Hello All,

I am pre opt and my medical team has been encouraging me to workout/walk at least 4 hours per week. For some reason I just can't seem to get the drive/energy or desire to do anything. I read everywhere about how important it is to start a workout plan before surgery but my mind just won't do it. I have a treadmill and a stationary bike at home but rarely use them. Any suggestions or advice on what I can do to get going? Did anyone not workout before surgery and start after surgery?

I think part of the problem is my lack of time I work 5 days a week 12 hours a day and I am a single mom with a 3 year old

I started working out 3 months before surgery. Once I was dead set on doing the surgery, my biggest fear was excess skin. So I started hitting the gym 6 days a week for about an hour. Now post op I go 4 days a week. My time is limited as well due to working 5 days a week with a 1 year old. But I get up at 2:30 in the morning and work my booty off before work. So my motivation... No excess skin. LOL.

It's literally as simple as "Just Do It". Get on the bike for 5 minutes at a time. Do it when you first get up in the morning, or for a few minutes when you first get home. It is a great stress reliever and, honestly, you may not be able to do more than 5 minutes on the bike OR treadmill when you first start. Every little bit helps, though, and you'll soon find that you are able and willing to do more.

Yes, they want you to work out 4 hours per week, but you can start with baby steps. Do 5 minutes today, then add 30 seconds each day. The cardiovascular fitness is super helpful with surgery recovery and you'll be miles ahead of the game for post-op. Working out will also boost your serotonin levels in your brain, which will improve your mood.

I had an EKG last year before surgery and recently had another. I have been concentrating on my outer appearance and the scale, but my pulmonologist told me that my current EKG shows good results from all of the cardio I've been doing. THAT is incredibly sexy to me, and it lets me know that I am going in the right direction health-wise.

Any exercise you do now will improve your health and exercise increases your energy levels, which means you'll be better able to handle those 12 hour work days and chasing your 3 year old. Even once you're up to 1/2 an hour a day, it's not a big time investment, but it will pay big dividends in your energy levels.

Just do it. Start slow, add time in small increments and enjoy the benefits!

Agree! I didn't start an "exercise program" before surgery and wish I would have. My recovery would have been easier and it would have been easier to start exercising after surgery. Anything you do now is worth it, even if it is not the 4 hours per week. Take your little one for walks after work, dance around the house, etc. It keeps you active and them involved, which they love. My kids were super supportive and helped make the exercise fun. I am a very busy mom too, I work full time as a RN and have three kids under 7, but I make the time. I don't go to the gym and work out or go running or anything, but I exercise with my kids daily. It also shows them that exercise is a healthy thing and helps to prevent them from ending up at the same place I did.

Baby steps. Maybe just get out and walk a couple of times a week. Then 3-4 times a week or increase the time and walk longer. It doesn't have to be plain walking in circles on a track. It can be hiking through the woods or at a lake or biking. You have to find something you're at least a little interested in to stick to it. It's always harder for me to get started back if I haven't done anything for a few days. But once I get going, I really look forward to the gym and feel like my day is not complete if I miss a day. I feel so much better when I go and I also sleep better at night. Just try and find the time to move around some and take it all in while you're doing it and enjoy it!

The only exercise I did pre op was walking my dog... that took it out of me and I didn't really enjoy it. I still walk my dog... but now I love it.

Once I was cleared for exercise I started on the wii fit... if you have one, or have access to one I would recommend this especially with a lil one, as you can do it together! I found it a really good way to get back to exercise... I didn't have to leave the house, I could see my progress and it didn't matter what I looked like.

I then progressed to the gym in work where I used to exercise bike, stair walker, rowing machine, free weights and treadmill. I did try a range of different classes when my confidence and fitness grew, to see what I liked. My favourite now is my son's boxing gym... they do a ladies session on a Tue and Thur night and I have been going there for over a year (I am 22mths out now).

Although I am not at 'goal' weight, I have reached my first goal clothes size and I have a great level of fitness and core strenght. I can actually see muscle now where there once was a lot of flab! That is a good feeling and great motivation.

I agree with baby steps, it worked for me... do somehing you like, something that you know you will enjoy but most importantly do on a regualr basis. Honestly, exercise is really worth the effort when you see the results - but I appreciate how difficult it is when you work such long hours and have a little one to look after.

