Concept2 Forum

I am a 23 year old male and just had a hernia surgery. I was wondering if rowing is BAD for your lower adbomen area and if rowing can actually increase your chances of developing a hernia or a reoccurance?

I had an inguinal hernia operation a few years back. From what I've been told, you inherit the tendency. There are indeed certain physical activities and movements that can aggravate or accelerate the development of a hernia (for example, lifting heavy objects improperly). But I don't think that erging or on-water rowing falls into this category. My surgeon OKd me to return to erging just weeks after the surgery and said it would actually strengthen my lower abdominal/groin area muscle wall.

Thanks for the response, yes mine too was a right sided inguinal hernia. I was wondering though, I haven't started rowing since surgery (about 2 months post-op now). I feel fine pretty much in that area, was just wondering, where you started rowing again after surgery, did you have to take it very slow and easy for a while or could you get right back into rowing pretty quickly?<br><br>(I still don't think I know how to lift properly, dont' they say when you lift object to keep your back straight up and down and just bend your knees and basically lift with your thigh muscles? is rowing pretty much the same position)?<br>

<!--QuoteBegin-squale+Nov 17 2004, 06:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (squale @ Nov 17 2004, 06:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I was wondering though, I haven't started rowing since surgery (about 2 months post-op now).  I feel fine pretty much in that area, was just wondering, where you started rowing again after surgery, did you have to take it very slow and easy for a while or could you get right back into rowing pretty quickly?<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br>Squale - In June of 2001 I had a double inguinal hernia (both sides). The surgery was recommended/performed by a sports medicine surgeon. He had me rowing again in two weeks at whatever level of effort I felt comfortable with. Looking at my log, I was doing interval sessions 6x500 12 days after the operation. Guess I cheated a little.<br>MM

The surgeon put a piece of plastic mesh into the right inguinal area, so once the surgical incision had healed, I was pretty much good to go (about 5 weeks). Unless your own doctor says otherwise, it sounds like you should be safely past that point.<br><br>As for the intensity, pace, and duration of your workouts, just listen to your own body. Start slowly and you'll soon be back to your pre-surgery performance levels.<br><br>With regards to proper rowing technique, it's obviously important that you learn and practice it. I'd advise you to search the web. You shouldn't have trouble locating recommended rowing and erging technique diagrams and can use those as a guide. If you're using an erg, you can ask for and get a short erging technique video from Concept2.

<!--QuoteBegin-squale+Nov 17 2004, 04:05 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(squale @ Nov 17 2004, 04:05 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am a 23 year old male and just had a hernia surgery.  I was wondering if rowing is BAD for your lower adbomen area and if rowing can actually increase your chances of developing a hernia or a reoccurance? <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />

I am 54, have been rowing since 1989, roughly 5 days a week, I used to row 25 minutes a session...but moved to 30 last summer follwoing a right inguinal hernia. I am rowing as good or better than ever, but just had another hernia in Feb...direct inguinal, left side! While there is definitley a genetic predispostion ot hernias, I am almost certian rowing had an effect. <br /><br />I have also just discovered that I have carpla tunnel syndrome developing...numb and tingling fingers in my sleep. NO Doc has told me yet, but web search seesm to indicate carpal tunnel.<br /><br />Rowing, my entire fitness regimen...addicted to it for 16 years...is taking its toll on me. I broke my hip in a fall 5 years ago so running isn't a good option. (used to run and row)<br /><br />Anyway....rowing for years may prpovide good aerbovi fitness, lean body and good sense of well being, but it also contibutes to aging...wer & tear...not to be discounted, as I am finding out.

did you notice that after you got your right hernia fixed, it developed more pressure on your left side thus eventually causing the left-sided hernia?

Got a hernia just under my belly button lifting an air conditioner up steps. Rowing seems to have no negative effect...

<!--QuoteBegin-Mark R.+Mar 21 2005, 12:09 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Mark R. @ Mar 21 2005, 12:09 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am 54, have been rowing since 1989, roughly 5 days a week, I used to row 25 minutes a session...but moved to 30 last summer follwoing a right inguinal hernia.  I am rowing as good or better than ever, but just had another hernia in Feb...direct inguinal, left side!  While there is definitley a genetic predispostion ot hernias, I am almost certian rowing had an effect. <br /><br />I have also just discovered that I have carpla tunnel syndrome developing...numb and tingling fingers in my sleep.  NO Doc has told me yet, but web search seesm to indicate carpal tunnel.<br /><br />Rowing, my entire fitness regimen...addicted to it for 16 years...is taking its toll on me.   I broke my hip in a fall 5 years ago so running isn't a good option.  (used to run and row)<br /><br />Anyway....rowing for years may prpovide good aerbovi fitness, lean body and good sense of well being, but it also contibutes to aging...wer & tear...not to be discounted, as I am finding out. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Mark,<br />Speaking as an inguinal hernia survivor, I seriously doubt that erging or rowing in general contributes to the formation of hernias. Like most men, I inherited the condition from my father, who had a right inguinal at age 43 and a left in his early 50s, and he never rowed. Like genetic clockwork, I had my right inguinal at age 44. Haven't had my left inguinal yet but am observant of the early symptoms (lump on upper groin muscle with slight pain). If erging contributed to this condition, I'd have had my left one by now.<br /><br />As for erging contributing to wear and tear on the body, I can't think of any aerobic activity or repetitive movement in general that doesn't do some damage. But as I watch my runner friends go in for their fourth knee operation and my bicycling friends recover from broken limbs and bad road rash (and worse), I consider erging to be rather tame on the joints and muscles (if performed properly). And that includes the groin muscles.

