GAME: Exercise after weight loss Surgery

Ok here we go. After much consideration and talking with a few of the VA board members, and it being national women's health week, I thought we would start this off with an EXERCISE GAME. Just a reminder: Before you start any exercise program, please consult with your surgeon before beginning as each individual is different and may respond in a different way in regards to health issues. Ok let's get started. How to Play: State an exercise you did either prior to surgery or after surgery that helped you with your recovery process. When someone states an exercise, describe how to do that exercise in simple form. Please don't repeat the same exercise unless you know of a different way to do it. For example: Exercise: Head rolls Description: Start with head in neutral position..Take your head almost to your chest (don't overdo it)..roll your head to one side, bring your head back to center and roll your head to the other side. Bring your head back to your chest and roll it around slowly all the way around until you come back to the center. This exercise releases tension in your neck and shoulders where gas can develop. This helps after you have been sitting a long period of time or laying for a while. Next exercise?? anyone?

COOL! Calf Raises (Great when standing in line!) While in a standing position, lift your heels so you are "standing" on your toes. Slowly lower your heels to the floor and repeat until you move in line. Great for developing those nice "hearts" in our calves that we love when we wear heels. Alternative: Using stairs, facing as if you were walking up the stairs, place your toes on the stair - lower your heels (keep your toes on the steps) and raise again. This is also a great stretch and perfect for those who suffer from chronic achilles tendonitist (sp). Jill

Water aerobics!!! I checked with my surgeon and was released for water aerobics at 5 weeks out from surgery. I loved it, it was low impact (I did not do the deep water classes) refreshing, and didn't feel like too much for my healing body. Courtney

Squats. You can do them anywhere that you have a chair or without a chair. If using a chair, plant your feet firmly on the floor at leat chair width apart. Then slowly rise up of the chair and hold it so you are "hovering" above the chair for at least a count of 5. Then continue to rise until you are standing then follow the same motion going down, stopping at the point that you did on the way up, holding it, and then starting right back up without ever fully sitting. Repeat at least 10 times, and try to do 3 sets each day. It will really help those quadricpes, hamstrings, and glutes. Remember to keep you back straight and try to suck in your stomach to work on the abs simultaneously. If you're not using the chair, it's the same thing. Just make sure to keep your back straight so that you are not leaning forward because it can cause your knees to hurt. Also, if you have bad knees, don't go lower than you would if a chair was there. ~Robin

Ok guys I do this @ Phycical Thearapy but it can all be done @ home in bed on the floor or w/ a chair. First,they have me walk across the pool 3 times forward 3 times sideways and 3 times backward this is a warm up so if you have a hallwall try thid there then, stand behind a chair straight up abdomin in and firm lift legto knee postition andswing out to the right like a hinge . 20 each leg also standing same position hand on back of the chair take your leg back 1/2 way dont cause pain this to is 20 each leg and every week you increase these. you can march in place for 2 mins/ back and abdomin very straight. There are side kicks you can do from the chair standing straight ahead kickicking the leg out to the side how ever many times you comfortable w/. Try these and Ill add more later.

I feel real bad.... Before surgery I never really excersized. All I do now is walking, because that is all I really know how to do. My husband and I have different schedule so it is hard for me to do any other excercising in. I would really would love to water aerobics but I work and all the place has in morning times. What's A girl to do... Mo

Hi Mo Walking is great exercise! Also you can do some chair exercises while sitting... sit straight up in the chair with your arms at the side to support yourself. slowly raise One leg up..hold for count of 5 (you dont have to go too high for this if you do it slowly)..then lower slowly...then raise again for another count of 5..do this repeatedly for 5 reps. Then repeat for the other leg. Then for the inner thighs..sit in the chair...and slowly squeeze your legs together until you touch your knees together..then add another squeeze once your knees touch. hold for the count of 10..then release..then repeat again for a rep of 8...You can also do arms this way too while sitting..but if you are at work...do the legs while working...the thigh muscles are big muscles in the body and you burn calories and tone alot faster when you work your legs. Good luck with this. I have lots more. But I want to give others a chance at this too Hugs JudyB