Good luck and let us know what you decide... =]

Thanks for the encouragement I woke up early this morning and just finished walking for 30 minutes and I feel good about that

Yay!!! That first walk is the hardest! Soon you'll have it worked into your routine and feel badly if you miss a day. Great start!!!

Like Lissa said, Just Do It.

My surgery is scheduled for July 20th and I'm hitting the gym 5 times a week. When I first went to the gym, my body hated it for about a week. After that first week though, working out got easier. I was building strength and stamina.

Also, it helps to make a friend or two while you're there. Ask the staff for guidance and help if you need it. I've got a couple work out buddies now and its kinda fun.

Just take that first step - its worth it.

123hereicom, i hear you before my surgery i hated to walk to do anything i hated getting up. I to have a three year old and keeping up with her was a chore. I know how our heads play with us and unmotivated us.

First get this in you mind. You ate not working out. Right now it is beutiful out side. Take your 3 year old and walk around, play kick ball or hopscotch. These are all little things that get you mind think a diffrent way.

Try to find a few people to go on long walks with you if you have more people everyone will keep you motivated. Make it fun. It takes little steps

I was just like you i use my fitness pal and tracks on my phone. I also bought my self a toy a push mower for my lawn i have no power to it it is perfect for mowing and getting exercise.

I hope i have motivated you. I will check back with you to see how you are doing.

I'm trying to rev my mind up to start exercising more. I just don't feel like it. But, that's no excuse because I don't feel like doing a ton of other things that I do anyway! Good luck!

Get your 3 yr old, put in a wagon/stroller/wheelbarrow, whatever and get out and do it. You have to. Simple as that. You gotta make time. Even if it's 20 mins. A day. You gotta. Best luck, love! I know you can!

You need to learn to prioritize yourself. This means making scheduled workout time that you treat like any other appointment. I need to do it first thing in the morning. How great for your 3 year old to get up in the morning and take a 15-20 minute walk with mom? My son LOVES our walk time and I wish I had started with him much sooner. Its time every day for the little biologist to come out in him. I have been sleeved since 4/9 and I am already hooked on my workouts. The other morning, I decided to walk instead of my dance workouts. I walked my son to school and then went an extra 2 miles before going home. Since I live in TX, if you are going to workout outside, it needs to be in the morning. Halfway home, my pandora station started playing some amazing stuff and I did the Charleston in the middle of the sidewalk and danced my way home with a smile. What a great way to start the day! All because I learned to prioritize my health. It is really hard, I am an A type personality that never gave myself time. I told myself it was because I didn't have time. People agreed with me because I have always been one of the busiest people most people know. Between grad school, being a military mom, practicing field biology, being part of the ELITE program and two years as president of the honor society I was very active and kept putting the weight on. I found that ton of extra time to eat so what if I took that time that I used in fast food lines and eating large meals and do something ELSE for myself. Even if I hadn't lost a lb yet, it has changed my life. I have a wedding this evening and leave for camping on Sunday. All I can think about is long morning walks on the beach and playing with my son. If you have problems doing it for yourself, remember how much your 3 year old would just LOVE to do this stuff with you. It will also teach her an active life so that she just grows up that way and becomes one of those that just does it every day.

Put together a routine that starts with stretching exercises while you are still in bed. Usually once you start with a routine, you won't stop. It's the getting started that is hard. Then, build on that with aerobics, or stairmaster, or whatever, and then add in muscle building exercises -- I like bowflex and pilates reformer. But, you can do whatever you want. You need to do 1/2 hour of aerobics every day, and then alternate every other day with weights (upper body one day and lower the next). The weight lifting is important to avoid a lot of hanging skin at the end of your journey. I also love my ABCirclePro. My waist is now a size 28 and my pant size is XS. I used to wear a size 2X. Start slow and build up. But, most important, exercise every day.

...also, you might want to try dancing. My husband and I got involved in ballroom dancing lessons, so in addition to my exercise routine, I am dancing 1-1/2 hours four nights a week, and we are meeting a lot of new (thin) people. Most dance centers have monthly activities for the students, and it's a great place to make new friends, while exercising.