Can I Still Do Chest Work Outs While Exercising After Getting Breast Implants?

asked 8 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Kevin Brenner, MD
Question viewed 344 times
Tags: athletic, exercise

I am very active, lift weights, run, do kick boxing, and am a gym rat. Is it unsafe to get breast implants and still do chest work outs such as push ups? I heard from someone that it isn't safe to do chest weights after getting breast implants because it can cause complications... I am talking after they've healed. Also I was concerned about wake boarding. Can I get your opinion on this please? I want to know if I should avoid chest exercises in general after my surgery.

8 answers to Can I Still Do Chest Work Outs While Exercising After Getting Breast Implants?

Chest Work-Outs and Breast Implants

When a patient would like a breast augmentation, but she doesn't want to abandon her chest work-out routine, it's not a good idea to place the new implants behind her pectoral muscles. This would just be inviting muscular displacement of the implants, detracting from a good post-op appearance. For these patients, I routinely suggest silicone gel implants placed on top of the muscles, but behind the muscle fascia. This "subfascial" placement affords several advantages of... more

Charles Gruenwald, MD
Baton Rouge Plastic Surgeon

Weights and breast implants

If you put your implants on top of your chest muscle then you can work out your chest muscle to your heart's content and it will not affect the implants. The downside of implants on top of the chest muscle, however, is that there is a higher risk of capsular contractures and feeling ripples (especially in saline implants). For that reason, I think most plastic surgeons recommend placing implants below the chest muscle. The downside of this placement is that the implants... more

Edwin C. Pound, III, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Working Out After Breast Augmentation

A large proportion of my patients are fitness 'fanatics' and I strongly encourage them to resume these activities after 6-8 weeks following a breast augmentation. In certain cases, particularly those women who have an affinity for activities that stress the pectoral muscles, I do recommend placing silicone gel implants on top of the muscle to avoid any potential disruption of their activities. I try to avoid using saline implants on top of the muscle because of the higher... more

Louis DeLuca, MD
Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

Exercise and implant placement

In general, I advise my patients to wait for a minimum of 4 weeks after surgery before doing any sort of heavy lifting or exercise. However, if you are extremely athletic, you may want to consider having your implants placed in the subglandular position...above the pectoralis muscle. This will allow you more flexibility over the long term with heavy upper body activities.

Kevin Brenner, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Working out after Breast Augmentation Surgery

I have many patients who love their "fitness" activities and have been fine because they have started up their routines AFTER everything has healed. I even have professional body builders who have had breast augmentation surgery. I don't think it is an issue as long as you listen to your surgeon and follow their instructions as to when you are ok to start the workouts. Lower body workouts can be started pretty soon after surgery, the upper body workouts should start... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Working Out After Augmentation

I would have no problem with you working out (including chest muscles) beginning six weeks or so after surgery, assuming that you had a normal period of healing and the implants were in a good position. The implants at that point should be well encapsulated (hopefully without a contracture) and should not be harmed by these workouts.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Chest Exercises After Breast Augmentation Should Not Resume Before Six weeks

In the long run, there are no exercise restrictions after the submuscular placement of breast implants. The key to avoiding problems, however, is to avoid chest exercises and strain while the surgical site is healing. This can be very difficult for a 'gym rat' and there is a great temptation to return too soon as you will feel better before you are actually healed. While the number of weeks of chest exercise restriction will vary amongst plastic surgeons, it is better to be too... more