No matter how beneficial regular exercise is for a healthy body and balanced life, it is still not safe in every case. Especially if you have undergone a major surgery like a tummy tuck, exercising can bring more harm to your body than good.
There are many important things to remember and practice before and after your surgery. As exercise after tummy tuck is essential to remain fit and keep your muscles intact, it is equally important to exercise before your surgery.
Toning your muscles a few months before your surgery is essential, as toned muscles will help fasten your recovery, making you more likely to receive your expected results. However, starting your post-tummy tuck exercise plan immediately after your surgery is not an ideal option.
Your body needs some rest after a tummy tuck, and you must slowly and gradually start exercising. Here is a complete guide to exercise after your tummy tuck-abdominoplasty for your better understanding.
Timeline to Start Exercising After Tummy Tuck
Rather than starting to exercise vigorously, it is essential to increase your exercise slowly. While resting in the initial days, you can begin improving your workout sessions after tummy tuck surgery, so your body does not feel any pressure or burden.
Following are the timespans according to which you can slowly increase your exercise, so your recovery period is not affected post-surgery:
1-2 Weeks after Tummy Tuck
The initial days are your resting period so try to rest as much as possible. For about two weeks post-surgery, you should walk lightly around the house to help your body with proper blood flow and avoid blood clots. Ask someone to help you walk around the house.
3 Weeks Post Surgery
Much of your swelling has faded at this point, and if you are still thinking about how much I should walk after a tummy tuck, then the answer is: not more than 15-20 minutes. You can opt for walking twice a day for this duration but remember not to start any exercises.
4 Weeks Post Surgery
By this time, you can start increasing your walking time, but you should always listen to your body, exercise, and work accordingly. After four weeks post-surgery, you can also begin your lower body exercises but do not engage your abdominal muscles in any activities for now.
6-8 Weeks Post Surgery
How long after a tummy tuck can you work out? Well, now is the time for you to ease back on your exercise routine. However, you still need to wait for approximately 8-12 weeks for abdominal exercises because your abdominal muscles will be 90% healed by then. However, it is still best to avoid stomach exercises. For now, you can work on lower body and cardio exercises, and can even lift light weights.
8-12 Weeks Post Surgery
By this time, your body will start acting normal, and you can initiate your abdominal exercises after consulting with your surgeon. Remember not to be too hard on yourself and rest in between whenever you feel tired and exhausted. If you feel any pain in your stomach, it is better to stop working out immediately.
Ways to Exercise After a Tummy Tuck
If you feel restrained and think about how long after a tummy tuck can I workout, then understand that you can start exercising once you have completely healed from your surgery, and your doctor approves you to exercise and activity.
The four main muscle groups that affect your stomach’s appearance are the internal oblique, external oblique, rectus abdominis, and transverses abdominis. If you want a toned and tight-looking stomach, you need to work on these four muscles.
You can start with three to four types of exercises targeting these muscles. You can do these exercises in 10 to 12 repetitions in three to four sets, as you should not do all activities in one go. Following is a list of exercises you can perfrom to target your stomach muscles.
Crunches
Nothing is more traditionally effective than a crunch exercise. This form provides you with less movement and very little room for any error or complication. You can have a yoga mat of good quality for this. There are two different ways you can do crunches:
- Rather than doing crunches the usual way, add a twist by lifting your shoulders. This will have a good effect on your oblique muscles.
- You can also add variation to your crunches exercise by doing a V-crunch while sitting on a chair. You need to keep your back straight for this, lean at an angle of 45 degrees and raise your legs while contracting your abdomen. Try to keep your lower body as straightforward as possible for maximum impact.
Planks
In addition to toning your body, planks also tone your abdomen. For planks, you need to come in a push-up position while placing your hands under your shoulders and try to hold this position for a minimum of one minute.
Avoid lowering down your hips while keeping your body in a straight line. Try to hold this position from 30 seconds to five minutes while not pushing yourself too hard.
Leg Lifting
Leg lifting is another exercise that significantly enhances the look of your stomach. It would help if you lay down straight on the ground, placing your arms by your side. Slowly lift your legs a few inches above and tighten your abdominal muscles. Lower your legs slowly and repeat this exercise at least ten times.
Stability Exercising
There are also stability ball exercises that engage several muscle groups all at the same time. Just try to stay stable as you perform ab tightening exercises.
Other Exercising Methods
There are several more exercises which you can perform to strengthen and tone your abs, such as sliding pikes, knee fold tucks, side balance crunches, pilates, oblique reach, and yoga.
Other Important Things to Consider After a Tummy Tuck
Other things that are equally important than exercising are:
- Avoid lifting heavy weights. Try not to lift weights of more than five to ten pounds for at least six weeks, as lifting heavy weights can put unnecessary pressure on your incisions.
- Your sleeping position is crucial post-surgery. Try to sleep comfortably with pillows under your head and knees. It is best to sleep on your back, as it will minimize your pain and discomfort.
- Consume a balanced diet. Follow a healthy and nutritious diet to fasten your recovery process. Also, eat light foods and try not to experience constipation for some time.
Conclusion
If you were wondering about when can I do squats after a tummy tuck or when can I start my workout, understand that your body needs proper healing and recovery before you begin exercising usually and vigorously.
Try to follow only the exercising timeline and methods mentioned above to avoid any complications and issues post-surgery, as you would not want to experience further pain after the tummy tuck procedure. There are even more methods regarding botox tijuana that you can opt for to acquire optimum results.
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