10 years ago I had a hysterectomy. I had some time to wait because I was anemic and they wanted me to try to get my hematocrit up before surgery. At the time I was nordic tracking. While I was waiting for surgery I increased my tracking time by 20%. I had an abdominal "bikini" incision, uterus and both ovaries removed. When I was discharged I asked if there were any activity restrictions and was told not to pick up anything over 5 lbs, so 3 days after I got home I started Nordic tracking again. I did move the pad you lean against up so it was above my waist line and only went for a quarter of the time pre-op and gradually increased. Every day I walked the dog until he started to pull for home. When it was time for my sutures to come out, I walked the 7 miles to the MD's office, and back home. I went back to work 4 weeks post op. Since my unofficial job title is "dog wrestler" I did spend some time at the gym getting my strength back, but 8 weeks post-op I was picking up 80 lb dogs again. I've recently read some articles that suggest that people that are active, or become more active in the weeks before surgery, recover faster. I believe it. You might find the saddle a little uncomfortable the first month, so take shorter rides. Good luck with your surgery.