The success of any surgery is dependent not only on the procedure itself but also in the pre-operation and post-operation care that you’ll observe. The same fact holds with any plastic surgery procedure. Before you undertake any surgical procedure, it’s essential for you to realize and understand that after the first few days, you’ll still not be able to get back to how your daily life used to be; part of these activities include exercising.

Here is a guide point for an exercise timeline you can follow after a plastic surgery procedure:

1. Every timeline is always a personalized approach.

Whatever timeframes are set by your doctor, these could mean lesser than expected, or more than expected days for your healing. When patients like yourself ask their plastic surgeon about when they can start exercising, they usually give different answers based on numerous factors, such as:

  • Your medical and health history
  • The type of plastic surgery that you’re going to undergo
  • Risk factors that might be involved

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2. The first week after your surgery is always the hardest.

If you’re perfectly fine during the first week after your plastic surgery, then you must be superwoman! Surgeons unanimously agree that the first three to five days after your procedure is always the hardest. You will typically experience the following:

  • Pain
  • Swelling and bruises
  • Inability to move affected parts
  • Discomfort
  • Sensitive wounds

Your body won’t heal immediately, but if you want to speed up and improve the healing process, you have to do your part as well. It’s recommended that you first avoid doing any strenuous activities during the first week of your operation. If you want to move around, limit yourself to walking, as this can be good for you, too, to stimulate healing and blood circulation.

3. On the second week, you may be allowed to do light exercises.

Most plastic surgery patients say that their body starts to feel the healing process after the first ten days. There’ll still be a little pain and discomfort, but you’ll be able to move more and do more, after this period. When the second week after your surgery arrives, you may now be allowed to do light exercises. However, before you start doing any form of light exercise, consult your doctor first and ask if your wound can handle the light workout that you plan on doing. Examples of light activities that you can do include:

  • Aerobics
  • Brisk walking
  • Going up and down stairs

4. On the first month after your surgery, you’ll feel fully recovered, but you’ll still be limited.

Most patients feel like they’ve already fully recovered after the first month. It’s during this timeframe that you can start doing more of your daily activities and have your routine back. Although you may feel like you’re already fully recovered, it’s still beneficial if you avoid doing any strenuous physical activity such as lifting or running. You can do longer intervals of the exercises that you started doing on your second week, instead.

However, this is also highly dependent on the type of surgery that you underwent. If you only underwent a minor surgery, you may be allowed to do so much more than those patients who underwent major surgery. Consult your doctor first, so they can also check on the healing process of your plastic surgery wound.

5. Two months after your surgery, you’ll be allowed to do more strenuous exercises.

On the second month following your surgery, you’ll also start to see positive results of your plastic surgery site. It’s during this period that you’ll be able to fully appreciate the work that your surgeon has done for you. When you enter your second-month post operation, you’ll already be allowed to do more strenuous exercises. This can give you a sense of normalcy again, and you’ll also be able to do a self-check as to your healing process.

If you still feel any pain or discomfort when doing a strenuous activity during this period, it’s crucial for you to call your doctor immediately, as this is not always normal. Some of these strenuous activities include:

  • Running
  • Weight lifting
  • Exercising in the gym

Conclusion

With this guide in mind, it’s still vital for you to remember to always seek the medical advice of your surgeon, first. Remember that every person recuperates differently than others, so before you do anything, ask your doctor. Take your time, too. You underwent this plastic surgery procedure, and you worked and prepared hard for it, hence, take it easy as your body heals as well. No matter what you do, always make your health your top priority.