What Happens If You Exercise Too Soon After Liposuction
If you are wondering just how long you’ll be out of action after liposuction, the answer is, it depends. If you’ve had extensive liposuction, you’ll be recovering for longer than if you’ve had just a little.
You can usually return to your normal life pretty quickly after liposuction, but there are special considerations when it comes to exercise. At ENRICH Clinic, Dr Michael Rich, our liposuction expert, will fill you in on what you can and can’t do at your appointment.
Here’s the general gist of it.
Healing after liposuction
If you consider what’s your body has undergone – the removal of some of the infrastructure of your body, fat – then you can conceptualise the repair required under the skin. Exercising too soon, especially vigorous exercise, can affect the healing process.
Light physical activity is usually no problem and is encouraged a few days post-surgery; however, ‘light’ means hanging out the washing and ducking into the supermarket. It does not mean jogging around the block or doing aerobics.
In this guide, we review What Happens If You Exercise Too Soon After Liposuction, how long after lipo do you have to wear compression, how long after lipo will i see results, and when can i start doing abs after lipo.
What Happens If You Exercise Too Soon After Liposuction
Liposuction is a great way to achieve the body you’ve always wanted. But if you’re eager to get back into your workout routine as soon as possible, it’s important to know what happens if you exercise too soon after liposuction.
What Happens If You Exercise Too Soon After Liposuction?
What Happens If You Exercise Too Soon After Liposuction?
Exercising too soon after having liposuction can lead to bleeding and bruising, as well as infections, swelling and pain. It may sound counterintuitive, but it’s better to wait a few days before exercising again than risk doing damage to your body.
How Soon Can I Workout After Liposuction?
It’s important to wait at least six weeks before you start exercising. The reason for this is that it takes time for your skin to heal after surgery, and working out too soon could lead to complications such as pain, swelling, bruising, bleeding or infection.
Another problem with exercising too soon is that it may cause your skin to tear during exercise—especially if you’re performing weight-bearing exercises like running or squats. For example: if you start running when your body is still healing from liposuction procedures (like us), then the pressure applied by impact on the pavement can tear open stitches in your skin (ouch!).
The Importance of Following Post-Op Instructions
First, it’s important to know what happens if you don’t follow your doctor’s post-op instructions.
If you don’t take care of yourself after a liposuction procedure, the results can be disastrous. For example, if you don’t wear compression garments even though your doctor told you to do so, some of the fat may settle back into the areas where it was removed. This creates an unsightly lumpy appearance and requires another surgery in order to fix the problem. It’s also very important that patients avoid strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least two weeks after their surgery because doing so can cause blood clots or tissue damage. Further precautions include not wearing tight clothing or belts around your waist (especially in front) until all swelling has subsided since these items could cause discomfort or injury when worn under those circumstances; using ice packs on swollen areas several times per day for about 10 minutes each time; avoiding sitting for long periods without getting up every hour (e.g., in front of computer workstation); taking any prescribed pain medication as needed without exceeding recommended dosage amounts; and remaining hydrated throughout recovery process by drinking plenty water each day (at least eight glasses). Following these directions will help ensure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish!
The Benefits of Working Out After Liposuction
Working out is a great way to maintain or increase muscle tone, which will help your body look leaner and more defined.
Working out can also improve circulation and metabolism, while reducing stress. Exercise increases the amount of oxygen available to cells, improves blood flow through larger arteries and capillaries, and increases enzymes that break down fat.
Exercise is also one of the best ways to build bone strength, mass and density—and it’s never too late to start! In fact, research shows that older women who exercised regularly had lower rates of fractures compared with non-exercising peers.
You can also improve your body composition by increasing muscle mass while losing fat—which is why it’s important not to skip this step after liposuction surgery!
how long after lipo do you have to wear compression
Liposuction patients who closely follow the aftercare instructions following their procedure typically experience the fewest issues during their recovery and are generally the happiest with their liposuction results. Often, one of the most important post-lipo instructions given by physicians is the requirement to wear compression garments over the first couple of weeks following surgery.
But what are compression garments, how do you wear them, and for how long do you wear them? In this post we’ll discuss the ins and outs of compression garments and explain why they are vital to successful liposuction recovery and results.
The Importance of Compression Garments
Medical compression garments are much more than Spanx or the tight socks worn by marathon runners. This high-tech, advanced recovery wear is specifically designed to help you heal faster and achieve the best possible liposuction results. Proper use of compression garments after your liposuction surgery may be the most effective thing you can do to enhance your new body contour.
Not wearing compression garments leaves you vulnerable to enhanced swelling and bruising, lax skin and a wrinkled or dimpled appearance.
What Are Compression Garments?
Medical compression garments are made from strong, yet flexible, synthetic fabrics such as lycra or nylon. They are constructed in a manner that allows for graduated, multi-directional stretch, while maintaining pressure throughout the treatment area.
Compression garments come in a variety of sizes to accommodate differently sized bodies and various body parts. Depending on your liposuction procedure, you may be sent home with one or more compression garments for the abdomen, breasts, legs or arms, and neck or chin.
