Stephanie L.

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It is important to start an exercise program as soon as possible after surgery. Patients take in far fewer calories and it can cause the body to go into starvation mode. The body will then burn muscle instead of fat. Regular exercise prevents this. It alters the metabolism so that the body begins to burn fat instead of muscle and will help you to lose the weight faster.

Sample of an exercise program:

Before Surgery:

Patients who start an exercise regimen before surgery are twice as likely as those who don’t to have an easy time adjusting to exercising after surgery. But exercise is almost always difficult for people who carry a lot of extra weight. For this reason, starting slow is imperative. If you are morbidly obese and are contemplating an exercise regimen, you should have a cardiac evaluation. The goal should be 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity, three days a week. Some sample exercises are walking for 10 minutes, twice a day, or marching in place for 20 minutes (doing this while sitting in a chair is effective for people with back problems)

 1 – 6 Months After Surgery:

You should resume an exercise regimen as soon as possible after surgery. Start with easy walking and rest when you get tired. Don’t overdo it! Over the course of the first six months, you should be working towards doing 30 minutes of continuous exercise, three to five days per week. Some sample exercises are walking, biking, swimming, and resistance training with weights, bands, or gym machines to build muscle mass.

6 – 12 Months After Surgery:

By the time you are one year out from your surgery, you should be able to perform 45 minutes of continuous exercise at least four times a week. Vary your workouts so your body is constantly challenged. Strengthening the stomach muscles is also important because it helps improve your posture, which will change as you lose more weight. Some sample exercises are yoga, dancing, aerobics, kickboxing, and resistance training using weights while sitting on a balance ball, which helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

1 Year Plus After Surgery:

At this stage, many people have lost 100 pounds or are close to, if not at, goal. Such a drastic change can leave people thinking that they no longer need to exercise, but it is a must for long-term maintenance! You should keep a regimen of 45 minutes of continuous exercise at least 4 days a week. Some sample exercises are interval training on a treadmill (varying speed and incline), hiking, running, or bicycling.