How to Ski After Hernia Surgery

Hernias are an often painful injury where tissues or organs are pushed out into a rupture in the area of the hernia. The abdomen is the most common area for hernias to occur, but they can also happen in the groin and spine. Surgery is usually needed to fix a hernia, and the recovery period can vary greatly, depending on the type of surgery done. With newer, minimally invasive techniques that repair a hernia with mesh, the recovery is much quicker.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check with your surgeon before skiing to see if healing has progressed enough to allow to resume activity. Make sure you are honest with the surgeon about any issues you feel you have with your condition.

    • 2

      Start your return to skiing slowly. You should plan to ski moderate terrain your first few times out to test the efficacy of your recovery from hernia surgery.

    • 3

      Listen to your body before progressing to harder slopes. Try to find steeper intermediate runs before going to the expert slopes to see how your body responds. Don't try to rush the recovery process, as you can reinjure the hernia if you try to return to full skiing too quickly.

    • 4

      Work on your technique, and consider taking a lesson to correct any problems, especially with the upper body. Advanced skiers keep their upper bodies quiet and ski with their legs; avoid over-rotating with your shoulder and putting stress on the abdomen.