The Right Exercises After A Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is conducted to remove excess or loose skin arising from weight gain, poor skin elasticity or pregnancy. It involves the removal of fat and skin between the navel and pubic region, the tightening of the connective tissue in the abdominal region and the repositioning of the belly button.

With the help of exercise after the surgery, it increases blood flow that helps with faster recovery, and thus helps you maintain a healthy weight. However it is not advisable to start any exercise regimen without understanding these factors.

Why You Have To Exercise After A Tummy Tuck

While exercising after surgery helps speedup the recovery process, it also helps maintain weight loss. This is done by toning muscles and encouraging an increased metabolic rate that helps keep weight off and maintain a proportional figure.

So even if you had never maintained a consistent exercise regimen, it is important you exercise after your tummy tuck to maintain your new weight and figure.

How Exercise Helps With The Recovery Process

Some post-surgery exercises help promote blood flow to help in the healing process and reduce swelling. These exercises also help reduce the formation of blood clots and tone your muscles.

As you will have some drainage tubes and initial sutures after the Houston tummy tuck, it’s better to just walk for the first weeks after surgery, if you are comfortable with it. Like any other post-surgery exercise, it is important that you get approval from your physician before you start walking as recovery rates differ from one person to another.

Start With Light Exercises

It is always better to start with light to moderate exercise or activities about a month after the surgery. However based on your speed of recovery, you can start exercising as early as two weeks after the surgery. It is better to start with equipment like treadmills and stationary bikes as it helps maintain a low intensity.

Even light stretching helps as it increases your body flexibility. However make sure you stretch only after sutures are removed. Don’t be afraid of any tightness in the abdominal region as it is normal and expected. It is only after your tolerance for low intensity exercise increases can you gradually increases your exercise intensity.

When To Start Strenuous Exercises

You will most probably have all your bandages removed after six to eight weeks of the surgery wherein you fell more comfortable exercising. However you are still forbidden to do any heavy lifting or exercises that target the abdominal muscles, until your physician permits it. This is because ab exercises only lead to stress in the region, which in turn affects your recovery process.

While other strenuous exercises are permitted, it is only with gradual increase in its intensity. You should be able to return to your normal activities and exercises after eight weeks of the abdominoplasty. Your surgeon may also permit some weight-training exercises, if you follow an appropriate timeline for abdominal exercises.