Exercise

First Steps

Your activity will be restricted to no strenuous activity for three weeks after the operation. You may walk and perform light household duties as tolerated upon your return home. Usually, frequent walks of short duration are tolerated better than one or two long walks that go to or past the point of fatigue. Increase the distance that you walk gradually. By the time you are six weeks post-op, you should be walking regularly unless you have specific problems with your weight bearing joints. In the latter case, water exercises are recommended. You can start water activities about three weeks after surgery.

Starting an Exercise Program:

You are already aware that Bariatric surgery is merely a tool to weight loss. Of course, this means that in order to receive the maximum benefits from your surgery, you must incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Patients report exercise is a key factor in their ability to maintain their weight. If you want to feel good and maintain and build muscle mass, you must exercise. Exercise helps you lose weight and stimulates the production of “the good feeling” hormones called endorphins. Exercise also helps to keep your bone tissue dense and strong, increases strength and balance, boosts energy and improves quality of life. Advanced Laparoscopy Center has shown that patients who exercise 3 or more times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes lost an additional 12% of their excess weight in 6 months. The mistake that many patients make is that they do not exercise until they feel “all recovered” or try to start exercising when they realize they are not on course to reach their goal weight. Patients who work hard on exercise soon after surgery find it very rewarding. As the weight falls off, the capacity for exercise improves dramatically, with significant improvements on a week-by-week basis. Do not cheat your body of this important aspect of weight loss. Make a long term commitment to exercising!

Yes, exercise is hard. It is difficult to stay motivated. It is not easy to find an exercise that you may like. Try to look into forms of exercise that you may have never tried before. Explore yoga, dancing, roller skating, tai-chi, etc…

Exercise does not mean that you have to be in a gym for hours a day. If it has been some time since you have exercised regularly, then it is best to start slowly. Begin with as little as 5 minutes a day and add 5 more minutes a week until you can stay active for 45 minutes per day. We recommend that you make exercise part of your daily routine. Just being an active person is not enough exercise to be able to lose the weight and keep it off.

There are three forms of exercise:

Cardiovascular, strength-building, and flexibility.
Cardiovascular exercise is also known as aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise uses your large muscles and can be continued for long periods. For example, walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling are aerobic activities. These types of exercises drive your body to use oxygen more efficiently and deliver maximum benefits to your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. A simple definition of cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that raises your heart rate to a level where you can still talk, but you start to sweat a little. At least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3 or 4 days a week should be enough to maintain a good fitness level. Any movement is good, even house or yard work. But if your goal is to lose weight, you will need to do some form of cardiovascular exercise for 5 or more days a week for 30 to 45 minutes or longer.

Strength-building exercises are known as anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise does not have cardiovascular benefits, but it makes your muscles and bones stronger. Strength-building exercises require short, intense effort. People who lift weights or use any type of equipment that requires weights are doing strengthbuilding exercise. Strength-building exercise makes your muscles and bones stronger and increases your metabolism. Strength exercises also make your muscles larger. Your muscles use calories for energy even when your body is at rest. So, by increasing your muscle mass, you are burning more calories all of the time. If you strength train regularly, you will find that your body looks leaner and you will loose fat. Strength building exercises should be performed 2 to 3 times a week for best results. Always warm up your muscles for 5 to 10 minutes before you begin lifting any type of weight or before performing any resistance exercises.

Flexibility exercises, which are also anaerobic, tone your muscles through stretching and can prevent muscle and joint problems later in life. A well balanced exercise program should include some type of each exercise from each category.

The Walking Workout

Recent research indicates that walking is one of the best ways to be in charge of your life. Besides the well documented health benefits, the beauty of walking is you can do it at your own pace.Walking is the first type of exercise that we recommend, both before and after surgery. If you are new to exercise and you are also recovering from surgery, you can walk 10 to 20 minutes four or five days a week. As you get stronger, you can increase the distance and the speed to your comfort level.

