Returning to Gym Post-Surgery: Few Points to Consider

Millions of people across the world go through surgeries. While they may be a great way to recover from health issues troubling you, the recovery from surgeries can be pretty hard. You are put under anesthesia, diagnosed with a lot of medicines, and of course the long recovery period from the wounds and stitches.

This means that your everyday routine might come to a halt. If you are a fitness freak, nothing can be more daunting than this. Doctors recommend that you leave exercising and hardcore teams for at least a few weeks and stay in bed.

Returning to the gym after surgery is a hard task for which you need to be really careful. We emphasize the word carefully because if you are not cautious with the routine, it can lead to a lot of health complications and issues. Active people feel really uncomfortable staying in bed for a long time.

Issues People Face Due to Post-Surgery Inactivity

While surgery might be a relief from your present health complications, inactivity can also make it a bit hard. Here are a few things that people might face in their routine due to inactivity:

• It can cause you to gain weight because you are eating without adding any exercise to your routine.
• It can lead to a decline in stamina due to muscle damage and wear and tear of tissues in the body.
• It can result in poorer blood circulation as well as hormonal imbalance.
• It can result in people losing minerals in their bones compromising their strength.
• It is understandable why people have such a hard time getting back to the gym. Even the fittest of the lot will struggle to get back on track.

Getting Back to The Gym After a Surgery

Whether you have had a minor surgery or you are recovering from major spinal disc surgery, taking proper steps is crucial. You need to follow a few simple steps to ensure proper recovery. We will cover the step-by-step process of everything you need to do before going back to the gym.

Plan Your Return

Although it is a good thing to discuss before you hit the OT but, many people do not consider it worth discussion after they have had the surgery. This is mainly because the results of the surgery will allow the doctor to evaluate the recovery time much better.

Planning your return will help you set goals and establish yourself in a positive environment where you are focused on getting better with each day. Also, having your goals in place will imply that you are not over-exerting and staying in line with the recommended exercise.

Even if you have been in a minor accident with minor injuries, a professional whiplash doctor will recommend you the following:

• For the first week, take complete rest and follow up with your doctor if required. Stay hydrated, on top of medicines, and of course, have plenty of rest.
• In the second week, you may start a low-impact activity like taking small steps for a walk to get the blood circulation going.
• After two weeks, go to the gym only to perform low-impact exercises under the supervision of a professional trainer. There are certified trainers who help you get back on track after surgery.

All in all, we can say that you need to keep in touch with your surgeon and reference doctor while recovering. Also, they will play a major role in deciding the level of activity you can include. Even if you are a certified trainer back home, avoid going to the gym for your favorite HIIT session without their recommendation.

Keep A Track of Your Diet

What you eat while recovering plays a great role in recovery. You are obviously inactive for a certain amount of time and there are wounds and stitches on your body that need to heal. This is why having a healthy diet is important for recovery.

Having a healthy diet under your daily calorie requirement will help you feel better, maintain your weight, and also promote faster healing. Not just the external health but giving your body proper nutrients will help you rebuild the damaged cells and tissues.

A few nutritional tips that you need to follow are:

Eats lots and lots of protein. Protein will heal all the external and internal injuries of the body like cuts and bruises, lacerations, damaged cells, torn tissues, and muscles. Chicken, fish, nuts, and beans are some healthy sources of protein.

Avoid really spicy and oily food because it will become a barrier between you and recovery. Not only will you feel lethargic but such foods also contain some compounds that act as a barrier towards proper recovery.>/p>

Make sure that you are within your daily recommended calories. If you are not working out, then your calorie intake will decrease even more. This is important because while you are at bed rest and eating whatever comes your way, you are basically gaining weight.

Stay hydrated because water also plays a major role in cell and nerve recovery. People who have been in spinal disc surgery must have faced certain nervous system issues. Water is essential in this scenario to make those nerves functioning like normal again.

Follow Doctor’s Advice

Even if your doctor is a simple whiplash doctor, do not ignore his advice. Most people, especially the ones who have been fit their whole life tend to take their doctor’s advice lightly. Don’t be one of them. Instead, discuss everything with your doctor and make sure that they are aware of all the ups and downs of your health conditions after the accident. If you want to get active again, make sure to discuss it with your doctor first.

Don’t Over Exaggerate

You are recovering from serious surgery. No miracle is going to happen overnight that will cure your wounds. Remain patient because this is the only thing that’s going to be good for you.

Most people will think that it’s common sense to rest and completely let go of everything while you are recovering. However, people who are normally active know that this is harder than the hardest HIIT session in their routine.

If you end up over exaggerating and over-performing regardless of injuries, it might cause further complications. While going the extra mile is a part of your training, it is certainly not a feasible choice if you have stitches on your body. Now, this is the type of pain you don’t want to experience. Just remain positive and you will get there. This can be an irritating time but, focus on the risks that you can get if you breach the doctor’s recommendation.

Conclusion

Many athletes and fitness junkies go through surgeries due to different health complications and accidents. However, injuries might leave them bed-bound or inactive for a substantial amount of time. They need to focus on long-term recovery and only resume exercising when recommended by the doctor. Any disregard to the doctor’s post-surgery recommendations might result in further health complications and health issues. Focusing on your diet is also important as you need to take in nutrition that helps you heal.