UOAA Discussion Board

I joined a gym several months ago. I've been enjoying the weight machines but two of them are abdominals. I started light and am not attempting to push myself but I realized I ought to check out whether I'm playing with fire.

Of the two machines, one is a sitting crunch. The other is an abdominal twist. I'm using enough weight that I feel I'm working but not so much I'm suffering during or after.

The ileo was done in 1973, revision for a small hernia (nothing bulging) in 2010. I also had gall bladder removed a year ago.

I'm not aiming for a six pack but I'm thinking maintaining good ab muscles, and good muscles in general, is something I should do while preparing to hit 60 in several months. So far the ileostomy isn't doing anything peculiar and the only pain issue I had was doing something to my lower back (nowhere near the Ostomy) on the abdominal twist, where I was sitting tender for a bit. When I change, I also look for visual changes and I poke around to ensure the muscle still attached (that was how the surgeon diagnosed hernia in 2009 -- he poked his finger into chronic tender spot I thought I developed by pushing on flange too hard in changes and YEOUCH!)

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is whether it's good to go as I'm going, both exercising and keeping cautious against trouble, or if I ought to drop the ab machines.

You need to take this up with your doctor as we are not qualified to give medical advice.

However I'm sure you would not want a hernia reappearing again especially around a stoma as that can really mess with your wafer adhesion.

You might have some other back issues as well in my opinion as I have the same, I can't twist and pickup anything or it throws my back out.

Good luck!

By the way, try oil free eye makeup remover as an adhesive remover, it works great. Just use a little bit of soap and water afterwards to clean any of it off, leaves the skin squeaky clean and gives excellent adhesion.