Question:
What kind of exercise can I do now, and after WLS.... if I can barely walk now?

I find myself almost wheelchair bound,(I have Edema and herniated disks...) I do not own one yet, but I use them wherever they are available, grocery stores, dept stores, hospitals.. etc. At home some days are good, somedays are bad, I can hardly move from room to room, and then I have to sit down again. Errands are a chore. I have dropsy...(you'd think I carried my weight in my bum ..lol) I also do dishes from a chair and have been for around 8 yrs now. I can not push a broom or vacuum, because of my back, I have big restrictions.. I once was active, now NOT I know once I have surgery and get down about 40-50lbs I'll be able to finally once again be able to do a little walking to start. So my question is.... EXERCISE PRE AND POST OP?    — Moma V. (posted on June 7, 2002)

June 6, 2002
Before I had surgery, I weighed 407 lbs. and could hardly walk. The only exercise I was able to do immediately post-op was swim.
   — Terissa R.

June 7, 2002
I also have health limitations. Swimming or any type of water exercise is great. If that isn't a possibility for you, I recommend looking into a program called "Sit and be Fit". They have a series of excersize videos designed for disabled folks. The web site is:www.sitandbefit.com/video.htm
   — Bobbie B.

June 7, 2002
Walking, even just a little at a time, will help. You will find that as the weight comes off you will be able to walk 10 minutes instead of 5, then 15 or 20 instead of 10. Start as small as you have to and work up. You could also use small weights to work your arms or use your own body weight for simple exercises (leg lifts, etc.) that you can do for a few minutes a couple times a day. The key is to just add activity. Your dr should be able to help with some ideas. Water is a good idea, too, as Terissa pointed out. Just walking in water is a good way to introduce activity and provides extra resistance that you really don't notice cuz of the buoyancy and cuz it just plain feels nice! =) Just make sure that after surgery you follow your dr's orders on how much and what type of activity you are allowed to do. My dr restricted lifting anything over 10 pounds and any abdominal exercise for 6 weeks, including swimming (although he did allow me to walk in the water and out). Be sure you get your dr's blessing on whatever exercise "program" you follow, but as long as you keep trying you will do fine. Soon you'll find you don't have to rest as long or as often and you'll feel MUCH better!
   — ctyst

June 7, 2002
Vicki, as a fellow chair sitter to do dishes person, who changed where I shopped to the smallest grocery store I could find, just so I didn't have to walk far and who would have rather died then try to struggle into a bathing suit and go into a public pool, what I did was: buy a Schwinn Airdyn, dual action exercise bike (works both arms and legs) and have it delivered to my house. I weighed 494 pounds, knew that I needed an indoor exercise that would bear my weight to support my joints while I was exersizing. I started out pooped at 1.5 miles, but after a week, found I could do three, then, over the course of a couple of months built it up to 20 miles in 50 minutes 5 days a week. I kept building in walking too, then started adding hills over time. I now have added a yoga class and feel great. I started at 494 and am now a svelte 270, with two more surgeries to remove excess skin to go this summer. I will end up about 190-200 pounds as my doc predicts this is the weight I can realistically achieve given my genetics, muscle and bone content. Good Luck to you!
   — merri B.

June 7, 2002
Thankyou all for responding, I gave up my Y membership, when I couldn't haul my fat body out of the pool any longer. AND I LOVE TO SWIM!! My hips(if thats what you want to call them, I'm narrow through the hips and then big time bulge at the tummy) anyways my hips and lower back were giving me a hard time, also with all the water sitting around the pool it made me very nervous, I never know when my legs will decide they're done, and I'm so afraid of falling and not getting up again. I'm will look into that sit and fit thing, I walk about 5 minutes now, before my legs go numb. I can't wait to be up and having some quality to my life again!! Thanks Gals!
   — Moma V.

June 7, 2002
Hey there - you are the mirrored image of me, it sounds like - me pre-op anyway. I want to tell you this - because of the pain in my legs and feet and due to the excruciating pain that comes within my back and legs when over extending walking or trying to do any sort of physical labor, well - it just hurts. I wasn't able to exercise pre-op and I'm 8 weeks out and haven't been able to officially exercise afterwards. What I can tell you though is 8 weeks out and approximately 50 lbs. gone, I feel much lighter. The length of time I can go now while standing up is 50% better. I can walk around in a grocery store and I can bend down to give my baby grandson his bath in the evening. I can play with him out in the yard and take short walks while pulling his wagon. I can clean my house and still have energy left afterwards and without any breaks. Official exercise? No - not yet but MAN I feel like I am conquering the world. The level of activity has multiplied BIG TIME since prior to surgery and I consider this, at least for now, some sort of exercise. We'll get there in time - not to worry. We'll be Gene Simmons or Regina Simmons or whatever that guys name is - in no time. :)
   — Lisa J.