Exercises You Can Do After Gastric Bypass Surgery

If you’re considering weight-loss surgery or have already had it done, it’s critical to adopt physical fitness into your lifestyle. Exercise will be a factor in ensuring long-term success for your weight loss.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should jump into exercising right away. You’ve just had surgery, after all! Becoming physically active has to be a gradual process, especially if you weren’t before. So what exactly are the exercises you can do when the surgery is done?

What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Here’s a little primer before we proceed, in case you stumbled upon this blog in your search for weight loss. Gastric bypass surgery is a type of surgery procedure that falls under bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is the branch of surgery that involves surgical treatment of extra weight. Other terms for it are weight loss surgery, weight control surgery, and obesity surgery.

In gastric bypass surgery, the doctor creates a small pouch from the stomach. The doctor then connects the aforementioned new pouch directly to the small intestine. After the procedure, swallowed food will go into the small pouch and then right to the small intestine. The food therefore bypasses most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine.

Gastric bypass, along with other forms of bariatric surgery, has become important lately because of rising obesity rates in America. That’s why the Weight Loss Surgery Center in Los Angeles offers this service. We are also passionate about helping people in the fight against obesity. There are some risks involved like with any medical procedure, but it’s generally safe, and it’s very effective. Getting surgery will also treat not just obesity but all the diseases associated with that condition.

If you’re curious about getting gastric bypass surgery in Los Angeles, send us a message on our form. We’ll be sure to answer any questions you may have regarding this procedure.

Why Should I Start Exercising After Weight Loss Surgery?

You might be thinking that you shouldn’t need exercises after your weight loss procedure. All the fat is gone! Your stomach is smaller. You look and feel great! Why should you bother exercising?

Well, weight loss surgery is amazing, but it’s not exactly a miracle cure. Exercise after gastric bypass surgery is important for effective weight loss. See, what happens when you lose weight rapidly is that you also lose muscle. Muscles control your metabolism, so if you maintain muscle, you will have healthy weight loss. Exercise will also help you recover faster after the surgery. Any postsurgical complications will also be lessened.

Furthermore, aside from keeping the weight off, there are many other benefits of exercising. Risks of you getting heart disease and some types of cancers will be reduced. And exercise is a simple mood booster. Just get your blood flowing with some physical work, and you’ll feel much better. You will have better self-esteem and be more confident about yourself.

What Are The Exercises I Can Do After Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Initial Stages

Typically after the procedure, you will be sore for around a month. While your body is still recovering, try to bring back your everyday life routine. Walk around the house, climb the stairs, water the plants, or whatever it is you did before surgery. Again, any physical activity will be good for you because it will help you recover more quickly. You will have better circulation and bowel function.

It is likely that walking will be the first exercise the doctor will recommend you do. Just do slow walks. Try walking for just ten to fifteen minutes a day. Don’t push yourself – it will be normal that you will feel weaker than usual. But of course, if you feel any discomfort while doing anything physical, it is best to tell your doctor immediately.

1–6 Months After Surgery

Aside from walking, you can also do water aerobics, because it is a low-impact exercise. Remember to avoid abdominal exercises for the first three months. You have to let your incisions heal and reduce pressure on your stomach.

By the second month, you might feel more comfortable with exercising more. Again, consult your doctor before doing more impactful exercises. Try to get back your sense of balance and coordination. Since you’ve lost weight, you may not be used to your own weight. Once you are, try running and lifting weights.

After four months post-op, it would be rare to have any surgery-related complications. Therefore, you can now make it a goal to be able to exercise three to five days a week. Make each session around thirty minutes. Some exercises you can do aside from walking faster are yoga, jogging, swimming, dancing, and lifting light weights. And when you approach six months post-op, you can add up hiking and kettlebell routines. You can also add even more intensity to the exercises you were previously doing.

6–12 Months After Surgery

You will have more mobility and you will have more confidence in your movement in this stage. You can try to work up to doing forty five minutes of exercise for three to five times a week. Vary up your workouts so that you challenge yourself constantly. As you approach twelve months post-op, you can soon start working even your core muscles. Do resistance training using dumbbells with a balance ball. You can also add kickboxing or higher intensity aerobics to your list of exercises that are safe to do.

1 Year Of More After The Surgery

A year after your initial operation, you should have lost a significant amount of your weight. While that’s good, you also have to maintain it! At this stage, exercise recommendation is now the same as people who have no undergone any operation. You should aim to do 45 minutes a day of exercise for at least four days a week. At this point, you should aim to do higher intensity exercises and interval training. That will increase your metabolic rate and let you burn more fat.

Exercise Is Important In Your Weight Loss Journey!

Surgery is great, but you need to maintain the weight loss. Also, there’s definitely nothing wrong about toning your body and being and staying healthy! Of course, when it comes to exercising, speak to your health care professional before starting any exercise program. Your surgeon will still be the person to klnow when it’s safe for you to begin.

Always start with low intensity exercises before working your way up. Your body has to adjust to your new lifestyle and weight loss. If you push too hard, you might get injured or you might have to redo a procedure. Also, if you feel like it’s taking you long to start an exercise routine, don’t give up. Any kind of physical activity will do wonders for your overall health.

Looking for a partner in your journey to better health? Look no further than Weight Loss Surgery Los Angeles! We not only do surgery, but we also make sure to help you keep that weight off. Contact us to schedule your free consultation today! Our staff will be in touch with you as quickly as possible.