What Exercise Can I Do 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation
There are a number of great exercises that you can do to get back in shape after breast augmentation surgery. Of course, you should always consult with your doctor before beginning any sort of exercise program. He or she will help you pick out the best types of exercises based on your age, body type, and even what procedure was used during the surgery.
In this post, we review What Exercise Can I Do 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation, What Exercise Can I Do 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation, lower body workout after breast augmentation, and exercises to avoid after breast augmentation.
The key to knowing the proper exercises after breast surgery is all in the timing. This is one of the most popular questions we get at our Raleigh plastic surgery office. We created this guide of what you can do at each time point after your breast implant surgery. When recovering in North Carolina, whether it is after plastic surgery in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill or on the coast like Greenville, Wilmington and Cedar Point — everyone wants to know when they can go back to walking and working out in our great outdoors. Read on for details about going back to your regular activities after plastic surgery.
Whether you had breast implants above the muscle or breast implants under the muscle, this guide is helpful at planning your exercises after breast surgery. Be sure to check with your board-certified plastic surgeon before making any major moves in working out after breast implants.
Exercises after Breast Surgery: WEEK 1
From the first day to the end of the first week after breast surgery, the best exercise you can do is pretty much limited to walking around the house. You want to avoid any cardio (that means anything that gets your heart rate up) and avoid all strength training. This means no walks in the neighborhood, and definitely no reps on the staircase, treadmill, peloton or elliptical.
Definitely do not do any weight training, zumba or anything like that. Take it easy – you could impede the healing by overdoing it, or worse, you could hurt yourself. We don’t want you to have any bleeding around your implant. Focus on recovery this week. Remember, if it hurts, don’t do it just yet.
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Exercises after Breast Surgery – WEEK 2
For this second week after breast surgery, you will still have some swelling working its way out of your system. So for that reason, you have to skip cardio during week 2. Read that again – cardio is not a part of exercises after breast surgery in week 2!
So what can you do? Light walking on your street, at the mall, nothing over a mile. In our NC heat, perhaps limit your summer walks to short and sweet loops where you don’t start sweating. This means no power-walking. As far as weights and strength training – those are still on the no-go list for week 2. See the details for next week if you are itching to start!
Exercises after Breast Surgery – WEEK 3
Exercises after breast surgery in your third week is liberating! At this point we typically release you to start lower body strength training only. This includes gluts, lower abs, and of course your quads, hamstrings and calves. Still no pec, lat, trapezius, biceps or triceps. Avoid upper body and arms. Lunges, leg presses, calf raises and squats are ok. Make sure you are not clenching your pecs when do these.
Oh, and still no cardio! I know you can give yourself a cardio-type workout while doing your reps with weights — so don’t do that. Just do weights without raising your heart rate and blood pressure. That’s because when you start pumping more blood, that means more swelling in the breasts, and we will go backwards before going forwards in your healing process. Get some energy out with a light walk in your neighborhood after your plastic surgery in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and the Greater Triangle Area. The usually temperate climate is perfect unless you are in peak summer.
Keep your eye on the prize, just a bit more and then you will be released to full exercises!
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Exercises after Breast Surgery – WEEK 4
Week 4 is a major turning point. Guess what? Now you may finally start light cardio! You may also slowly and lightly introduce upper body and arms into your strength routine. Do not go back to cross-fit or your normal full-on workout regimen. Instead, start slow and easy, and plan to work toward achieving your peak fitness over the next 2-3 weeks.
You can begin biceps, triceps, and upper abs now. Those of you with implants under the muscle may want to hold off on pecs, lat and trap work for one more week. Four weeks after surgery you are cleared to do things like get in the pool or hot tub. So if swimming laps is your thing, wait until after four weeks have gone by to begin this exercise after breast surgery.
