Does Walking Aggravate Inguinal Hernia

An inguinal hernia occurs if part of your organ protrudes through a weak spot or an abnormal opening in the inguinal canal, a passageway through your abdominal wall close to the groin. And there are a few things that can aggravate the condition. How about walking?

To help maintain your overall health, walking may be the closest thing you have to a wonder drug. It is free, practical, and simple way to keep active and burn your calories effectively.

But if you have inguinal hernia, you may think that exercise could be too much of a risk. It’s true that some types of exercise can aggravate hernias. But this doesn’t mean that you have to ignore your exercise and become sedentary! Instead, regular exercise is important to help cope with your hernia – this is especially important if you’re overweight or obese.

As well we know that obesity increases the risk of some types of hernia, including inguinal hernia. Being obese means you have more fatty deposits in your abdominal wall, making hernia more likely to occur. See more why maintaining a healthy body weight is crucial for people with hernias in here!

… Continued …

Walking is a good way to keep your weight off. According to Harvard studies that involved 12,000 participants, those who walked briskly for about 60 minutes per day had a significant decline in the effects of obesity-promoting genes. Another study from the University of Exeter, a 15-minute walk may be helpful enough to curb carving for chocolate and sugary snacks.

Other benefits of walking are as follows:

1. It can help soothe your joint pain. It can also protect your joints by strengthening the muscles that support the joints. This can reduce the risk of arthritis especially for hips and knees, which are most vulnerable to osteoarthritis.
2. To reduce the risk of many other medical conditions such as breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
3. It can be your mood booster, which is essential to help manage your stress and prevent depression.
4. To improve coordination and balance.
5. An immune system booster. People who walked at least 20 minutes per day for most days of the week had 43 percent fewer sick days and stronger immune system than those who exercised less – according to a study in over 1,000 participants.

And of course, walking is low impact in nature, which is beneficial to reduce the risk of strain on your abdominal cavity. Also, it can help improve your core strength. With all these benefits, it’s safe and recommended for most people with inguinal hernias.

You might also like to read the following similar topics:

1. Exercise with inguinal hernia: what to do and what to avoid?
2. What NOT to do to prevent hernias from worsening?

But prior to exercising with a hernia, talk with your doctor first to keep safe. Your doctor may give you specific instructions or restrictions you need to follow. These instructions can vary – typically dependent on the type, size, or severity of the problem!