Getting tattoos done and can't go to gym

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MeiannaLee
MeiannaLee Posts: 338 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!
So I'm planning on getting two tattoos done this week but I was informed to refrain from exercise/gym time because it sweat, clothes rubbing and skin stretching can ruin the tattoo or cause an infection. I was told to avoid this for 2 weeks.

Which I am a little nervous about because I need to workout 3+ times a week in order to maintain my weight and to feel....I dont know not guilty?

What are your opinions on all of this? Could you go 2 weeks without working out? Should I workout anyways?
Do you think it would be okay to go walking around the neighborhood?

P.s the tattoos are going on my back and on my collarbone.
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Replies

  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
    edited October 2015
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    No, don't work out anyway. Pick one. Tattoos or gym. Both could be very bad for you.

    Walks should be ok as long as you don't sweat or make your clothes rub on the tattoos... considering those were the reasons they gave.

    Be responsible lol.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    edited October 2015
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    There are lots of opinions on google out there (having a sitting done in November so I was looking). I'll talk to my artist more specifically, but the online consensus seems to be take several days off and once your tattoo enters the peeling phase, you should be OK to resume working out.

    The back is a tough place for women (that's where mine is going) because it's affected not only by shirts, but likely by a sports bra too which is much more restrictive.
  • MeiannaLee
    MeiannaLee Posts: 338 Member
    edited October 2015
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    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    There are lots of opinions on google out there (having a sitting done in November so I was looking). I'll talk to my artist more specifically, but the online consensus seems to be take several days off and once your tattoo enters the peeling phase, you should be OK to resume working out.

    The back is a tough place for women (that's where mine is going) because it's affected not only by shirts, but likely by a sports bra too which is much more restrictive.

    I was either thinking the back(shoulder blade) or the side of my belly/hip. The tattoo I want looks good in both places but I figured the back hurts less? lol

    And I have small boobs so I usually dont wear a bra.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    MeiannaLee wrote: »
    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    There are lots of opinions on google out there (having a sitting done in November so I was looking). I'll talk to my artist more specifically, but the online consensus seems to be take several days off and once your tattoo enters the peeling phase, you should be OK to resume working out.

    The back is a tough place for women (that's where mine is going) because it's affected not only by shirts, but likely by a sports bra too which is much more restrictive.

    I was either thinking the back(shoulder blade) or the side of my belly/hip. The tattoo I want looks good in both places but I figured the back hurts less? lol

    And I have small boobs so I usually dont wear a bra.

    I would always advise the back over the belly/hip area. It will hurt less and it will age better. I'm not an expert, but I've had about 5 tattoos (2 of them are now covered with my back piece that I'm adding to).

  • balboabilly
    balboabilly Posts: 39 Member
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    Do a cleanse, eat super healthy for two weeks, and focus on increasing flexibility of non tattood areas through stretching and yoga. It will keep your mind off not working out and insure you dont get super sweaty and permanetly mess up the tattoo (use a fan while you stretch) Plus you can do this naked... The better you baby your art the better it will look and last. Im excited for your tattoo! Good luck
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Cleanse? No. Your kidneys and liver do a great job of cleansing your body every day. Cleanses aren't necessary. You can also gain weight eating "healthy" food just as easily as you can anything else. Count your calories and stick to your daily goal and you'll be fine.

    Remember that exercise isn't necessary for weight loss. I get how you feel but if you aren't exercising you will just not be able to eat quite as much as you usually do to continue to lose weight. Alternatively, you could choose to go on maintenance for the time you need to heal or try to make up the calories by simply walking.

    You're making a choice to get tattoos and with that choice comes a temporary restriction in activity. As @VeryKatie said, "pick one." You'd be very sad if you ruined a permanent tattoo because you couldn't stand to be less active for a few extra days. The end result is worth the price, in my opinion.
  • armylife
    armylife Posts: 196 Member
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    SueInAz wrote: »
    Cleanse? No. Your kidneys and liver do a great job of cleansing your body every day. Cleanses aren't necessary. You can also gain weight eating "healthy" food just as easily as you can anything else. Count your calories and stick to your daily goal and you'll be fine.

    Remember that exercise isn't necessary for weight loss. I get how you feel but if you aren't exercising you will just not be able to eat quite as much as you usually do to continue to lose weight. Alternatively, you could choose to go on maintenance for the time you need to heal or try to make up the calories by simply walking.

    You're making a choice to get tattoos and with that choice comes a temporary restriction in activity. As @VeryKatie said, "pick one." You'd be very sad if you ruined a permanent tattoo because you couldn't stand to be less active for a few extra days. The end result is worth the price, in my opinion.

    All of this.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    You have to pick one- gym or tattoos. Your artist is right, and infection risk is high in an environment like a gym.

    If you want the tattoos, then take a break from the gym and be safe about it. Having open wounds on your skin is nothing to mess with. Maintain your caloric deficit and you will not gain weight. As for the guilt - it's two weeks. You need to get past that mentality.

    If you can't, then don't get tattooed.

    Also, ignore the post about doing a cleanse- it doesn't work that way. It's a waste of money and they're just laxatives that cause dehydration.
  • OneHundredToLose
    OneHundredToLose Posts: 8,534 Member
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    Sweat isn't a huge issue, but infection from the gym definitely is. Infected tattoos are nasty. Keep your tattoo clean and away from surfaces that have been touched by a lot of other people. I usually use A&D ointment for mine, and that helps soothe it as well as protect it from particles in the air.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    balboabilly wrote: »
    Do a cleanse, eat super healthy for two weeks, and focus on increasing flexibility of non tattood areas through stretching and yoga. It will keep your mind off not working out and insure you dont get super sweaty and permanetly mess up the tattoo (use a fan while you stretch) Plus you can do this naked... The better you baby your art the better it will look and last. Im excited for your tattoo! Good luck
    Is this serious? Sometimes it's hard to tell.

