Preparing to Swim After a Hysterectomy
“It is best not to swim in chlorinated or any water before getting clearance from your doctor,” Roberts says.
Swimming can be a complicated activity to resume post-op, as bodies of water often contain chemicals or bacteria that can hinder recovery. Additionally, the exercise itself requires use of the core and legs.
Bales says to be certain your body is ready to return to swimming. "The first step in even thinking about returning to swimming post-op is that your stitches have to be healed, and you should not have any blood or discharge coming from any part of the body," she says. "This could take a month or more. Every person is different."
Remain in close contact with your surgeon and care team after the surgery to determine when your stitches and internal tissues are healed to the point where swimming is okay. You may even want to create a week-by-week plan for recovery from the hysterectomy with your care team.
Building Strength on Land
From a strength perspective, it is important to work on reengaging the core and pelvic floor, which are the muscles inside your pelvis that help lift and support your internal organs, to be strong enough to support your legs and body during a swim.
"To begin strengthening the core post-op, I recommend starting with one part of the body and building from there," Bales says. "With swimming, you are going to want to feel strong outside the water before you will truly be able to feel strong in the water."
This process may involve working with a pelvic floor physical therapist who specializes in core and pelvic floor strengthening and rehabilitation.
Getting Into the Pool
After you have received clearance from your surgeon that your stitches and wounds are healed enough to be submerged in water (which could take a month or more) and you have engaged in core and pelvic floor rehab (which could take many weeks or even months), you may begin thinking about returning to the water.
"Swimming in chlorinated water is generally much safer than ocean or lake water from an infection standpoint," Roberts says. "The body may encounter certain infectious organisms in water, such as E. coli or norovirus, but these organisms are less likely to survive in chlorinated water."
Roberts adds that your surgeon may permit pool swimming at six weeks post-op and then open-water swimming approximately eight weeks after surgery to allow for total healing and limit the likelihood of infection.
From a strength perspective, Bales recommends a segmented approach to returning to a full freestyle stroke. "Starting with an exercise such as kicking with a kickboard, where the kickboard is held close to the chest so you aren't stretching out your arms or torso too much, is a great place to reintroduce yourself to the water," she says. "Kicking across the pool will give you a good idea of how your core stability and propulsion are, because you will need to balance to keep the kickboard close to your chest."
You should not feel any pulling, cramping, or other pain in the area of the stitches as you do this exercise. If you do feel pain, it is best to stop and consult with your care team.
Once kicking is comfortable and natural, Bales advises incorporating arm movements. "Make sure that as you reincorporate arm movements, especially with freestyle, you are not experiencing any pulling sensations near your stitches or surgery area as you reach forward in the swim stroke," Bales says.
You may want to wear fins or a swim buoy when first reintroducing arm movements to your swim stroke. This equipment will help support the legs and core, making it easier to focus on the arms and upper body.
"After you've tackled the lower and upper body separately, you can begin combining the two and progress from there," Bales says. "Work with your care team to prescribe a daily training focus and take ownership of that postsurgical journey."
