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Before you begin considering when you should start exercising following any kind of breast augmentation surgery, one very important fact should be firmly etched into the core of your decision- the full and complete understanding that everyone heals at a different pace, and so when you begin exercising, and what type of exercising you do, will be heavily reliant on your own individual physiology. Keeping this philosophy at the core of your exercise regimen is absolutely necessary for anybody who wants to fully recover from their procedure and maintain an optimal body shape without potentially damaging their new implants.
Following your surgery, it’s best to really keep inactive, as much as possible. Really intensive physical stress on the body can be harmful to your still recovering breasts, and it’s best to avoid anything particularly intensive. Maybe some light cardio, and nothing involving the upper body, and then only if it’s absolutely necessary that you begin exercising immediately following your surgery, for medical reasons or otherwise.
Light walking is really the only option for exercise buffs who want to stay in shape right after their surgery. It’s an excellent cardio workout, it keeps any stress off of the top half of the body, which should be treated with extreme care at this point in the recovery process, and it does a body good to be out and about in fresh air while rehabilitating one’s self from a grueling medical treatment.
The first few weeks following your procedure are still going to require real care of your new implants, but it will be safe, by this time, to consider wearing a bra again (albeit one without an underwire), meaning that exercise which requires more breast support is within reach. That said, anything really physically strenuous like weight lifting or any form of full body workouts like swimming is out of the question. Thankfully, there are still more intense workouts that a recent surgical patient can indulge in without having to worry about their breasts possibly exploding from the strain.
Now that an appropriate amount of time for your new breasts to stabilize has passed- at least, to some degree- you can begin slightly more strenuous workouts. While really thorough and comprehensive workouts do need to wait, there are some exercise routines which are now open to you which may have had to wait immediately following the treatment. Treadmills, or else going for a light jog can be a really great way to keep in shape without potentially harming your implants. The same goes for going for a run uphill- it’s a physically stressful workout that nonetheless leaves the upper body more or less untouched, allowing you to keep fit while still recuperating. All the same, plenty of rest and hydration is paramount, so keep that in mind while exercising.
Around the point following the 3 week mark, it’s acceptable to begin trying muscular workouts instead of just cardio. That said, you should still avoid trying to really push anything above the abdominal muscles, and even if you had minimal surgery, which is sometimes considered fully recuperated after the 4 week mark, it’s best to exercise caution whenever possible. Crunches and other abdominal muscle workouts are fine, as are lower body workouts like glute and leg workouts.
As previously mentioned, it’s fine to begin working out muscle groups in the lower half of the body once around 3 weeks to a month have passed, and while keeping a relaxing lifestyle free of physical stress should still be a top priority, it’s almost equally as important to stay fit during the recovery period. Keeping that in mind, it’s fine for you to begin muscle workouts as long as they stay below the chest. Abdominal muscle workouts are fine, as are leg workouts- glutes, gastrocnemius muscles, semitendinosus muscles, all of the basics of the leg’s muscular structure. Just as long as you don’t exercise the chest.
After about 6 weeks, you’re generally considered to be fully recovered- though as previously mentioned, it’s entirely dependent on your individual physiology, and you should definitely consult with your surgeon or physician before you begin to engage in full body workouts again. However, generally speaking, it’s safe to begin your regular workout routine- minus a few particularly intensive workouts- again after about a month and a half have passed.
Once the official recovery period has ended, you’re free to begin what you considered a normal workout regimen again. Full body workouts like swimming should be fine to resume, and weight lifting and other intensive physical workouts like jogging, cycling, and strength training are all fine. Still, there are some exercises which should probably be avoided. Sprinting of any kind, including wind sprints or suicides, should be abstained from. Jumping rope, or any other form of jumping based exercise can be dangerous to your implants.
By the two month mark, it’s almost certain that even for the most rigorous of breast augmentation surgeries, your chest has probably stabilized to a normal level and you can enjoy all of the forms of exercise which you were able to enjoy before the procedure. Once two months are behind you, feel free to enjoy even the most physically strenuous of activities, such as lunge jumping, skipping rope, or sprinting or marathons. You’re back in a normal, fully functioning body, so enjoy it.
It’s considerably dangerous to try workouts that involve sprinting or some form of jumping-based exercise while your breasts are still recovering from the treatment because these forms of movement cause a lot of jostling and movement which could potentially rupture the implants. However, once about two months have passed, it is considered safe to begin once again all of the intensive workouts that your heart desires.
One might be moved to ask, given all of the warning and caution surrounding the subject, why it is so vitally important that they abstain from exercise early and even sometimes late in the recovery period. The fact of the matter is that in the medical sciences, you always exercise care and assume that were you not to, it would result in the worst case scenario. The worst case scenario for a recent breast augmentation surgery patient is their implants rupturing, which can result in extreme pain, swelling, and an alarming and unnatural change in the shape of the breast, along with a myriad of other potentially dangerous changes. Physical trauma to the breast, chiefly as a result of exercise, is the leading cause of this, so it’s always best to play it safe until your implants have stabilized.
Once a week or two has passed, it would be wise to invest in sports bras to be able to work out while keeping your new breasts secure during the task (you should wait a little while, though, before purchasing one, as the breasts are too sensitive for the first few days after the treatment for any kind of bra). Choosing which sports bra is right for you can be a daunting task, but consider your options carefully, and speak with your surgeon about your particular needs.
There are some things which are universal truths, but which apply to the world of exercise as well, especially post-surgery exercise. It’s best to know your limits, not to push yourself beyond what you’re capable of, and focus on long term goals. Once you’re capable of adhering to those rules, you shouldn’t have any issue of deciding when it’s appropriate to step up your exercise regimen to suit the changes to your body.
Even professional athletes know their limits. Usain Bolt didn’t begin his life by running the 100 meter dash in 10 seconds, and Arnold Schwartznegger didn’t become Mr. Olympia by pumping 300 pounds from birth. They built up to their feats and abilities, and the same can be said for any physical specimen worth anything. Every athlete knows their limits, and being cognizant of your own new limits imposed by your recuperating body is an important part of exercising after receiving breast augmentation surgery.
Every successful person has gotten to the place they are in life by setting goals- some short term, and some long term. It’s best, when exercising post-surgery, to focus on your long term goals, and move at a slow, but steady, pace towards that vision. Taking it slowly and keeping your mind focused on that long-term vision is the best way to achieve results without putting your body in danger.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment with the renowned plastic surgeon and breast & body specialist Dr. Mark Schusterman. Take your first steps to a more beautiful you.
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