What Is The Right Amount Of Exercise After Weight Loss Surgery?

There is no established amount of physical exercise that you must engage in after bariatric surgery. Because there are many different types of weight loss operations and patients frequently have additional medical conditions besides their obesity, you will have to consult your surgeon and other members of your health care team for assistance in setting up an individualized post-surgery exercise regimen. There is a lot of useful post-surgery exercise advice available for bariatric surgery patients that you can discuss with your health care team.

Exercise Necessary

Bariatric surgery involves different procedures that alter food routing and processing by the stomach and intestines, ranging from placing a band around the upper part of the stomach to removing a large portion of the stomach. Surgery by itself will not accomplish all of your necessary weight loss; exercise is necessary to maintain and continue weight loss. A 2010 study done by researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles reviewed 13 scientific papers examining the effect of exercise on 4,108 post-bariatric surgery patients. Patients who exercised regularly during the first year after surgery lost more weight than patients who did not exercise.

Hospital Exercises

Exercise for bariatric patients begins in the hospital. A booklet by the University of Texas Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, "Weight Loss Patient Surgery Guide," notes that you will be asked to dangle your feet at the edge of the bed and stand by your bedside within a few hours after surgery. You will also be asked to get out of bed and walk to prevent blood clots. Starting on the first day after surgery, you will walk three to four times each day and do leg exercises and special breathing routines every hour.

First Home Exercises

After you are discharged from the hospital, you will undertake a low-key exercise program while your body heals from the surgery. An essay by the Albany Medical Center in New York, "Life After Surgery," recommends engaging in aerobic exercise for 20 minutes each day. Exercises can include a one-mile brisk walk, a bicycle ride or stair climbing. Two weeks after surgery, if your surgical wound is healing properly, you can try swimming. Sit-ups and weightlifting should be deferred until six weeks after surgery.

Continuing Exercises

As your strength grows, you can undertake more demanding exercises. The Allina Hospitals and Clinics network offers detailed suggestions in an article, "After Gastric Bypass Surgery: Exercise Is Important," for bariatric surgery patients who are ready for a more demanding exercise routine. Since weight loss means losing muscle as well as fat, Allina suggests that bariatric surgery patients rebuild muscle tissue through strength training at least twice a week, using dumbbells, resistance bands and weight machines. It is a good idea to work with a trainer who has experience advising bariatric surgery patients.