Post-surgery exercise and weight loss

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dlgallian
dlgallian Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone else recovering from an injury or surgery? I had ankle surgery a few months ago and am still recovering. I haven't been doing much exercise but am losing slowly just due to calorie deficit. I'm a little scared to start exercising, as it's been over a year since my original injury that triggered the surgery and I'm just so used to being in pain/not being able to do things.

I don't really have a question here - just looking for people in similar situations. It just makes my weight loss journey a little different than others.

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  • slp51
    slp51 Posts: 201 Member
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    I'm with you. I've had two leg/ foot surgeries in the last two years. The last one was just this past June 10. I'm still recovering and the nature of the surgery requires the use of a walker. I'm losing simply by deficit. I have not exercised since the end of May. I'm a little worried about losing muscle definition, but if I do, I'll regain it when I start exercising again.

    So yeah, sounds like our weight loss journey doesn't fit the norm. That's OK. I like being different! Feel free to add me. Maybe we can swap war stories.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Cautionary tale:

    After literally limping around with a cane putting off getting my ankle replaced for more than 22 months, I finally had the replacement surgery in June of 2014. I gained almost 30 lbs over a year in the 8 months following the surgery.

    Now, my favorite exercise is swimming. Ironically, I was in the pool doing aquatic PT just 4 weeks post-surgery--much of it focused on getting my hips and knees back into working order after I'd overcompensated for the ankle injury for almost two years and threw the working parts of my gait out of whack.

    But although my surgeon cleared me for lap swimming about 10 weeks post-surgery, I didn't do it. Instead, I just sat on my ever-widening *kitten* for the better part of a year post-surgery, and enjoyed the guilty pleasure of having handicapped parking privileges.

    When I went for my 1-year follow-up about three weeks ago, the doctor said "there's nothing wrong with your ankle or knees that losing 30 pounds and getting some exercise won't fix." So there you go. Now I've got 30 lbs to lose and no one to blame but myself.

    My advice (other than "get back in there, girl!") is to listen to your body--AND your physical therapist!
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Follow your discharge instructions and do any PT that is available to you.

    I have had a bunch of surgeries in the last few years and I am always chomping at the bit to get back to exercise. Like, standing at the door of the gym as soon as it opens on the first day I am cleared to exercise again kind if ready.

    Starting with swimming is a great idea. That's what I usually do.
  • dlgallian
    dlgallian Posts: 8 Member
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    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    Cautionary tale:


    When I went for my 1-year follow-up about three weeks ago, the doctor said "there's nothing wrong with your ankle or knees that losing 30 pounds and getting some exercise won't fix." So there you go. Now I've got 30 lbs to lose and no one to blame but myself.

    My advice (other than "get back in there, girl!") is to listen to your body--AND your physical therapist!

    Ha! I love this. I had ligament reconstruction surgery at the beginning of March and still am not back to full range of motion and still have some pain. I have definitely let fear of doing more damage hold me back, even though I previously enjoyed exercise. I also hadn't exercised for about nine months prior to the surgery because I'd injured it and it wasn't healing well.

    As an update, I started mat pilates and I looooooove it. My PT is happy with it too. It's nothing like the running or hiking I used to do, and doesn't burn a million calories, but I feel so good in my own body. I'm considering finding a pool for swimming too, though my PT says that she doesn't know if it will be a good fit until I actually try it and see how it feels.

    Glad to know I'm not the only one!
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    dlgallian wrote: »
    As an update, I started mat pilates and I looooooove it. My PT is happy with it too. It's nothing like the running or hiking I used to do, and doesn't burn a million calories, but I feel so good in my own body. I'm considering finding a pool for swimming too, though my PT says that she doesn't know if it will be a good fit until I actually try it and see how it feels.

    Definitely listen to your body first and your PT second, but remember there are lots of things you can do for exercise in a pool! Swim laps (different strokes), swim laps with arms only and a pull buoy, deep water running with or without a flotation belt, shallow water running/walking (on the bottom), a whole host of aquacize/aquaerobics classes...

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