When and how much?

Hi,

I'm new to this forum (usually on RNY board) and wanted to ask some questions about exercise. I'm getting some mixed messages from hospital and surgeon's office staff. My surgery was monday (9/27) and I'm not sure how much walking I should be doing right now. I try to get up and walk around my house once an hour. I've been told I should concentrate on protein and rest this first week though. I'm pretty sure I read I should walk 30 minutes a day asap. So when is "asap"? A week after surgery? When I'm done with the pain medicine? I still get pretty winded, but I don't want to be a couch potato either.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!

-Beth

Beth, I walked as much as I was comfortable doing.  I made sure I got up every 30 minutes or so just to move.  You want to avoid blood clots.  One benefit of walking is that it helps get the excess gas out of your body that the surgeon used to create space during the surgery.  You are only 4 days out right now, so as long as you are walking regularly you should be fine.  Try to increase the duration as you can.  By the end of my first week I was walking in total about a mile a day, but everyone is different. 

My doctor had me at no more than 30 minutes at a time.  I would do it more but work and weather haven't been kind. 

Do as much as you are comfortable doing, but get out of the house and walk, I dreaded treadmills or walking around the house. I love hitting the path near my house for an hour or so every morning even if it is still dark.

Hi,
My doc wanted me to walk a mile day one, I think it took a week.  If walking outside is too much for you, purchase a Leslie Sansone dvd and walk at home inside the house, you can buy them cheap at half.com.
walking helps with the after effects of surgery, clotting, gas and recouperation.

Beth,
Congrats on your surgery!

You are fresh out of surgery, so don't be too worked up about getting 30 minutes done at once.  I like the suggestion of getting up every 30 minutes are so when you are awake.  If you have someone to take short walks with you outside, that's great too, but don't try it unless you have company while you are still on the pain meds! 

I walked up and down my short street for 5 then 10 minutes at a time and built up from there, but I don't think I could do more than 10 minutes at a time before 2 weeks out.

My doc said as much as I could as soon as I could.  But to stop when tired, don't overdo it and don't hurt yourself.
6 weeks before he would clear to do any weight lifting.

Let your body be your guide.  If you are tired rest.

I really didn't start feeling good until I got up and started moving.  As soon as I did that it was like my body decided it was time to heal and get on with things.

Scott

I walked as much as I could. I didn't want to get a blood clot. But "as much as I could" wasn't too much. I think I made it two blocks from my house the first day and had to kind of inch back, too.

The only upper limit on walking is what you can do without over-tiring yourself.