I'm starting to the gym for the first time since my surgery this week, and I'm almost 8 weeks post-op. What does your typical post-op work out look like? I'm a little overwhelmed with where to start?

Have you been a gym member before? If not, I would recommend spending the $50 (or whatever) they charge for a session with a personal trainer. It can be overwhelming and you want to ensure you are spending quality time at the gym ... right? I know when I go, I want the biggest bang for my buck. Why spend an hour of inefficient exercise?

With a personal training session, they can show you how to use the equipment correctly and use correct form. They will also help you put together a routine tailored to your specific goals based on your needs and history. Tell them you had the sleeve and are restricted nutritionally but are committed to a Protein first regimen. Some gyms provide this free for new members, too, so check it out.

But ... elliptical type machines are always great starters for cardio. The are very low impact and you can set the resistance. I always recommend monitoring your heart rate and try to exercise at a pace where you can sustain your target heart rate for as long as possible. You should be sweating profusely when you are done, not just a slight "glow". Google target heart rate to figure out what yours is.

Good Luck!

Forgot to add ... get yourself fitted for the correct shoes at a running store prior to beginning cardio. Incorrect shoe fitting can lead to knee and hip pain causing so much pain and injury you won't be able to exercise.

Thanks for the info. I have an appointment with the trainer next week, but she said in the meantime to come in and get started with some "light cardio". I did go to the gym pretty regularly after my first 2 daughters were born....but that was about a decade ago!!! lol.

Like PdxMan said, paying for a good trainer early is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the gym and various types of lifts/exercises. As to your question about workouts.....mine have progressed into fairly short intense sessions as I lift on my lunch break and time is limited. I'll do my lifting for about 45-50 minutes at lunch in a circuit training manner consisting of mostly compound lifts (deadlifts, military press, squats, etc) that use more than one muscle group at a time, body weight lifts (pullups, dips, plyometrics) and some more explosive lifts (hang cleans and clean & jerks). I'll do cardio (sprints, walking or some jogging) maybe 1-2 times a week after work or on weekends. Other than my once a year mud run and prep, I really don't do all that much cardio as my lifting sessions will usually push me to my cardiovascular limits.

I also recommend that you not judge or even gauge yourself with others and what other people do for workouts. It's all personal preference depending on your goals and as long as you don't injure yourself, there's really no wrong type of exercise. You'll want to ease into lifting if you choose that route and progress gradually. With me, I've lifted for years, but since the sleeve, I've upped the tempo and intensity and my workouts are now somewhat comparable to crossfit routines. But there's no way I could workout that way the first couple of months after surgery. So just get educated, motivated, have goals, and take your time.....you'll be fine.

Wishing you the best!

I started with walking. I walked everyday for months. Now that feeling great I have a personal trainer once a week and I do two Extend Barre classes. The rest of the week I do a series of crunches etc to tone and sculpt. And I'll go for a walk once a week.

I'm loving the new motivated me.

Good luck with your workouts x