One of the major things that concerns women when they are considering breast augmentation, is how the operation will affect their physical activities post-surgery, especially exercise.

Physical exercise is a necessity for most people to maintain good health and the body figure they desire. So, will undergoing breast augmentation affect your physical lifestyle and stop you from being physically active?

No, of course not. You only have to stop your normal exercise routine during the recovery period, which takes around 6 to 8 weeks. In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about exercise and breast augmentation before and after your operation.

Before breast augmentation surgery

Even before your surgery, there are certain things you have to consider and plan ahead. If you are a fitness-buff, or if exercise is a really big part of your life and/or daily routine. These are the things you have to consider before breast augmentation:

Fitness Buddies/Gym-mates
A lot of people who exercise or participate in physical activities, have so called fitness buddies, running partners or gym mates, as working-out is more fun and motivating when done with friends. But during your healing period after the surgery, you’ll have to put-off these activities and hold-off from doing strenuous exercises. So, it’s important to talk to the people you work-out with, to tell them that you won’t be joining them for quite some time.

Gym Membership
Some of you might have gym memberships you pay for on a monthly basis. Since you’ll be abstaining from any heavy-lifting for a period of time, it’s important to call your gym to make prior arrangements.

Home Assistance
Abstaining from strenuous activities during your recovery period is not limited to physical exercise, but also household chores and responsibilities like carrying groceries, taking care of children and household cleaning. Getting assistance to take care of these things or planning things ahead would be beneficial for you and your recovery.

After breast augmentation surgery

Before we dive into the physical exercise aspects, we want to give you key things to remember at all times during your period of recovery:

Listen to your body
No matter how light the exercise or movement, always, always listen to your body. Let this be your mantra throughout your recovery. If something hurts, feels weird, or does not seem right, stop what you’re doing and assess things. If you have questions, your doctor is always one call away.

Do not rush things
It is vital to remember and follow the guide we provided below on the type of exercises, you can do depending on the period of your recovery. For at least 6 weeks, avoid any heavy-lifting, bending or stretching, and avoid rushing things.

Prepare your fitness wardrobe
It is recommended to wear a stretchy but supportive sports bra when exercising, 4 – 6 weeks after your surgery.

Nutrition
Since your exercise and movement is limited during recovery, you can use this time to focus on your nutrition, and start eating healthier options to still maintain good health and even speed-up your recovery.

Exercise after breast augmentation surgery

First few days
The first few days are the most delicate part of your recovery. During the first few days after surgery, only light walking is permitted to stimulate blood flow, and remember not to push things. It is important to remember not to elevate your heart rate, and to spend as much time at rest.

1 – 2 Weeks
Your energy level will start getting back to normal during this time. Rest and recovery is still your priority, so only light cardio exercises for now. Walking on a treadmill, inclined walking, and even using a stationary bike, for as long as you do not overexert yourself and elevate your heart rate.

Week 3 – 4
During this time, you can start incorporating lower body exercises, such as lunges, squats, calf raises etc., as long as there are no jumping or rigorous movement involved. Week 4 is also the best time to go back to the clinic for consultation and be assessed by your doctor to see your recovery progress. Some people may recover faster than others, as body-types differ from person to person.

Week 5 – 8
You can now slowly start doing most of your regular workouts, as long as you take things slowly and always remember to listen to your body. You can now slowly start introducing upper body exercises on your triceps and biceps, but avoid doing any heavy lifting or bending down for the first 6 weeks. Refrain from doing chest exercises, especially ones that involve the pectoral muscles.

Most people are fully healed after 8 weeks, but it’s best to take things slowly as you get back to your regular workout routine. Remember to always check-in with your doctor for concerns, and to always, you’ve guessed it, listen to your body.