Exercises after Breast Surgery – WEEK 5-6
This is when you may start to introduce all the things you used to do, and at about week 6 or 7 after surgery I expect you will be back at the same weights and cardio you were doing before surgery. Pec work? Ok to start low, go slow. Lat, trap, biceps and triceps? Yes – you betcha!
Again don’t reach for the weights you used to do, start low and build that strength back up. Pace yourself and have some self-compassion and patience! Your body has been hard at work healing and recovering from major surgery.
What Exercise Can I Do 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation
Patients may gradually increase their activity level as they feel their energy level coming back. Depending on the type of surgery, it may take 1 – 2 weeks to return to normal energy levels throughout the day. For those who are anxious to return to exercise, light cardio activities are ideal. You can start these activities after 2 weeks. These activities may include walking your neighborhood in the Phoenix area, walking on a very slow setting on a treadmill, or cycling slowly on a stationary bike. The goal is to not elevate the heart rate too high, while still experiencing the psychological effects of exercise.
As patients return to their normal energy levels, a specific exercise regimen will be outlined based on the procedure and fitness level.
Exercise After Breast Augmentation
The main concern with working out after a breast augmentation is overusing the pectoral muscles. The vast majority of breast implants are placed underneath the pectoralis major muscle. Thus, the muscle will need to heal from surgery before resistance training. The reason for this is the scar tissue, or capsule, that lines the pocket that holds the implant. This begins forming immediately after surgery. Every woman who has breast implants has capsules lining the pockets. This is simply our body’s way of protecting us against an object (the implant) that it doesn’t recognize. The goal is to allow the capsule to form in such a way that it is undetectable. Therefore, during the initial four weeks after surgery, breast augmentation patients should avoid overusing their pectoral muscles.
Typically, this means lifting nothing heavier than 10 pounds. No heavy pulling or pushing of objects such as car doors or even heavy purses, and no weight training. This also includes any weight lifting exercises that involve the chest and back (and to some degree, the arms). Patients should avoid push-ups, pull-ups, dips, certain yoga poses and Pilates moves that rely on balancing body weight with the arms, swinging a golf club or tennis racquet, and using certain exercise equipment such as an elliptical trainer with arm attachments.
In the first 4 weeks after surgery, Dr. Williams recommends lower body exercise. Any type of leg exercise including lunges, leg presses, and squats (without weights) are fine. Light to moderate cardio can also be performed, such as walking, stationary cycling, and the elliptical (without the arms). Strive for no bouncing motion like running or jumping. Patients may also carefully complete core strengthening exercises. These types of exercises can usually begin at 2 weeks post-op.
At the four-week post-op visit, the patient’s progress will be reviewed. If all is progressing normal in the recovery, the patient may slowly begin arm workouts followed by chest exercises.
Eventually, every patient regains total strength of their pec muscles and are able to perform any exercise they desire. Dr. Williams has operated on competitive fitness models and bodybuilders in the Phoenix area who continue to compete and highlight their pecs after breast augmentation surgery.
Exercise After Liposuction
The first two weeks following liposuction are like any other procedure and the same restrictions as outlined in the general “Exercise After Plastic Surgery” instructions are applied.
By the third week, liposuction patients will be instructed to begin light cardio workouts, such as walking or stationary cycling. During the first four weeks after liposuction, all patients are required to wear a compression garment day and night to help minimize swelling and help guide skin retraction. This garment (or a sport specific garment) should also be worn during exercise. After two weeks of light cardio, the patient may resume more demanding workouts to include weight lifting and running.
The amount of exercise that can be done at four weeks depends on the amount of liposuction performed and how many areas of the body were treated. Also, it’s important to understand that as one exercises after liposuction, the treated areas will experience prolonged swelling, sometimes for up to six months after surgery. This does not jeopardize the results, but it may prolong the final result. However, most patients are willing to wait for the final result if it means they can get back to their workout routine faster.