A proper fit will feel snug, but never painful. Your doctor may order you several sizes, to adjust pressure over time as your swelling goes down.
How Do Compression Garments Help Liposuction Recovery?
Compression garments not only make recovery more comfortable, but they reduce swelling and bruising for faster healing. Importantly, they improve the outcome of your liposuction procedure by helping the body adhere to its new contour.
The proper use of compression garments during lipo recover can:
After your liposuction surgery, your body will produce fluids that can build up and become stagnant, causing uncomfortable swelling. By applying even, consistent pressure in the area of your procedure compression garments prevent fluid from accumulating for a decrease in swelling.
Liposuction incurs trauma to the blood vessels just underneath your skin, which results in bruising as blood rises to the skin’s surface. Compression garments diminish the appearance of bruises by keeping blood away from the surface of the skin.
Scarring from liposuction is typically minimal since incisions are small and well hidden. However, compression garments help further reduce scarring by maintaining pressure on the incision site for flatter, smoother skin.
During liposuction, fat is removed from below the skin and above the muscle, creating a space where fluids can build up and pool. Fluid accumulation in this area which causes lumps is referred to as edema. Compression garments minimize this space by pressurizing the skin against muscle, minimizing potential fluid accumulation.
Minimize Pain or Discomfort
Many patients say compression garments help them feel more secure after their surgery, and make movement easier during the early recovery period. Compression garments have the ability to decrease pain, improve posture, and increase mindful care of the area impacted by your liposuction procedure.
If your compression garments are causing pain versus providing relief, see your doctor for a better fitting garment.
While it may not feel glamorous to wear compression garments, they will indeed enhance your final results. The supportive compression prevents skin from getting lax or wrinkled and assists in skin retraction for an improved, tighter contour.
How Long Must Compression Garments Be Worn?
Immediately after your liposuction procedure, your doctor will fit you with the necessary compression garments. Expect to wear these garments 24/7 for the first 6 weeks, removing them only for bathing or washing.
After the first three weeks, your doctor will assess your level of swelling and the speed of your recovery. You may be asked to switch to a smaller garment to accommodate reduced swelling.
Compression garments are typically worn for a total of 6 weeks. How long you must wear yours will depend on the specifics of your liposuction procedure, how much fat was removed, and the unique pace of your healing.
How Should Compression Garments Fit?
A proper fit is a snug fit. Your compression garments should not be too tight, nor too bulky. Although you may experience some initial discomfort while you get used to the compression, you should not feel excessive pain or restriction.
As your swelling reduces, your compression garments will fit differently. To maintain their effectiveness, it is important you adjust your garments as needed throughout the recovery process.
What Happens If You Do Not Wear Compression Garments?
When compression garments are properly fitted the benefits far outweigh the risks. Not wearing compression garments at all can prolong your recovery, make the healing process more painful, and may lead to results that are less than ideal.
Compression garments contribute greatly to skin tightness and a smooth body contour after liposuction. For best results, keep them on for as long as your doctor recommends.
Kristy L. Hamilton, M.D. is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Houston, Texas. Dr. Hamilton offers the full range of bespoke aesthetic plastic surgery including rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, facelifts and facial rejuvenation, fat transfer, chin surgery, breast augmentation and lifts, body contouring and liposuction, as well as reconstructive facial and breast surgery. She understands each patient’s individual needs and applies her surgical skill with meticulous detail to create a natural and beautiful result.
how long after lipo will i see results
As you look forward to achieving your body’s ideal physique, you’re probably eager to know how long you may have to wait until you see the liposuction results.
Before you go into Vaser liposuction procedure or fat transfer, you’ll need to know what to expect from your procedure overall, the recovery process, and how to maintain your body’s new image. While liposuction is an excellent way to sculpt your body, it cannot be used as a complete substitute for a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
From how long recovery should take to when you will see visible results, learn what to expect each week after your procedure.
How long after lipo will I see results?
Like most surgeries, the time it takes for results to show varies from one individual to another. But as a rule of thumb, most people will see their final results three months after lipo removes unwanted fat.
Over time, the swelling will go down. Then you will see the results.
How long until liposuction swelling goes down?
You will find the areas where your surgeon removed fat are somewhat swollen right after your liposuction procedure. By the end of the first week, the initial swelling should have reduced slightly, but it can take as long as six weeks for the swelling to go completely.
Your plastic surgeon will likely advise you to wear a compression garment during your recovery to reduce swelling as best possible while you recover.
Liposuction results week by week
After Surgery
Directly after surgery, you will likely feel a little sleepy if you received sedation, and you may feel some pain and discomfort. Liposuction procedures are usually outpatient procedures, so you should be clear to go home the same day.
Your board-certified surgeon will discuss the best options for your specific case. Just make sure you have someone with you who can drive you home because you might feel a bit sleepy too.
Although only local anesthesia is usually needed, you may have received sedation to help relieve pain or reduce anxiety.
24 Hours
The first day after your surgery, you will likely feel sore, but your doctor will have prescribed pain medication to relieve that. Make sure you follow instructions to rest and take your medication as prescribed to reduce any pain or discomfort as much as possible.
