Tips for Exercising after a Tummy Tuck

Tips for Exercising after a Tummy Tuck : Abdominoplasty is a life-changing procedure but a major one, which means your recovery will be a big part of achieving successful results.

Following your surgery, moving around will be difficult and uncomfortable so it’s understandable that patients want to sit as still as possible. Fortunately, the worst of the pain does fade after two weeks, which means you will need to start thinking about walking around to regain your strength and your confidence.

Why Movement Needs to Be Gradual

If there’s one thing that you will definitely need to have as a tummy tuck patient, it’s patience. Your wounds will need time to heal, in fact, the tissue of your abdominal area will take up to a year to completely heal and reach maximum strength.

With this being said, it’s important to remember that the strength of your tissue after your tummy tuck surgery you will never be exactly the same as prior to your procedure. At around the 2-month mark, your tissue strength will reach about 50% and will hit 70% after about 6 months.

When you are ready to start moving again after two or three weeks, it’s best to walk on gradual surfaces or to ride a stationary bike. After two months, you will be able to get back into most of your usual exercise routines but crunches still won’t be on the cards. Patients should wait at least five months before attempting any stomach exercise such as crunches.

Low-impact cardio exercises are perfectly fine after four to six weeks unless your surgeon needed to repair your muscles or a hernia. In this case, you may need to wait a bit longer before aerobic exercises will be possible.

When you’ve gone through all this effort to reshape and lift your stomach, it’s always better to err on the side of caution when you’re considering exercising. After six to eight weeks, you will no longer be “testing” your sutures, which is probably the best time to get back into your usual workout routines.

Unfortunately, since a tummy tuck is a major procedure, there’s no real way to speed up your recovery without it resulting in swelling, pain and other complications. You can find out more about the recovery process here: https://drjustinperron.com.au/tummy-tuck-abdominoplasty/

Sample Tummy Tuck Exercise Plan

Once you’re ready to start moving again, it will need to be gradual. Below is a suggested exercise plan that you can use during your recovery but it’s always better to get recommendations from your surgeon first.

Week 2: Daily walks on a flat surface (If you are still in pain after week 2, rather wait an additional week)

Week 4 – 6: Low impact cardio routines are now possible. This includes walking and riding a stationary bike.

Week 6 – 8: You can now return to your usual cardio activities, which can include spinning, running and swimming.

Week 12 – 18: This is a safe time to start incorporating resistance routines and strengthening exercises into your routines. Crunches can now be incorporated too.

Mapping out a weekly workout plan will help keep you motivated and ensure you can enjoy your new shape for years to come.