Exercise After a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
The recovery period following a tummy tuck is longer than that of just liposuction. Because of the muscle repair that is involved in a tummy tuck, the body needs a longer time to heal before becoming stressed by any kind of workout.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of sports and training routines rely on activating the core musculature, which includes the rectus muscles. Therefore, Phoenix area patients are instructed to wait four weeks before beginning light cardio exercise. When patients begin this exercise at four weeks following surgery, they have to start very slowly and advance to a more vigorous routine over a span of four additional weeks, which will allow adequate time for the muscles to heal. Once the patient is able to perform moderate cardio exercises, they will be released for light resistance training and then finally core work. It may take 8 – 10 weeks before a patient may perform sit-ups, crunches, or twisting movements. As with liposuction, a compression garment is recommended during the first 6 – 8 weeks following surgery to limit swelling and guide skin retraction. Also, patients will experience prolonged swelling around the waist and above the scar the more they work out in the early post-operative period. This is not harmful; it simply prolongs the final result.
Exercise After Facial Rejuvenation (Facelift, Eyelid Lift, Brow Lift)
Following a facial rejuvenation procedure, patients are recommended to refrain from any activity that will increase their heart rate and/or blood pressure for at least four weeks. This is due to the fact that these procedures involve operating beneath the skin of the face, eyelids, or brow where there are hundreds of tiny blood vessels that can easily bleed after surgery with just a slight increase in blood pressure. If this were to happen, a hematoma, or a collection of blood, could form under the skin resulting in significant complications, including a return trip to the operating room. After the first four weeks, the majority of patients can resume light cardio (walking or slow stationary cycling) and gradually work up to a more vigorous workout over the subsequent two weeks. By six weeks after surgery, most patients can return to various activities, such as hiking Phoenix area trails, golf, or yoga.
Exercise After A Breast Lift
While it is important for patients to get back to exercise and an active lifestyle following breast lift surgery, it is also extremely important for the body to be given the necessary time to heal. Dr. Williams has experience in working with Phoenix area athletes following surgical procedures and will work with patients to provide specific guidelines that fit their needs. Some general guidelines following a breast lift:
Lower body exercise is recommended and encouraged following a breast lift. Body weight squats and lunges and leg presses are allowed, and light cardio using a stationary bicycle or an elliptical without the arm attachments are good choices in the weeks immediately following surgery. Any type of exercise that involves bouncing type motions or the upper body area should be avoided until the four-week post-op visit, at which time Dr. Williams will evaluate the patient and determine the most appropriate exercise program.
Exercise After a Breast Reduction
Following a breast reduction, many patients are anxious to exercise, as they may have had limitations in exercise due to their previous breast size. While Dr. Williams encourages physical fitness, it’s crucial to let the body sufficiently heal following a breast reduction procedure. While Dr. Williams will work with each patient on an individual basis to determine what their exercise capacity may be following a breast reduction surgery, there are some general guidelines:
Lower body exercise is encouraged in the immediate weeks following a breast reduction surgery. While weights should not be used, body weight lunges and squats are perfectly fine. Low impact cardio is encouraged, and walking, stationary bicycling, and using an elliptical without the arm attachments are all good choices. Any type of exercise involving the upper body should be avoided until clearance from the surgeon. At the four-week post-op appointment, Dr. Williams will evaluate the healing progress and determine if the patient is ready to begin exercise that involves their upper body.
What Exercise Can I Do 2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation
After you have breast augmentation surgery, it’s important to rest and avoid strenuous activities, but once you’re feeling better, you may be ready to start working out again. While we’ve looked at when it’s okay to exercise after breast augmentation, Dr. Ortiz, a leading board-certified plastic surgeon in Raleigh, wanted to provide some guidelines as to the best exercises after breast augmentation, so you can stay fit and active without injury or discomfort.
