Gym Top Tips Post Surgery

Having time off

Once you’ve had your procedure it is recommended to have 6-8 week of no heavy exercise, which means no training in the gym.

This can feel really intense for someone who goes to the gym regularly and has that routine. It can feel like such a long time however, it is important to think long term and in the grand scheme of things, 6 weeks isn’t that long!

It is important to wait until the surgeon has given you the green light before you jump straight back into exercising to reduce any risks and complications.

Keeping your progress

Despite not being able to go to the gym and do your normal routine, there are still things you can do if you are really worried about putting weight on or losing your muscle definition.

As soon as you feel up to it after your surgery, walking and getting those steps in is a really good way to keep yourself in shape and keep burning those calories.  Putting yourself in a calorie deficit is also a good way to keep in shape, as you are not burning as many calories post surgery due to the lack of movement and exercise.

During the end of your recovery, if you are feeling ready, you could do some bodyweight exercises - nothing to strenuous on your body.

Timing

Another thing to bare in mind is timing of when you get your procedure done. If you are someone who likes to workout and be quite toned through the summer, maybe it would be best to time your procedure in the winter where you a able to have time off and not feel as guilty. Don't rush into it and make sure you have thought about when is best for you.

Think about the end result

It does seem like a really long time when you come out of the procedure and you have 6 weeks until you can go back to the gym. It can be quite a strain on your mental health having all that free time when you are used to going to the gym and exercising but I can reassure you it goes quickly. I look in the mirror now with so much more confidence, that it was so worth it.

Just remember to push through the 6 weeks as it does get better and as soon as you get back to the gym your muscle memory will click straight back in.

Starting back at the gym

When you finally start getting back into the gym, please take it easy as there are a few exercises that will feel different. Listen to your body and don’t push through if something is giving you a little bit of pain. If you need to drop that weight then do so, listen to how your body is responding to it.

There will be some things that you can’t do straight away. I know for me, I couldn’t do press ups for around 6 months so it was just adapting and finding other exercises. Lat pull downs also felt strange for me, so I just took that out of my workout for a little bit, and then when I felt ready I incorporated it back in.

Finally, just remind yourself throughout this process that you’ve spent a lot of money on a procedure and you want the result to look as good as possible, so don’t do anything that could jeopardize it. Keep thinking about that end result as it is all worth it in the end!

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