<!--quoteo(post=23222:date=Apr 11 2005, 09:16 AM:name=JRBJR)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(JRBJR @ Apr 11 2005, 09:16 AM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteBegin-Mark R.+Mar 21 2005, 12:09 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Mark R. @ Mar 21 2005, 12:09 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am 54, have been rowing since 1989, roughly 5 days a week, I used to row 25 minutes a session...but moved to 30 last summer follwoing a right inguinal hernia.  I am rowing as good or better than ever, but just had another hernia in Feb...direct inguinal, left side!  While there is definitley a genetic predispostion ot hernias, I am almost certian rowing had an effect. <br /><br />I have also just discovered that I have carpla tunnel syndrome developing...numb and tingling fingers in my sleep.  NO Doc has told me yet, but web search seesm to indicate carpal tunnel.<br /><br />Rowing, my entire fitness regimen...addicted to it for 16 years...is taking its toll on me.   I broke my hip in a fall 5 years ago so running isn't a good option.  (used to run and row)<br /><br />Anyway....rowing for years may prpovide good aerbovi fitness, lean body and good sense of well being, but it also contibutes to aging...wer & tear...not to be discounted, as I am finding out.<br /><div align="right"> </div><br /> </td></tr></table><br />Mark,<br />Speaking as an inguinal hernia survivor, I seriously doubt that erging or rowing in general contributes to the formation of hernias. Like most men, I inherited the condition from my father, who had a right inguinal at age 43 and a left in his early 50s, and he never rowed. Like genetic clockwork, I had my right inguinal at age 44. Haven't had my left inguinal yet but am observant of the early symptoms (lump on upper groin muscle with slight pain). If erging contributed to this condition, I'd have had my left one by now.<br /><br />As for erging contributing to wear and tear on the body, I can't think of any aerobic activity or repetitive movement in general that doesn't do some damage. But as I watch my runner friends go in for their fourth knee operation and my bicycling friends recover from broken limbs and bad road rash (and worse), I consider erging to be rather tame on the joints and muscles (if performed properly). And that includes the groin muscles.<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />I'm going to have to agree with Mark. I am 19 years old now, and just had a double inguinal hernia operation last February 2005 after Crash-b. I rowed in high school for 4 years, all on the port side. Consequently, I have chondromalacia patelae in my left knee, the hernia was far worse on the left side (I basically told the doctor to just do both sides while he was doing the left side, because the right was showing signs of wear already), and have had a torn intercostal on the left side. For this reason, I have abandoned sweep rowing. I recommend only erging/sculling.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the hernia. After my surgery, I was out approximately 1 month before resuming working out. My surgery lasted me the rest of the spring season, a tough summer development camp, and this past fall 2005 at a division I rowing school (northeastern). However, I now have pain again in the hernia area, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to have surgery again (which will be a horrendous experience---as you all know, SO painful). The pain in only in the left side, so I will attribute it to all of the port rowing that I had done and continued to do after my first surgery. Bottom line: the body is not a machine, it can not repeat endless repetitions without consequences (wear and tear). Stick with a balanced workout program...because too much of ANYTHING (erging 5 days a week) will eventually take some sort of toll...no matter what. <br />

Booked for surgery 8th of March, obviously much to look forward to <br /><br />George

<!--quoteo(post=56855:date=Feb 23 2006, 07:39 AM:name=george nz)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(george nz @ Feb 23 2006, 07:39 AM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Booked for surgery 8th of March, obviously much to look forward to <br /><br />George<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Good luck George,<br /><br />Hopefully you recover quickly and don,t lose to much fittnes. <br /><br />

I had a left inguinal hernia surgically repaired in the fall of 1996 (I was 24). Since I was relatively young, the surgeon didn't use any mesh. Haven't had any recurrence, and I've been erging since about two months after the surgery. I didn't lift again for over a year, however, and have never gone back to lifting the type of weight I was putting up prior to the surgery. I know some people start exercising again shortly after their surgery, but I had a hard enough time just walking around the house for the first few weeks. To each his own, I guess.<br /><br />I still get occasional "twinges" in the area, and I'm pretty sure that sooner or later my right side is going to go, but I don't think erging or rowing really has anything to do with it. Now, all those heavy squats and all that time on the leg sled when I was training in college probably didn't help, but I stay well clear of those apparati these days!<br /><br />Good luck, and when it comes to recovering, listen to your surgeon and your body.

hmmm. i had two hernias when I was a baby(right and left sides)... i've had no ill effects since then(i think the surgury was 1989ish.