Ask 10 plastic surgeons and you get 10 different answers....Here is what I tell patients.
We want to get you back to the gym/exercising, however, WE will be your personal trainer over the next 1 year. We will require that you get out of bed on the first day after surgery, every 2 hours, like it or not (most patients are sore after surgery, but not in so much pain that they cannot move around). After 2 weeks, we make sure you increase your activity to include 20-30 minutes of cardio a day, heart rate max to 140, treadmill or neighborhood walking. At 6 weeks, increase heart rate to 160. At months 3-4 slow return to pre-op fitness routine, including leg lifts and gradual increase in abdominal exercises. We coach patients along and increase, decrease their activity accroding to swelling, soreness, fitness level, etc. It is a TEAM approach that works well!
I hope this helps!
Dr. C
