Is exercise/walking worse or better for Lipo swelling?

 After liposuction of the legs walking will not aggravate swelling. Standing in one place however will.

Walking in the postoperative period is important after having a procedure like liposuction. However, any physical activity that increases the resting heart rate can make postoperative swelling worse. I advise my patients to avoid exercise that raises the heart rate for about 4 weeks. After that time, they can ease back in to their workout regimen. I recommend following up with your surgeon for your postoperative guidelines.

Exercise post liposuction helps remove the swelling as long as you have good compression and there is no pain during the exercise.  All my patients start with a long walk at 24 hours and get on a treadmill at 48 hours.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Vigorous activity after liposuction during the healing phase is worse for swelling. I typically require my patients to refrain from vigorous activity for six weeks 

I recommend walking for my patients the day of the procedure, as long as they're not lightheaded and are with someone. When we walk we increase our circulation and help the return of tissue swelling to the normal circulation. When we stand or sit for long periods, swelling accumulates in the soft tissues. Walking is good, standing around isn't.

Hi, thanks for your inquiry, healthy eating and exercise are important for obtaining good results complement. The recommended time to start doing is four to six weeks when the intervention was only liposuction.Sincerely yours:Dr. Eugenio Lapaix

Generally, one should refrain from heavy exercise in the first few weeks after liposuction to prevent bleeding and more swelling and of course, discomfort. One should be able to do some light walking by 2 weeks and back to aerobic activity after 3-4 weeks. Using the post-operative compression garment during exercise will be helpful to keep any swelling to a minimum. Every surgeon has a different regimen after surgery and every patient heals at a different pace, so the above are only general guidelines. Much will depend on your surgeon's routine and how you feel.

We encourage our patients to get back to normal activity as soon as possible.I also encourage people to not do anything that causes pain after surgery.In some ways, you want to get active. At the same time, you don't want to cause too much movement on tissues that are trying to stick together.It's always best to follow the instructions of your plastic surgeon.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Taking a walk while wearing your compression garments can be helpful, as long as your don't over do it.  Follow your Plastic Surgeon's post op instructions, as he is monitoring your healing.  Best wishes!