Exercise Post Op

How often and to what degree did post op persons start exercising again?  I am two weeks out and can only do about 30 minutes of walking a day.  I want to step it up a little but don't feel like I got the energy yet.   

Hi and congrats on your surgery and the fact that you are doing 30 minutes of walking

I started by walking short walks and working my way up to longer walks, but anytime I felt that I

needed a rest after my walks, I would have a needed nap,, that continued for a few weeks after

surgery, remember your insides take a lot longer to heal and you need to allow for the healing to be

complete before doing more serious exercise  etc

Maybe increase your  speed of 30 minutes of walking instead of doing it longer, only do it faster etc

You may not get all your newfound energy back for a few more weeks because of the healing that

your body has to go through

Others will post more on the exercise etc, just wanted to praise you for what you are accomplishing

now being only two weeks out of surgery

Take care and continued success on your wls journey

Eileen 

I started right away just walking 3 times a day. Very short walks. I just kept building and going longer and longer. At 3 weeks I took away the one walk and went for two 45 minutes walk.  Then I built from there. I had lots of energy after surgery. Infact I got into trouble because I cleaned my oven. I was told I needed to cut back on how much I was doing and give myself time to heal. Each person is so different in healing. Listen to your body.

I was told by Dr Reed in Guelph to only do walking until such time that my hair stops falling out, a sign that the protein is coming back - and can now be used to build muscle -while the last months all the protein was used to sustain organs. I am 8 months out and just started with resistance training, until now, walking has been it for me. 

don't push the excerise, at only two weeks out.  walking and moving is essential, but you don't really have the sustanance to do more than that.  Give yourself time to heal from major surgery, walking is just fine.

just my opinion

The best thing you can do is follow the advice of your clinic.  Every clinic has their own guidelines, so you need to follow yours.

That being said, most will say what you're doing now is fine, and don't do anything strenuous for 6 - 8 weeks (ie, gym).  And stop if it hurts beyond tolerable levels.  Don't be a marter with your health.

Good luck.

I would think that it varies from person to person and work with your clinic.  I am two weeks out and walked for an hour the week after, albeit slowly, and my car was in for service (across the street from the Cambridge Cent.) so I walked to the mall, around the mall, and back.  My surgeon said I could start back at the gym in my third week.  Please, talk to your surgeon or RN.

I'm 4 days post-op and don't feel like I could walk to the house next door! I think you are doing really well with 30 minutes. Take it easy though. St. Joes in hamilton says to build up walking and don't start vigorous exercise for 6-8 weeks post op.