Long Distance Hiking/vigorous exercise after surgery

[Colin from California 2]

Has anyone ever tried long distance hiking after having the VSG?

it’s on my bucket list but I wonder how this surgery will affect my ability to hike 20 miles per day for 3-4 months straight.

I’m also curious about anyone who has taken up extremely physical activities post VSG like marathons, long distance cycling, triathlons, things like this. Does the sleeve preclude sustained vigorous exercise like these?

Thanks!

[GreenTealael 25,446]

You may want to chat with someone like @loridee11 who climbed Kilimanjaro! (I’m still amazed 🤩)

Edited June 30, 2023 by GreenTealael

[loridee11 522]

Hi Colin,

I don't hike 20 miles per day back to back, but I imagine you will be able to at some point. For the first year or so I'm not sure I was eating/absorbing enough calories to sustain that type of heavy exercise. However, once I was able to eat a little more I never had issues doing whatever exercise I wanted. Of course, as with everything talk to your doctor

For me, I started training for Kili about a year after my surgery, with hikes 5-8 miles just on weekends. At the 2 year mark I was hiking 3-4 times per week, up to about 12 miles. And Kili was about 2 1/2 years after surgery and I had no issues at all. I was not active or fit pre-surgery, so my baseline was very low.

~Lori

[Colin from California 2]

This is so inspiring. Thank you!

[Inspectorjh84 39]

I used to run 8 miles straight in the military and for fun. Im hoping to be able to run that Marathon one day. I used to love running so much. Once I got up over 240 pounds I started only using the elliptical or doing something lower impact for my knees.

Hope this surgery gets me down to my goal weight...I used to love running long distance.

[NCL04321 163]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:37 PM, loridee11 said:

Hi Colin,

I don't hike 20 miles per day back to back, but I imagine you will be able to at some point. For the first year or so I'm not sure I was eating/absorbing enough calories to sustain that type of heavy exercise. However, once I was able to eat a little more I never had issues doing whatever exercise I wanted. Of course, as with everything talk to your doctor

For me, I started training for Kili about a year after my surgery, with hikes 5-8 miles just on weekends. At the 2 year mark I was hiking 3-4 times per week, up to about 12 miles. And Kili was about 2 1/2 years after surgery and I had no issues at all. I was not active or fit pre-surgery, so my baseline was very low.

~Lori

Loridee11 you are awesome in my book!!!!! Congrats, what an accomplishment, I'm proud of you and i dont even know you!!!

[Nepenthe44 188]

One note on long distance hiking:

I'm having to do serious rehab on my hips and core in order to increase my walking capability. While my aerobic capacity and endurance are very good, my hips start to physically give out at about 3 miles.

My physical therapist isn't really sure what the issue is, but thinks that it's a combination of weakness and poor flexibility from the postural adaptations that happen with extreme obesity (my legs literally point in a different direction than they used to!) and some effect of fast weight loss on the muscles themselves.