Light Activities After Breast Augmentation Surgery
For the first two to three weeks after your procedure, it’s important to focus on resting, healing, and limiting your activities. While short walks can increase blood flow through your body to improve healing and minimize the risk of blood flow, anything greater than that can cause serious injury. If you received sub-muscular breast implants (meaning they were placed below the pectoral muscles), the muscle contractions from heavier exercise can even cause the implants to shift when you exercise too soon as they haven’t settled into their permanent position within the breasts.
After two to five to six weeks, your plastic surgeon will clear you for light activity and light exercise. You want to avoid elevating the heart rate too high, and with breast implants, you also want to avoid lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds.
The best exercises after breast augmentation at this stage include:
At around six weeks after your procedure, your surgeon will clear you to add more activity to your lifestyle, allowing you to engage in more moderate activity.
Examples include:
Of course, it’s important to listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself into activities or exercises that you’re not ready for. Also, be sure to discuss your exact exercise routines and fitness goals with your plastic surgeon to ensure they’re safe for you.
Successfully Exercising After Breast Augmentation
After about six to eight weeks, your surgeon will most likely clear you to resume all your regular activities, including arm workouts, chest exercises, and weight training. However, having larger breasts can make certain workouts more challenging or uncomfortable. To help you maintain your fitness after getting breast implants, follow these tips.
Choose the Right Bra
Without the right support, jogging and other activities can be uncomfortable or even painful. Choosing a high-quality sports bra with a wider back and increased coverage can provide stability and minimize movement.
Find the Right Bra Size
Most sports bras are sized as small, medium, large, etc, so women are more likely to assume their size or assume they’re the same size in all sports bras. For the most comfortable fit, consider being professionally fitted when buying bras, or, if that’s not an available option, try on every sports bra before you wear it to exercise and adjust the size depending on the brand or even material. Your final results may be seen around 6 months after surgery. Be cautious about getting an expensive bra before then.
Choose the Right Exercise
While most women can enjoy the same exercises before breast augmentation as after, it’s also okay to change your routines to account for having larger breasts.
Schedule a Consultation for Breast Augmentation in Raleigh Today
If you are considering having breast augmentation surgery to achieve larger, fuller breasts, our board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ortiz can help. He’s performed countless, successful breast augmentation procedures to help women feel more confident and attractive, and can help you meet your goals as well. To learn more, schedule a consultation at our plastic surgery center in North Raleigh today by calling 919-532-2270 or filling out the form below to get started.
lower body workout after breast augmentation
Hey ladies, if you’ve upgraded your girls you might be wondering about exercise. There’s a lot to think about when it comes to post-op exercises including: physical activity levels before the procedure, future fitness goals, breast implant exercise techniques, and regaining your general exercise routine. Firstly, knowing what to expect is an important part of recovery as well as having a well-made post-surgical bra. It sounds like a lot but don’t worry. You got this!
Your activity level may vary as the healing process progresses. However, the exercises that you do in the later stages of the healing process depend on your physical condition prior to the breast augmentation procedure. For example, if you trained for an hour or more each day and consider yourself especially fit, then you can generally expect to kick it back into high gear in about twelve weeks. If you had moderate amounts of exercise and wish to continue your current lifestyle, a few weeks of rest from intense exercises won’t affect you too much. Finally, if you enjoy a relatively sedentary lifestyle, consider light exercise such as walking in order to keep the blood flow going.
General Exercises After Breast Augmentation: How Long Before You Can Exercise After Breast Augmentation?
Aside from specific exercises for the breast implants, you might want to know what types of exercises are safe during recovery. Need to know about 3 weeks post op breast augmentation exercises? How about leg exercises after breast augmentation?
According to John Williams, M.D., “The main concern with working out after a breast augmentation is overusing the pectoral muscles. Since the vast majority of breast implants are placed underneath the pectoralis major muscle, the muscle will need to heal from surgery before stress is placed on it through resistance training. The reason for this is the scar tissue, or capsule, that lines the pocket that holds the implant, begins forming immediately after surgery. Every woman who has breast implants has capsules lining the pockets. This is simply our body’s way of protecting us against an object (the implant) that it doesn’t recognize. The goal is to allow the capsule to form in such a way that it is undetectable. Therefore, during the initial four weeks after surgery, it is recommended that breast augmentation patients avoid overusing their pectoral muscles”.
