How do I get back to exercise post-surgery?
Note: The information contained in this video is for entertainment and informational purposes only. This is not medical advice and should not be interrupted as such. Always seek medical care and get your doctor's approval before returning to any exercise post-surgery. Consult your doctor if you have questions, concerns or any unusual symptoms during your recovery.
Q: I’m having surgery next month. Do you have any tips for how to get back to exercise afterward?
A: Over the course of my career, I have supported many clients as they prepared for and recovered from surgeries. I consider myself lucky to have been part of their care team.
While the particulars of each surgery recovery are vastly different, here are some general practices to help you return to movement and exercise as smoothly as possible.
1. Get moving as soon as possible, as much as is beneficial.
It takes 2 - 8 weeks for a surgical incision to heal. During the time that your incision is healing, avoid activities that:
Could disrupt the stitches or reopen the wound
Spike your heart rate or create larges changes in blood pressure such cardiovascular exercise or heavy lifting
Put you at risk for falling or other injury
Many people are cleared to return to “light activity” 2 weeks post-surgery. Light activity might include:
Walking
Low intensity cardiovascular exercise
Bodyweight calisthenics such as squats, lunges, planks and push ups
Movements and modalities that you were doing before surgery, performed slower with less intensity, less range of motion and less load
After 6 - 8 weeks is generally when people are cleared to resume all activity, however even if you went into surgery at a high level of fitness, you will be resuming exercise in a deconditioned state, so you don’t expect to jump right back in where you left off. Instead build back in a slow and steady way.
2. Your recovery might take longer than you expected. Prepare for this.
Even if your procedure goes perfectly by-the-book, without any complications, you might be surprised by how tired you feel or by pains that linger longer than anticipated.
A surgery, no matter how “minor,” is a big event for your body and mind. It isn’t unreasonable that it might take you 6 to 12 (or even 18) months to feel fully recovered.
This isn’t to scare you, but to help you set realistic expectations for your healing and help ease the pressure of believing your healing must adhere to a strict timeline.
So, in addition to maintaining an open dialogue with your doctors and care providers, grant yourself a large expanse of patience, tenderness, generosity, and compassion as you heal.
Your body is a dynamic, living process. You can and will heal, it just might take a little longer than anticipated.
3. Develop stress and pain management strategies ahead of time.
There are many breathing, visualization and meditation strategies that you can employ to help soothe pre-surgery anxiety and help mitigate post-surgery pain.
Some examples are:
Inhale for a count of 4, Exhale for a count of 6
Positive Visualization or Guided Imagery
Choose one or two of these techniques and begin practicing these in the weeks and days before your surgery (if you have the luxury of preparation). The more you practice before surgery, the more easily you will turn to these practices when you need them most.
4. Pump your ankles.
One of your calf muscles, the soleus, is often referred to as “the second heart” as it is responsible for pumping oxygen-depleted blood back to your heart.
Ankle pumps are often prescribed post-surgery, particularly for procedures of the lower body, to help improve blood circulation of the legs and to prevent blood clots.
Because of their role in the circulatory system, ankle pumps can be a powerful tool to help you begin moving again, even for surgeries of the upper body. They are even a great exercise to continue well beyond surgery recovery.
A general recommendation is to do ankle pumps 10 times per hour during the first 2 weeks of recovery.
5. Massage your scar.
A scar is not just a superficial mark, but affects multiple layers of tissue in your body. If left untreated, scar tissue can restrict and inhibit movement, potentially leading to musculoskeletal imbalances and impeding movement performance.
Check with your doctor to find out when you can begin scar massage. In general this will be about 2 weeks post-surgery, once the stitches have been removed and any scabs have fallen off by themselves.
Massage your scar daily in circles, horizontal and vertical lines.
6. Make recovery as much of a priority as movement.
Recovery is essential in order to gain the benefits of exercise at any time, but is particularly important post-surgery as your body is healing.
Prioritize Sound sleep, good nutrition, stress management, pleasure and ease during your recovery.