits
Bridges coordinated with calm breathing
Standing heel raises
Seated band rows or light band presses
If you feel heaviness, pressure, sharp pulling, or leaking, pause and scale back. That’s your body giving feedback, not failing.
Research shows that re-introducing low-load resistance early (rather than waiting for months) does not increase the risk of prolapse or delayed healing.
Phase 4: Return to Fitness and Impact
When your strength, breath control, and pelvic floor feel steady, you can start layering in the activities you love, walking longer, swimming, Pilates, yoga, cycling, or gym work.
Running or impact can return when:
You can walk briskly without heaviness or leaking
You have no scar or pelvic pain
You can contract and relax your pelvic floor comfortably
Your hips and trunk feel stable
If these aren’t there yet, that’s fine, it’s not “no,” just “not yet.”
A pelvic health physio can guide you back step by step.
By around three months, most women report 80–90% recovery in daily function, and by a year over 90% are back to full activity.
Start with the Basics
Walk daily. Little and often counts. Build up gradually and rest when needed.
Breathe fully. Calm breathing supports your pelvic floor and helps your body relax.
Stretch gently. Hips, back, chest, and shoulders all appreciate slow, easy movement.
Posture matters. After surgery, we often hunch forward. It’s a natural, protective posture, guarding your scar and making you feel safer. But staying there keeps the front of your body closed, limits breathing, and can hold tension.
Try gently stacking your ribs over your hips. Think tall, not rigid.
This opens your chest, allows deeper breath, and often gives an instant boost in confidence. It’s both physical and emotional recovery.
Even 10 minutes of comfortable walking early on improves bowel and bladder function, reduces pain, and lifts mood.
When to Hold Back
Building Strength Gradually
When cleared by your surgeon or pelvic health physio, start layering in light strengthening, slow, controlled, confident movements.
Try:
Wall sits or supported squats
Bridges with slow breathing
Seated or standing band rows
Light dumbbell or band presses
Standing heel raises
You’re not “training hard,” you’re re-teaching your body trust.
Consistency, not intensity, builds recovery.
Returning to normal daily loads and gentle strength early, helps women feel stronger and more confident without added risk.
What About Impact?
Running, jumping, and other impact activities are not off the table. They just belong later - when your core and pelvic floor can manage the load.
You’re ready to test impact when:
You have no leaking or heaviness
No pain around your scar or pelvis
You can contract and release your pelvic floor comfortably
You feel strong and stable through your hips and trunk
If not yet, that’s okay. It’s not “never,” it’s “not yet.”
Your pelvic health physio can build a personalised path back to impact.
Call your team or ease up if you notice:
Vaginal heaviness or dragging
Leaking during exercise
Sharp or pulling pain around your incision
Increased fatigue or bleeding after workouts
These are signs your body is asking for more recovery time or a gentler approach.
Rebuild with Support
This is the perfect time to work with professionals who understand female rehabilitation.
A pelvic health physiotherapist or qualified postnatal or surgical recovery trainer can guide you through load progression, breathing strategies, and core work.
If motivation is low, find a friend to walk with or use an app that tracks progress.
Every step counts…literally.
The Big Picture
Returning to exercise isn’t about getting your body back - it’s about giving your body back its power.
Movement helps you reconnect, rebuild, and rediscover what you can do.
There’s no finish line… just progress, patience, and pride in every small win.
Most women feel mostly recovered within three months and fully recovered by a year.
When you’re ready, explore our Menopause & Long-Term Health page to see how staying strong supports your bones, heart, and hormones for years to come.
Evidence Summary
Everything on this page is based on current research and clinical guidelines for recovery after hysterectomy and pelvic surgery.
Our approach is guided by:
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols: Encouraging early, gentle movement to reduce pain, fatigue, and complications.
RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) and NICE guidelines: Recommending gradual, comfort-led return to normal activities.
Cochrane Reviews (2020–2023): Confirming that early mobility and pelvic floor retraining improve recovery and confidence without increasing risk.
Recent physiotherapy and exercise science studies: Showing that low-load strength work and progressive movement safely rebuild muscle, bone, and pelvic health after surgery.
This isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about healing smarter, using evidence that supports women’s real recovery journeys.