Chronic pain and exercise

[LL1982 16]

Hello everyone, I’m in need of some guidance and support. I’m looking to be sleeved in September. My surgeon has told me that unless I can do cardio 40 minutes 6 times a week within the first 3 months, my surgery may not be worth it. I have chronic foot pain and chronic plantar fasciitis, and even the recumbent bike flairs it up. I don’t know how to swim. I’m going to have to rely on chair exercises for a while. I’m hoping that the weight loss with help resolve my chronic foot pain, and that eventually I’ll be able to up my cardio. At any rate, I just wanted to know if any of you were able to lose weight without the regimen of 40 minutes of cardio my surgeon has prescribed. I’m worried that I won’t lose weight if I can’t exercise the way my surgeon wants me to.

[summerset 5,265]

26 minutes ago, LL1982 said:

My surgeon has told me that unless I can do cardio 40 minutes 6 times a week within the first 3 months, my surgery may not be worth it.

Rubbish. Get a different surgeon.

[VSG@50 13]

your surgeon is a crack pot.. weight resistant exercises is the ticket . 20 mins cardio 2 to 3 times a week , foot. problems . elliptical , bike .. go to a different surgeon #1 but I would start right now getting a healthy regimen of weight and cardio , and ab work out before surgery.. that is the ticket to success...

[PWMDMD 58]

I do almost no cardio - just lift heavy weight. Not suggesting this is best choice for you...just letting you know there are many different ways to exercise.

FWIW...I had chronic metatarsalgia in both feet prior to surgery and it's a non-issue now...so yes weight loss can help chronic pain issues.

I agree....find a different surgeon.

[GradyCat 3,695]

That's a weird thing for a surgeon to say. Most of them just recommend ANY form of exercise 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week. You might consider a second opinion

[catwoman7 11,220]

that's nonsense. I know a lot of people who just walk. Dieting is a much bigger factor in weight loss than exercise, although it's good to do both because exercise is really good for your health. There are actually a few people on forums who really haven't done much exercise at all (because of arthritis or super heavy weight or whatever), and they still lost a lot of weight. food intake is really key. Exercise helps, but WAY less than what you put in your mouth.

[catwoman7 11,220]

I think he's just trying to scare you into exercising. Seriously, the food intake is going to make MUCH more of a difference!

[AZhiker 2,253]

My surgeon wants his patients to work up to 10,000 steps a day, but it is not a requirement - but a way to boost the process and start building a healthy life style. I also have chronic foot pain, knee pain, hip pain. It really worried me that I would not be able to use NSAIDS after surgery. (I was on Aleve twice a day.) I already had 1 knee replacement which was still hurting and my other knee was becoming really painful.

Now for the good news. I still have some foot pain because of a bunion that needs some attention. But all knee and hip pain is gone! I have not taken an NSAID at all and not even Tylenol. Weight loss does wonders for the joints! The other thing is that although I cut out wheat (gluten) several years ago, I did not cut out sugar until before surgery. I think this is also a huge factor. Sugar (and wheat) are highly inflammatory. I found that my joints will hurt the next day if I have any sugar at all. (My brother found the same to be true.)

I can exercise all I like now - long hikes of 4-5 hours are fine, whereas before I couldn't walk 20 minutes. Weight loss really does make a huge difference. You will find that as the weight comes off, you will have a lot more energy and will be able to be more active. Taking sugar out of the equation can also be a big factor. Gluten also makes my joints swell and hurt, which I discovered years ago and am gluten free ever since. So don't lose hope. A "New You" is right around the corner.

[Lynnlovesthebeach 626]

I lost my weight with minimal exercise. One of the reasons I had the surgery was so I could lose weight before a total hip replacement. My orthopedic surgeon wanted me to get below 200 lbs before he would consider doing the surgery. He said recovery would be so much easier. My exercise consisted of using the recumbent bike 2-3 days a week, or the elliptical. Those were the only things I was able to do without severe hip pain and some days I couldn't do those. I am happy to say I had my hip replacement last Monday...100 lbs lighter than when I saw my surgeon the first time. He was impressed with my wt loss and he was correct...recovery has to be easier now than it would have been then! This recovery has been harder than my gastric bypass surgery but I can't believe the progress I've made in this last week. I took a walk outside for 20 min this morning and half of it I carried my cane! I am so looking forward to getting back to the active lifestyle I had a few yrs ago before "life" and arthritis got in the way!

[LL1982 16]

Thank you everyone for your support and feedback. I feel so much more at ease.

[gabybab 696]

9 hours ago, summerset said:

Rubbish. Get a different surgeon.

What summerset says!💯

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

I too, have chronic pain plus many other disabling conditions. I asked for a prescription for physical therapy, to show me options for working out that would not injure me.

You may, also, want to see an orthopedist, to see if bracing or orthotics would help. There is SO MUCH MORE that I can do, WITHOUT pain, by using custom braces for my various issues.

[Frustr8 7,886]

Well I must have tried to sleep on my left side too much last night, now the inner surface of my right knee is hurting like an absessed tooth. I could have avoided this had I put a pillow between them. Let's see if I can walk without limping badly, still lazing in my bed. Up and at em, Atom Ant! Gosh, sometimes I quote old defunct cartoons, watched them too much as a kid, now I watch reruns with my grandbabies. I have one, 21 years old, who is a closet Spongebob Square Pants fan. Do you never outgrow your need for cartoon levity?

[Frustr8 7,886]

Well it's 10 AM and I am UP! Feel about as energetic and motivated as Wallace Wallaby, dontcha just 💕the name, sounds like a cartoon character, doesn't it? Take my morning pills- all 9 of them- a minor miracle I don't rattle when I walk! Then on to preparing my morning strawberry Protein shake, I really like the taste of ON q00% whey, got little packets my local Wal-Mart was clearancing out at a reduced price, I wonder if they are still accessible at Wal-Mart.com? Oh I love to haunt the clearance aisle, but occasionally my ❤of❤s gets broken when I find something I like that there is NO More of. Sip Sip Sip, when I need to stop I'll pull on some gloves and rub linament into both knees. Gosh I hope out there is a Man who finds ligaments and such serductive, I could use an occasional dinner Partner! LOL😁😛😁

[Pazza 199]

Pain is no joke and I wish you all the best!

Exercise is important - just find something you enjoy and work to get a little better bit by bit. Walk the dog, dance, yoga, kickboxing, cycling, and the list goes on. Exercise is important as it helps to build muscle and deal with stress. My advice is to do something you enjoy and just focus on being steady/consistent. Then, improve in small bits, like 3 or 5 extra minutes.

I loved the recommendation for physical therapy. If that is an option, go for it. I had one show me how to tape my feet for plantar problems and it made a significant difference.