If I Work out After Liposuction Will It Increase or Reduce Swelling?

This will increase your swelling.  Exercise after liposuction surgery possibly will make the swelling worse because of the increase in the heart rate and increase in the activity.  Also it is recommended that the patient should wear a surgical garment after liposuction and it is difficult to exercise with the garment and usually patients take the garment off and this may make the swelling worse as well.

         The short answer is that exercise early in the recovery period will increase the swelling.

 

 

 

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Light cardio exercises two weeks after liposuction should be safe.  You may see some slight increase in swelling.  More vigorous exercise may worsen the swelling.  I often recommend patients wear compression (Spanx) when first returning to exercise.  Good luck with your recovery!

Thanks for a good question. I think you can safely resume light cardio excercises, but your swelling may in my experience increase.  This should not affect the final result.  I am a big advocate of compression and girdles-please speak to your plastic surgeon.

At two weeks post surgery, you shouldn't have more or less swelling. However movement does seem to help a bit with swelling. I'm sure you have noticed that if you are sitting at a desk for any length of time you will experience swelling in your lower extremities. Make sure you keep drinking you water. Hydration will help as well!

Every plastic surgeon may vary slightly in his/her postoperative instruction/recommendation.  I usually ask patients to refrain from exercising for 3 weeks.  Activities after surgery tend to increase swelling.  You should be still wearing compressing garment or binder and massaging the area.

It is great to start exercise after liposuction.  At 2 weeks, walking and light cardio is great. This will help the healing process, as reducing the swelling.

Get moving the night of surgery and walk but do not run.   The next day do more walking.  Do not do torsion exercises with trunk.  You may walk as far as you wish after 5 days but do not run.  Light cardio is walking.  By 2 weeks you can do as you please.  My Best,  Dr C