    OP, are you talking about two weeks of no lifting, no cardio, or what?
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    balboabilly wrote: »
    Do a cleanse, eat super healthy for two weeks, and focus on increasing flexibility of non tattood areas through stretching and yoga. It will keep your mind off not working out and insure you dont get super sweaty and permanetly mess up the tattoo (use a fan while you stretch) Plus you can do this naked... The better you baby your art the better it will look and last. Im excited for your tattoo! Good luck

    WTAF?

    To the OP, a couple weeks off isn't going to hurt anything.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    The way I read the cleanse suggestion he was recommending that activity because it helps to distract. If she is cleansing and eating healthy then she will feel like she is in control of her weight, and won't gain pounds, and can feel positive about her efforts, etc., and the two weeks will pass faster and easier.
    Yeah, yeah. We get it. There is no evidence that a 'cleanse' actually removes anything that your liver would not remove eventually anyway. But that does not mean there are no psychic benefits, or that it doesn't discipline your appetites, which has its own benefits too.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    tufel wrote: »
    The way I read the cleanse suggestion he was recommending that activity because it helps to distract. If she is cleansing and eating healthy then she will feel like she is in control of her weight, and won't gain pounds, and can feel positive about her efforts, etc., and the two weeks will pass faster and easier.
    Yeah, yeah. We get it. There is no evidence that a 'cleanse' actually removes anything that your liver would not remove eventually anyway. But that does not mean there are no psychic benefits, or that it doesn't discipline your appetites, which has its own benefits too.

    Nah, not this. Just eat at maintenance for two weeks and then get back to it!!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    After surgery I was off any core exercise for six weeks. Maaaan I was itching to get back to it. But ignoring the advice would have been far worse. Your call.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited October 2015
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    tufel wrote: »
    The way I read the cleanse suggestion he was recommending that activity because it helps to distract. If she is cleansing and eating healthy then she will feel like she is in control of her weight, and won't gain pounds, and can feel positive about her efforts, etc., and the two weeks will pass faster and easier.
    Yeah, yeah. We get it. There is no evidence that a 'cleanse' actually removes anything that your liver would not remove eventually anyway. But that does not mean there are no psychic benefits, or that it doesn't discipline your appetites, which has its own benefits too.

    The best control I have over my eating is when I log everything I put into my mouth. I've known quite a few overweight vegetarians in my day; the philosophy of your eating (or drinking if we're talking juice fasts) isn't a guarantee of anything if you aren't monitoring it closely. Just check out the newbie boards here and count how many people post that they are "eating healthy and exercising but aren't losing weight."
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Two weeks off from exercise isn't going to have any negative consequences in the long run, but getting an infected tattoo will. Listen to your artist and do EXACTLY what they tell you to do. Let the ink heal and then go back to the gym.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    tufel wrote: »
    The way I read the cleanse suggestion he was recommending that activity because it helps to distract. If she is cleansing and eating healthy then she will feel like she is in control of her weight, and won't gain pounds, and can feel positive about her efforts, etc., and the two weeks will pass faster and easier.
    Yeah, yeah. We get it. There is no evidence that a 'cleanse' actually removes anything that your liver would not remove eventually anyway. But that does not mean there are no psychic benefits, or that it doesn't discipline your appetites, which has its own benefits too.

    Nah, not this. Just eat at maintenance for two weeks and then get back to it!!

    Meanie!
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Maybe do exercise that doesn't make you sweat? You could always just do a lot of walking. But I'd agree with others that you should NOT risk it and go to the gym. You will have your tattoos for the rest of your life. How they look is extremely important. A gain of a couple of pounds (at most) is worth it for tattoos that are going to look good.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    tufel wrote: »
    The way I read the cleanse suggestion he was recommending that activity because it helps to distract. If she is cleansing and eating healthy then she will feel like she is in control of her weight, and won't gain pounds, and can feel positive about her efforts, etc., and the two weeks will pass faster and easier.
    Yeah, yeah. We get it. There is no evidence that a 'cleanse' actually removes anything that your liver would not remove eventually anyway. But that does not mean there are no psychic benefits, or that it doesn't discipline your appetites, which has its own benefits too.

    OP, I really don't recommend this! It's not as harmless as this poster makes it out to be. Most cleanses are laxative in nature, can dehydrate and can wreak havoc on your intestines. Not worth it! Eating at a calorie deficit or maintenance will do just fine for preventing weight gain.
  • TilKingdomCome
    TilKingdomCome Posts: 89 Member
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    I had a tattoo done on the underside of my arm two weeks ago. I wasn't told I couldn't exercise or sweat, just not to submerge in water, keep clean and put Bepanthan (nappy rash cream) on.
    I run and walk a lot and because of the location of the tattoo it rubbed constantly on my clothes which hurt and messed up my clothes a bit but not my tattoo. When I ran I simply wrapped a bandage around my arm and removed it as soon as I was finished. Had no problems.

    I would suggest you follow the advice of YOUR tattoo artist as though it was their warranty to you, however I'm pretty certain you'll be able to find other exercises to do that don't involve sweating or make some adjustments so you can comfortably do your normal exercise without causing damage to your tattoo.

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