Establishing a workout routine after weight loss surgery is a major factor that affects the long-term success of your weight loss journey. Regular exercise will help you recover faster, reach your weight loss goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. No matter what your activity level was prior to surgery, we recommend working with your physician and fitness professionals to establish an exercise plan to meet your unique needs and abilities.
The Benefits of Exercise After Weight Loss Surgery
We can’t stress enough the importance of developing an exercise routine after surgery. Regular exercise leads to measurable improvements in weight loss and better overall health. Setting attainable goals and gradually increasing your daily activity level post-surgery has many benefits including:
- Maintaining weight loss
- Improving circulation
- Strengthening your heart and bones
- Increasing your metabolic rate
- Developing muscle strength and endurance
- Improving blood sugar control
- Relieving stress
- Improving your mood
When To Start Working Out After Surgery
Patients can typically begin very light exercise within the first week after surgery. We understand that this can seem like a daunting task to take on so soon, but once cleared by your surgeon, the sooner you begin being active, the better.
The important thing to remember is to start small and set realistic goals. No one expects you to come straight out of surgery and run a marathon. Focus on adding activities to your daily routine that will encourage you to increase your heart rate, improve flexibility and build endurance.
Starting Your Post-Op Workout Routine
Week 1 – Week 4 Post-Op: Take this time to focus on getting back into the routine of your normal everyday activities. You should not lift anything over 10 pounds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be active. Need to do the dishes? Try washing them by hand, so you have to stay standing longer. If you have stairs in your home, walk up and down them a few extra times each day to get your heart rate up.
Set a goal to walk for a certain amount of time and then push yourself to walk a little longer each day. Slowly increasing your daily activity level right after weight loss surgery will help you build up stamina and add more active habits in your daily life.
After 4 Weeks Post-Op: Each patient is different, but at four weeks post-op you should be cleared to perform most, if not all, exercises. This is when you can really start ramping up your workout routine and begin exploring different types of exercises to find what you like best.
Walking is a great option, but can be hard on your joints. If that’s the case for you, swap a few days of walking for a few days spent in the pool. Water activities, like aerobics, are typically lower impact and can be a fun new way to stay active.
The important thing to remember throughout your weight loss journey, is that you are not alone. It is easy to get discouraged at times, but there are great resources to help you along the way. We’ve found that patients who seek out support, follow an exercise routine and stick to a healthy diet are far more likely to lose the weight and keep it off.
Learn More About Post-Op Exercise from Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery
Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is a caring group of professionals who specialize in all types of bariatric surgery. Our surgeon Dr. Jay Long has highly specialized training in bariatric surgery, having completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he focused on taking care of patients that are morbidly obese. And we are so proud of our pricing that we publish the costs right on the front page of our website! Insurance won’t pay? We have a variety of financing options we can offer you so that you are able to get the healthy body you’ve wanted for years. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907.
