Exercise Tips?

I know a lot of folks have addressed this already, and I don't plan to overdo it, but before my surgery on Tuesday, I was in the gym at least 5 days a week doing heavy lifting, intense cardio, and yoga. Obviously I won't be able to get to that point until I'm fully recovered, but as I sit here healing, I can't help but think about my muscles wasting away and my abs disappearing (which they already have due to the swelly belly). For those of you who are gym rats like me, what are some tips for getting back into it without overdoing it? All I've managed to do these last few days is walk around the apartment and I'm going to brave a walk to the store with my partner today. Lifting anything is out of the question for a couple of weeks, I know, but at what point can I do some excercise, even if mild? My post-op appointment with my Doctor is until mid-June. What's keeping me from going insane with this is knowing that the hellish effects of bleeding will be permanently gone once I'm healed! thanks in advance for your advice.

my dr told me at 4 weeks to try to get some cardio walking in, or get on my elliptical. You sound like you are in great shape so I don't think you will have any problems easing back into it, try walking first and keep going a little farther and a little faster every day.

At 5 weeks I suddenly found I was walking faster than usual without any discomfort - but I paid for it next day with a burning incision pain. I have now returned to slower walking and will wait a while before increasing the speed again. Its just a matter of listening to your body. I can understand how you feel - I was huffing and puffing after a few minutes at a higher speed and was shocked that I had deteriorated so quickly after not having done any exercise for 5 weeks.

I lost so much muscle tone in my legs, arms & stomach was literally flabby all over. I was on bed rest for 2 1/2 weeks before my surgery. At 4 wks I gradually started walking very slow & worked my way back to running fully at 6 weeks & didn't start weights until abt 8 weeks. I have not done any sit ups yet. For some reason I am scared. I had a TAH.

sounds like a good time for brain gym! focusing on the mental aspects of fitness and wholeness, and strategizing ways to make a positive difference in life as you regain physical exertion.

i'm worried too about muscle wasting. seems so lazy to just rest and shuffle (no, i wouldn't quite call it walking yet -- unless it counts when you weave along as if dragging an alligator tail, haha!) can't even stand up straight yet, not fully, but am positive my upper arms look more flappy than ever! my job is physically demanding and toning (garden center work -- lift, twist, bend, reach, walk, REPEAT!), so no doubt i'll be starting over to regain all that upper body strength...

sometimes i pretend to be grooming my horse, figuring that it helps the "muscle memory" to replay motions without exertion. crazy, the things we'll do when we're bored (and hurting) enough!!!!

**** correction**** I have some of my time screwed up. I didn't start jogging until 8 weeks like really getting it in & @ about 10 weeks I started w/very very light weights. Now at abt 12 weeks, I am basically back to jogging a little over 4miles every day to every other day. Days I am not running/jogging, I am on elliptical machine.

thanks for the tips, so far! I can barely walk faster than a shuffle at this point but I'm going to go for another "walk" this evening; (yesterday was the first time I took a walk/left the apartment since Tuesday's surgery). Ok, so I'm getting the sense that I can begin with some light elliptical at the four-week mark and how about weights? I'm assuming really, really light: 5 pounds or so (also beginning at four weeks?). Yoga seems out of the question for a good long while, unfortunately. . . I'll ask my doctor these same questions, but my post-op appointment isn't until June 21! Thanks again everyone!

I went to 24 hour Fitness around day 5--it was raining ok!? I was wearing my in recovery clothes, but I did throw on some slip on shoes rather than the flipflops I've been living in. I logged .25 miles on the treadmill going 0.5 mph--i think I coulda gone at 0.4 but the treadmill turns off if you go slower! occasionally I would step off or stop the machine. But you should have seen the looks I got there--hilarious!
(i haven't been back since, but then again, it's also not rained during any desire to walk...)

That's hilarious, meckaheckahigh! I'm also a member of 24-hour fitness (usually my "second-home" I'm there so much!), but I'm not going to brave the gym until after discussing it all with my Dr. at my post-op appointment in June. Please don't overdo it! I'm a gym rat so it's killing me not to get exercise, but I can barely handle walking more than a few blocks at this point. Just remember to heal correctly and take it really, really easy without being sedentary--just think: we never have to bleed (and suffer the all the complications associated with it) again!! Totally worth it!

I was proud of myself, but then I realized I'd already walked further than that on my own. I'm definitely being careful! I am fully a member of it'll heal a heck of a lot better & faster the longer you can stay chill!

My post-op instructions were to feel free to walk as much as possible, so I'm all clear on that part *whew! at least I have that!* I think the trickier part will be when I start driving one of these days. I think I coulda started a couple of days ago, but I'm trying not to push myself--and I get the impression that once you start driving everyone thinks you're all hunky dory again!

rebecca