{"id":18329,"date":"2021-02-11T11:23:44","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T19:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=18329"},"modified":"2023-10-17T15:34:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T22:34:35","slug":"exercise-rules-after-breast-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/exercise-rules-after-breast-surgery","title":{"rendered":"5 Exercise Rules to Follow After Breast Surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter whether you’ve undergone a breast augmentation<\/a>, lift<\/a>, or reduction<\/a>, the recovery process involves some significant changes to your usual exercise routine. But it’s not quite as simple as completely eliminating any and all movement, for weeks on end. “You need to let everything heal, but if you’re not moving enough, things can heal too tightly and cause problems. Scar tissue can become tethered and stuck together, the pectoral muscle can get stuck to the breast,” explains Beverly Hills, California, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Lisa Cassileth<\/a>. “The goal is to hit a sweet spot, where you’re moving but not moving too much,” she says. Ahead, five exercise rules to follow in the days and weeks after any breast surgery. <\/p>

Interested in breast augmentation?<\/small><\/div>Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

1. Get your steps in<\/h2>

This rule applies to all breast surgeries and is the most immediate thing you can and should do. “These operations come with a risk of developing a blood clot, and walking around as soon as possible, starting the day of surgery, can help mitigate this risk,” explains Dr. Melissa Doft<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. Walking for 10 minutes, four times per day, is an absolute must for the first week post-surgery, she says. <\/p>

2. Repeat these three simple moves<\/h2>

Dr. Cassileth recommends that all her patients do the following three exercises<\/a> daily, no matter which breast surgery they’ve undergone. “They’re all simple range-of-motion exercises that should be done for the first four weeks after surgery,” she says.<\/p>

Hands to your head:<\/strong> Simply raise your arms to put your hands on your head, hold them there for 10 seconds, then lower them. Do this starting the day after surgery, three times per day, Dr. Cassileth advises. It sounds easy, but if you don’t do it for a few days, it will become harder and harder to accomplish, she points out. <\/p>

Walk the wall:<\/strong> Stand facing a wall and extend your hands onto the wall. Slowly crawl your fingers upward. “This is a great way to get a gentle stretch along the side of your pectoral muscle, without the risk of ripping or tearing it,” explains Dr. Cassileth.<\/p>

Bed stretch:<\/strong> Lie on your back, on the edge of a bed, and let your arm drape over the side for a few seconds; repeat on the other side. This move helps stretch out the front side of the pectoral muscle—again, in a very gentle way, Dr. Cassileth says.<\/p>

Related: 9 Breast Augmentation Recovery Tips<\/a><\/em><\/p>

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