Exercise when?

Just Waiting · December 16, 2004

When can you start to exercise after surgery not walking but more intense stuff like cardio or strenth training?

New Hope · December 16, 2004

I would check with your surgeon, what his post-op exercise rules are. I started riding my bike after my 6 weeks check-up/release. I just wanted to make sure I had full control of everything first. Anything that's pulling or stretching your ab muscles might need a little longer. You don't want to risk unseating your port by pulling too soon. Listen to your body. If something hurts, then don't do it.

Right now (preop) would be a great time to do some situps and other exercises to strengthen your ab muscles before your surgery. Anything you can do now will greatly help your recovery and help reduce the pain from surgery. Using those ab muscles getting in and out of bed is very noticeable.

Walking is important- preop and post. Please get out of your hospital bed and walk around as much as you comfortably can - as soon as you possibly can. Just little short walks in your room, down the hall, around the nurses' station, etc. Walking will prevent you from getting leg blood clots (a very serious problem after surgery, caused from lying down too long and not using your legs). Walking will prevent you from getting pneumonia ( your lungs, also from lying flat on your back too long). (I've done that from a previous surgery. Believe me, you do not want to be gasping to breathe, chest congested and rattling, hard uncontrollable coughing -after abdominal surgery!) Walking will help you get the surgical gas worked out of your body. The more you can move around, the less trouble you should have with that nasty old gas settling in your upper shoulder, etc. Walking helps you get over the soreness of surgery, from the actual incisions, the prodding from the surgical instruments, and from them positioning you on and off the operating table. Walking will help you regain your energy.

Best of luck to you!