How soon can I do cardio/exercise after brachioplasty?

Thank you for submitting your questions!  Congratulations on your weight loss, that is very impressive.  Your plastic surgeon has their own protocol for when it is safe to begin exercise again after brachioplasty.  Typically, light walking is fine at 2-3 weeks, as long as you continue wearing your compression garment and don't sit in sweaty clothes afterwards.  Good luck with your postoperative recovery and thanks again for your inquiry.

All patients after brachioplasty must heal completely before returning to the gym to do pull-ups, squats, push-ups, weightlifting, gymnastics, running, rowing because wound separation can occur.  I have several of my patients who are real gym goers, and, if the skin is tight after surgery, working out only helps the appearance.  The only caveat to this is if you lose a large amount of fat, this may create more loose skin.  That is why I have patients maintain a stable, healthy weight prior to surgery. Lifelong maintenance of an exercise and eating regimen will preserve the results. My recommendation would be to hold off on the strenuous activity for at least six weeks but consult your surgeon who knows how well you have healed.Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Congratulations on your weight loss!  I recommend my patients wait 3 weeks before any cardio exercise and 6 weeks before other types of exercise such as yoga, pilates, or weight lifting.  At that time, I do not give limitations on the time spent exercising or amount of weight my patients can lift.  I do recommend patients start slow, listen to their bodies, and take time to build back up to the amount of time or weight they were doing before the procedure.  Just remember you will most likely not be able to pick up right where you were prior to surgery and should not expect this will be the case.  Make sure to follow up with your plastic surgeon and follow his or her recommendations.  Best of luck!