Pre-surgery workout

I'm still too early out to start looking into plastics, though they are sooo in my future, but I'd like to start some more intense strength training and have some questions.    (I already run 3x a week and walk at least 2x/week and do some light weight lifting, nothing major)

Did you do any strength training before surgery?   Do you think it had any affect at all on your outcome, ie, building up arm/thigh/stomach muscles?    Did you have a favorite workout?

In my head, having toned muscles pre-surgery would affect how things look after plastic surgery but I have no idea if that is the case!   Plus I haven't found the right google term to find the answer..hate that!

I don't know of any studies to back it up, but I say yes. A toner body will look better than an untoned body after the excess skin is removed. I consider myself in pretty good shape, which I definitely think gave me better results post-plastics (I have pics on my profile).

Laura

Of the subject, but your girls are adorable!

 haha... thanks!! I think they're pretty darn cute, too!! 

I think you handle the healing process better with strong muscles.  Strength training is a great idea. 

Kay

Sorry, Kay, I was sure I responded to the OP on the first post!

Not only do you handle the healing process better, if you have reconstruction on your abdomen, arms, or legs, you are going to have difficulty moving around for a while. Having strong legs while the arms are healing, or vice versa, can make a HUGE difference.

 Absolutely add strength training as often as you can.  I went from two to three times a week in Dec, then missed most of Feb because of vacation and back issues.  Just had a LBL, TT & BA a week ago and know how much pain it reduced.  Once I could get to the side of the bed or chair, I'd fold my arms across my chest and just stand up.  My hubby stood in front of me and could grab my elbows if needed.  It allowed my pecs and chest muscles to heal faster without the additional strain

My trainer and my hubby are  my biggest  heroes!!!

tg

weight lifting and resistance training is very important not just for your surgery but also to help keep from gaining weight in the furture. As a rule it takes more calories to feed healthy strong muscles than just fat and flesh. Strong muscles also prevent osteo arthritis and fragile bones. i have been running for as long as I can remember after my gastric bypass but it was not until I started weight lifting did I feel and see good results on my body. I had an extended tummy tuck 8 weeks ago and my healing was without any real complications. I was able to stand strait after about a week and started walking for exercise two weeks later. I still have some issues with swelling but I was told by my Dr. the more active you are the more you swell for about up to 6 months. I can deal with that because the result of a swollen belly is still much better than what I had .   Good luck

I lost 155 pounds through diet and exercise, well exercise really (the diet part didn't always go so well).

I swam five miles each week (1.66 miles on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) and I did a cardio/resistance combined routine on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

I agree with Laura that there is very little, if any, research regarding this issue, but I had a LBL on Feb 2 and I believe that my exercise made a huge difference not just in the recuperation, but also during the surgery itself.

Having a strong cardio-pulmonary system will help your body to handle the trauma of surgery, especially if your surgeon uses general anesthesia. Having specific strength, such as a strong core, strong quads, strong biceps will help with all of the little things after your surgery like getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, lifting light objects etc...

So, for what it's worth, my 2 cents say, do as much as you can, but end it no later than a week out from surgery. This will give your body a chance to rest and "recover" beforehand. You should probably consume lots of protein during that week as well.

Favorite workout(s): swim, lift/elliptical, swim, lift/elliptical, swim, lift/elliptical (look at the signature ).