Activity After Tummy Tuck and Intense Zumba Dancing

Question

Had a Circumferential Tuck 4 weeks ago. I feel pretty good. Doctor tells me I am only allowed to walk inside the house? And I can drive and do some shopping but he yelled at me when I said I was taking slow walks outside and said that I can't do that until 6 weeks? That sounds very strange to me. I asked when he feels I can safely go back to intense zumba dancing and he said 6 weeks post op. How do I go from not much walking to intense zumba. Weird so I want to ask other doctors

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

I agree! Allowing unusual activity 6 weeks but not 5 weeks after surgery appears arbitrary. Activities are generally instituted in a gentle way with increasing resistance. It is my guess this surgeon may have experienced adverse results ina patient who resumed normal activities and an earlier date.

Sacha Obaid, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! For my patients having a tummy tuck procedure, I recommend they take 10 days off of work, 3 weeks off of cardio at the gym, and 6 weeks off of weight training and yoga exercises. For intense Zumba, 6 weeks off is recommended. Best of luck!

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Generally, I suggest patients gradually ease back into the strenuous aerobic exercise 4 to 6 weeks postoperatively, assuming that they are doing well and there have been no complications. Teaching/supervising, depending on how much "core" involvement there is can be resumed sooner. Lower body exercise can generally be resumed 2 weeks postoperatively. Use common sense, listen to your body, and gradually resume previous activity. Best wishes.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Every surgeon is a bit different and under different circumstances there are different directions. In general, I allow my patients if they have healed well to start aerobics by about 3-4 weeks and heavy lifting by about 6-8 weeks.

Activity After Tummy Tuck and Intense Zumba Dancing

Answers (4)