In other words, you’ll want to avoid overworking the pecs so that your new implants will heal up properly without scars. Also, avoid lifting anything over ten pounds, carrying heavy purses or bags, and pushing or pulling heavy objects within the first four weeks after surgery. You’ll mainly wanna focus on lower-body exercises and light to moderate cardio. Around the four-week mark, you’ll most likely have a post-op visit where the doc will check you out and make sure everything’s healing up properly. If they give you the OK, you should be able to start doing arm and chest exercises.
The following is a week-by-week breakdown of how to perform general exercise throughout the healing process. Always consult with your surgeon before taking on high intensity exercises at any part of the healing process. Pain and discomfort are your body’s way of telling you to stop. If exercises that were previously within your capability suddenly prove too difficult, rest for a few more days and try again. This guide is meant for those who were moderately or highly physically active before surgery.
During the first 48-72 hours, taking light walks can help with blood flow. This is important for preventing blood clots. Your body is still recovering and needs an adequate amount of rest so make sure to take plenty of naps. After the first three days, low intensity exercises such as walking on the treadmill and peddling a stationary bike are fine in moderation. As a precaution, try to avoid core, upper body, incline, holding on, and other high intensity exercises.
In the second week, your energy levels will start coming back so you might feel like moving around a little bit. Still, be mindful about your body’s needs. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and wait a few more days before trying again. You should be able to do leg extensions, seated hamstring, seated abduction, and isolated legs. Upper body, core, holding on, and high intensity exercises should still be avoided.
Between weeks 3 and 4, you might feel more comfortable moving around. You should still avoid upper body and high intensity work outs but light holding and lightly holding small weights in your hands should be ok in moderation. Be careful with core exercises. There’s no need to worry about loss of abdominal muscle definition at this point, especially if you were an avid gym girl before the breast augmentation procedure.
During this time, your body has made a lot of progress. Feel good about yourself! You’re in the home stretch. Now you can do some light jogging, narrow back work, squats and lunges, bicep and tricep work, delt raises and presses, and glute kickbacks. Bench pushups, chest flies, pull-ups/hanging, and heavy tricep dips are still out, though.
After the ninth week, your body might feel completely normal again. You’ll be able to start high intensity exercises such as sprints, jump rope, and lunge jumps. Hanging and pull-ups should still be avoided, however.
Around week twelve, it should be safe to continue all previous high intensity workout routines but check with your physician just to be safe, especially if you feel any pain or discomfort before, during, or after working out.
Your body is unique and listening to it throughout the healing process is the best thing you can do. These general guidelines can help you plan a suitable post-op exercise routine. For personalized advice, talk to your doctor and/or personal trainer about your health, fitness, and body image goals. Plenty of rest, relaxation, and a little exercise can go a long way. You go girl!
exercises to avoid after breast augmentation
If you’re just getting used to the gym, words like `rest`, `recovery`, and `recuperate` will make you do a little mouth sick. After spending weeks (or months) climbing weights and improving your personal best, the last thing you want to do is rest and risk undoing all your hard graft. But if you are planning a boob job, you need to take your 6-week recovery period seriously. Never mind delayed muscle soreness- you’ll have the weight of two brand new boobies to deal with! We’ve chosen 6 popular exercises to avoid after a boob job (and why you shouldn’t do them).
Pulling
1.Pull-ups (inc. assisted)
Nope, we’re not talking about Pampers! If you can do five pull-ups or close, you’re in great shape. This pull strengthening exercise involves lifting the weight of your body while dangling from gym equipment such as chin-up bars, monkey bars, bands, and rings. You can also do assisted pull-ups, which involves perching your knees on a seat to help lift the weight.
