Exercise Pre-op Bariatric Surgery
Preparing for bariatric surgery can be overwhelming. You have to worry about jumping through insurance hoops, going to therapy and nutritionist appointments, learning how, when, and what to eat, plus the stress of the massive change to your life! Worrying about exercise pre-op is just another thing on your already overflowing plate.
So why worry about it? Is it necessary? What are the reasons to start working out before you undergo bariatric surgery?
As long as you’ve been cleared for exercise by your doctor, exercise pre-op can be very beneficial!
First, it prepares you for your life post-op. While not everyone wants to become a weight lifter, or suddenly climb a mountain post-bariatric surgery, many people do have a goal or moving more, and living a more active and full life. Starting to build good habits early, greatly increases the likelihood that you will continue that habit once you’ve had the surgery. If you get in the habit of going on a daily walk after dinner, then once you’ve had surgery it becomes easier to get up after your meal and head out the door for your nightly walk. We often forget the power of habits and routines, and how they can play such a critical role in how we live our lives.
Secondly, it can help prepare your body for surgery. It’s no secret that many of us are/were unhealthy before surgery. Some of us even had chronic health problems or were well on our way to chronic health problems stemming from obesity. Our hearts are probably not in the best shape, and neither are our muscles and bones. Being obese puts an enormous amount of stress on our bodies, and the goal of surgery is to remove that source of stress, improve our health, and stave off or even reverse chronic health issues. Exercising before surgery prepares your heart, lungs, muscles, and bones for surgery. It has been shown to significantly improve recovery after major surgeries, and especially keep your heart healthy enough to undergo anesthesia and major surgery. Even simply walking for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week is enough to improve our cardiovascular health over time. Exercise pre-op can even increase your circulation to your extremities, reducing the likelihood of blood clots.
Thirdly, it can help improve our mood and energy. Facing such a massive life change is scary. Letting go of food as a coping mechanism can cause food apathy, depression, and anxiety. Moving our bodies releases serotonin, which is known to improve mood. And a body in motion wants to stay in motion. The more we move our bodies before we have the surgery, the more likely we are to keep a better outlook and retain more energy.
The science doesn’t lie! The proof is in the pudding. Moving our bodies, even just a simple walk, is beneficial to our health and can only improve the outcome of bariatric surgery. Any movement is GOOD movement as long as it doesn’t cause you pain. And it’s even better if it’s a movement you enjoy. If you aren’t enjoying exercise, then why are you doing it? So get out there and start moving, whether you are a week away from surgery, or six months.
