Recently, I was perusing through the book “You on a Diet” by Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. when I came upon a section about plastic surgery. They began by explaining the most common procedures, not as comprehensively as Dr Soto does in his blogs but that’s not what caught my eye. What I found exciting was their mention of the importance of exercise before having plastic surgery. They suggested you “train” for surgery much as you would a “road race”. That the outcome of the surgery would be better and the recovery would be less if one was to prepare by being stronger and healthier beforehand. This marriage of plastic surgery and exercise and health is not one which had occurred to me before and I thought I should give it a little more examination.
As a fitness professional, I would say that exercise is the best and safest way to improve the appearance of the body. Exercise not only improves your appearance, it helps you tighten and strengthen your body overall. According to the Mayo Clinic exercise improves your mood, combats chronic diseases, helps you manage your weight, promotes better sleep and can “put spark back in your sex life”. It has also been shown to reduce stress. From what I’ve read, I believe most plastic surgeons would agree that implementing exercise into your daily routine, even as little as 30 minutes 3-4 times a week is beneficial.
So where is the relationship between exercise and plastic surgery? Obviously I’m an advocate of exercise and heath in every aspect of life. I’ve seen and lived the amazing benefits exercise has to offer. However, like you I am one of the many people who have considered plastic surgery. If you have a great deal of excess skin for example, be it from weight loss or child birth, there is no amount of exercise that will eliminate all of your excess sag.
I recently underwent what I learned is called the “Mommy Makeover”. This is a procedure that includes a breast augmentation and a tummy tuck at the same time. You can imagine how my personal experience helped to confirm the importance of exercise and fitness in conjunction with plastic surgery. It’s now seven weeks since my surgery and although my tummy tuck is still healing I feel great! It’s clear that by implementing cardiovascular and weight training along with proper stretching into your daily routine, your body will be more prepared for your surgery. After surgery you will need to be sedentary for four to six weeks depending on what your procedure is. Being strong and fit just makes the post-surgery recovery easier and helps you to bounce back sooner.
I recently underwent what I learned is called the “Mommy Makeover”. This is a procedure that includes a breast augmentation and a tummy tuck at the same time. You can imagine how my personal experience helped to confirm the importance of exercise and fitness in conjunction with plastic surgery. It’s now seven weeks since my surgery and although my tummy tuck is still healing I feel great! It’s clear that by implementing cardiovascular and weight training along with proper stretching into your daily routine, your body will be more prepared for your surgery. After surgery you will need to be sedentary for four to six weeks depending on what your procedure is. Being strong and fit just makes the post-surgery recovery easier and helps you to bounce back sooner.
If you are several months out from your plastic surgery procedure, I recommend beginning a fitness program by performing 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular training 4-5 days a week, at least 30-60 minutes of weight training 2-3 days a week, and stretching 4-5 days a week. Rest is also an important pre-surgery recommendation. Proper rest will ensure safety and success! There may be certain exercises which would not be in your best interest before surgery so always stay in close contact with your physician.
During my Mommy Makeover experience, I found Dr. Soto and his team to be thorough, compassionate and highly skilled. If I must say so, they did an amazing job! I’m very happy with the results of my surgery and feel it was well worth it. However, I’m happy that I was physically prepared for it because it was no walk in the park. Many people have the perception that plastic surgery is an easy fix compared to exercise. Be aware that it is not easy physically or mentally. A healthier, more realistic approach would be the marriage of both exercise in conjunction with plastic surgery.
Sage Hansen NSCA-CPT, RYT
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