Which muscles does it use?
Pull-ups and assisted pull-ups work your back, biceps, and forearms. Engaging your core muscles will make each rep (movement) tighter and more effective.
If you are opting for a boob job, you will be advised not to raise your arms above your head for a minimum of two weeks. After your full 6-week recovery period is over, your surgeon will advise you to resume your normal activities (or what is normal for you!). Putting too much pressure on your upper body during recovery can damage your implants, increasing the risk of flipping and rippling. Working your upper body too much also heightens the risk of lateral displacement or `bottoming out`, which is where the implant slips down and the top portion of the breast flattens out.
Much like the sport, the rowing machine involves using your arms, shoulders, chest, and upper back to drive power forward. Except for you’re holding a bar instead of oars, which we could argue a different motion to actual rowing. It’s a form of low-impact cardio.
Which muscles does it use?
Rowing uses mainly your arms and upper body. Like many pull exercises, it’s also a great workout for your core and middle body.
Although rowing is low-impact, it relies largely on your upper body. We are interested in the chest here- which needs to be well-rested while you’re in your recovery period. Rowing could affect your incisions or increase the risk of your implants changing position, especially during the first two weeks after your boob job. The pulling motion is one to avoid until you are comfortable and happy with your recovered breasts.
Pushing
What is a shoulder press?
Dumbbells are generally a good movement to start back with- you are in charge of the weight and can go lower or higher to what is comfortable for you. A shoulder press involves holding a dumbbell in each hand, starting on top of your shoulders and extending to above your head to straight arms.
Which muscles does it use?
A shoulder press works your triceps, pectoral and surprise surprise- your shoulder muscles (or deltoids).
Your pectoral muscles sit just above your breasts, so undoubtedly the surrounding area is going to feel very heavy and sore. Imagine a pug sitting on your boobs 24 hours a day, every day, for a few weeks. Working these muscles will add extra tension and tightness. We’re not saying to avoid the shoulder press completely* after your boob job, but be extra careful. Top tip? If it hurts, stop.
A plank is a core strengthening exercise which involves holding your body, as stiff as a plank of wood, for minutes at a time. Think of a static press-up with your fists clasped together.
Which muscles does it use?
Planking uses your upper and lower body, including your shoulders, arms, glutes, core, and pelvis.
After you’ve had a boob job, you’ll want to keep your boobs supported. Planking encourages your boobs to gravitate away from your chest, which could cause discomfort and strain. Not only that, you might fall onto your new boobs as you break away from the plank.
Swinging
If you go to a commercial gym, chances are you’ve seen the sorcery that is battle ropes. Effectively they are long, heavy bits of rope attached to a bar or piece of equipment. Doing ropes commonly involves grabbing one in each hand, jumping up and down and whipping each rope as hard as you can, although there are other purposes for them.
Which muscles do they use?
Battle ropes are a blend of cardio and strength training. They boast a full body workout- strengthening your hands, forearms, shoulders, back, legs, abs, and core.
Doing ropes involves jerking motions which could disturb your wounds or implants. Swinging and whipping exercises such as battle ropes, kettlebells, and medicine balls should be avoided until your boobs are healed properly.
Jiggling
A cross-trainer is a cardio machine designed to simulate walking, running, and climbing stairs. It’s low-impact, so your muscles and joints are under less pressure than if you were to walk, run, or use the stairs in an everyday environment.
Which muscles does it use?
The cross-trainer uses your upper and lower body- including your arms, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quads, and even your core.
Although it’s low-impact, using a cross-trainer causes a jiggling movement in your breasts (much like any cardio!) If you are planning on using a cross-trainer soon after recovery, we stress the importance of a supportive post-surgical bra or sports bra.
*Always follow the advice of your surgeon first. Exercising should only be undertaken after your surgeon has given you the OK to do so.