As with any type of exercise, it is still important to warm up, then stretch. Start by walking for just 5 minutes and then do a few gentle stretches. Your muscles will stretch better if you walk a little first. Ask a fitness professional which stretches are best for you. You can also order LifeWalk™ Easy Audio coach tape (888-LIF-WALK), which offers practical tips for getting the maximum aerobic, strength, postural and conditioning out of your walking program.

Consistency is probably the most important part of your walking routine. The more time you can devote to walking each day, the healthier you’ll be. Remember that short walks are better than none at all. Health, like life, is a journey. What you need to do is take the first step.

Water Fitness

Many of our clients like water programs. You can start water activities about three weeks after surgery. Water programs are great, since they are non-weight bearing and therefore are gentle to painful joints. Water fitness can improve strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, decrease body fat, facilitate rehabilitation after surgery, improve functional living and even enhance other sports skills. Water classes today offer more versatility than ever, but how do you find the right class for your goal, interests, needs and skills? Find the facility first. Look at your local YMCA, community center, health club and hospital. Look for a well maintained pool, adequate locker rooms and life guard on duty. Hospitals usually offer arthritis or heart-disease related classes through their physical therapy program and usually will let you join the class with a prescription from your Primary Care Physician. Those are favorite beginner classes, since it is more of a medical environment and the cost is often covered through health insurance. Health clubs and the YMCA now also offer most specialized classes with different fitness levels. Whichever class you decide to try, start with the lowest level and use the smallest water weights at first. Many people make the assumption that because the exercise is in the water, they cannot injure themselves. Most importantly, you should feel comfortable in the environment. If the water is too cold, you find the staff to be lacking empathy or do not feel at ease in your class, then this is not the right class for you. Water exercise, like any other type of exercise, should be done in a relaxing environment. If this is not the case, it is a sign to look for something else.

Choosing a Personal Trainer

There is a reason movie stars and athletes use personal trainers: working with a personal trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, most successful ways to improve your health. In fact, personal training has proved so effective that it has spread well beyond the world of the rich and famous. T oday, personal trainers are used by people of all fitness, social and economic levels to help make lifestyle changes that they could not achieve by themselves.

Consider the following things a personal trainer can do:

• Improve your overall fitness. A trainer will monitor and fine tune your program as you go, helping you work your way off plateaus.


• Reach a healthy weight. Remember that the surgery is only one of the tools to weight loss. Body fat reduction, weight reduction and management, body shaping and toning can all be achieved with the aid of a qualified personal trainer who can help you set realistic goals and determine strategies, all while providing the encouragement you need.


• Learn to stick to it. Sticking with a well-intentioned plan is one of the biggest challenges that exercisers face. Qualified personal trainers can provide motivation for developing a plan that places a high priority on health and activity. A trainer can help you brainstorm an agenda to overcome your biggest obstacles to exercise.


• Focus on your unique health concerns. Most personal trainers are familiar with the special needs of morbid obesity, arthritis and diabetes. Your trainer can work with your physician, physical therapist and with Bariatric Program Services to plan a safe, efficient program that will enable you to reach your health goals.


• Find the right way to work out. You will learn the correct way to use equipment with the appropriate form and technique for cardiovascular work and free-weight training. Stop wasting time. Get maximum results in minimum time with a program that is specifically designed for you. Workouts that use your strengths and improve on weak points in a way that is efficient and effective.


• Learn new skills. Want to learn to skate, golf like a pro or get ready for an adventure vacation? An individualized program can improve your overall condition and develop the specific skills you need.


• Enhance you mind, body and spirit. A personal trainer can act as a door to personal growth experiences. Many personal trainers provide mind-body activities, such as Tai Chi sessions.


• Benefit from the buddy system. What could be better than making a commitment to regularly meet with someone who will provide you with individualized attention?

Make sure that your trainer has a college degree in the field of fitness. Ask if the trainer belongs to professional fitness and exercise associations and regularly attends workshops or conventions. You can find a personal trainer through your local health club or community center.