You will need to make sure you wear your compression garments to reduce swelling. You may also have some drains in places where there are incisions; this is entirely normal. They’re used to prevent fluid build-up around the incision, so your recovery is as quick and painless as possible.
48 Hours
Much like the first 24 hours, you will need to limit your activity on day two after surgery. Your doctor may advise that you arrange childcare if you have kids and take time away from work. It’s a great idea to cook some meals ahead of time to reheat if you don’t have someone to help you get something to eat.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated too. Looking after yourself at this stage is vital to a smooth recovery. You’ll need to continue keeping up with the pain medication and wearing your compression bandages, usually until three days post-surgery.
First Week
By the time you arrive at a week post-surgery, you will be past the most challenging part of your liposuction recovery. You should notice that you experience significantly less discomfort than you did during the first few days. You can usually return to working from home. Your compression garments will still need to be worn, generally for another week. You should reduce your intake of pain medication so that you only take it when needed.
First Month
Around four weeks post-liposuction should be when you stop experiencing pain or discomfort. There may be minor residual swelling, but you will start to see the liposuction results.
You may still have some bruising around the incision sites. However, it should be fading well. Your surgeon will usually advise you to start light exercising again at this point while still avoiding heavy lifting and other strenuous activities. You can also return to work as usual.
Talk to your surgeon and confirm this if you have a particularly physically demanding job.
First three months
Between six weeks and two months after the procedure, you should be able to see your final results of liposuction. There may be some lingering swelling or bruising, but it shouldn’t be significant enough to prevent you from seeing a significant change in your appearance.
The areas where your surgeon removed fat cells will look tighter and smoother than before. Your liposuction recovery timeline will inform whether you can return to your usual activity level, including more intense exercise and heavy lifting.
You may find that your scars remain visible at this stage but are minimal and easily unnoticeable. Keep them out of the sun or apply sunblock on them, keeping them well-moisturized to improve their appearance over time.
Getting the most from your liposuction results
As with any plastic surgery, you will need to take care of your body to achieve the best long-term results. Liposuction results last with a healthy lifestyle. While lipo removes fat from specific areas, it does not prevent the future gained weight from affecting the same places in the future.
To get the most out of your procedure, maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine after you are cleared to do so following surgery.
Learn more recovery tips. Or, schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified liposuction doctors today.
when can i start doing abs after lipo
Most liposuction Tampa patients know what it takes to maintain a flat abdominal section. Still plenty are left to believe that after liposuction there is no need for exercising. There is no denying that liposuction will eliminate the unwanted fat from multiple problem areas that diet and exercise fail to achieve, but this body contouring procedure will not remove the need for a healthy exercise regimen to maintain results. With warm weather approaching in the next few months we know it is not easy for anyone to achieve the toned look you always wanted, but after liposuction your body can achieve that lean and sculpted look you wanted by following some simple core workouts.
Exercise is one of the key roles in maintaining liposuction results. After liposuction Tampa patient is allowed to resume physical activities, you can gradually increase toning exercises. Generally, this is about two to three weeks post-operation, but it is important for the body to heal for the best surgical results. Once 6 weeks have passed, most liposuction patients feel comfortable enough to endure strenuous exercises. To keep fat off the abdominals you will need to consistently follow a routine of cardio and abdominal exercises.
The best forms of cardio exercises are running, cycling, swimming and aerobics, but the following are the four simple abdominal exercises everyone should include in their workout routine after liposuction:
Stability Ball Crunch
The stability ball crunch is a variation of the traditional crunch, which utilizes the cushioning of a stability ball. Lie with your back on the ball and bend the knees at a 90-degree angle and with your feet apart and planted, lift your body up until your upper back is off the ball. Slowly lower yourself down and repeat for 10 repetitions.
Front Plank
The plank has a number of variations that target different areas of the abdominals. To target the front abs, you balance yourself on your forearms in a push-up position. You then hold your body on your forearms and toes, while squeezing the core. Hold the position for 20 seconds and increase the time as strength progresses.
Russian Twist
The Russian twist is an exercise that targets your front abdominals and obliques in one routine. Sit straight up with your feet flat on the floor and hold a medicine ball straight out in front of you. While fully extended, squeeze your abs and slowly twist from left to right. Repeat this for 10 reps on each side and increase the weight of the medicine ball as you wish.
Bicycle Crunch
The bicycle crunch is the most effective abdominal exercise for individual’s core. A comprehensive study from San Diego State University measured muscle activation of the 13 most common exercises. Using electromyography (EMG), researchers found the bicycle crunch to be the best all-around exercise to engage the three main muscle groups – rectus abdominis, external obliques, and internal obliques.
To execute the exercise you lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Gently lift your head with your hands to your knees while moving your legs in a bicycle pedaling motion. As you lift your head, your right elbow should attempt to touch the opposite knee as you lift it towards your chest. Alternately touch your elbows to the opposite knees as your body twists back and forth.
Following these core exercises will help flatten your belly before and after liposuction. If you are within reach of your weight loss goal and want flat abdominals before the summer rolls in, feel free to call and make an appointment with Dr. Perez for liposuction.