I am 4 weeks out .. and exercise?? What is everyone doing .. as far as walking in place going to the gym or just walking the track let me know

Firstly, I'm 2.5 years out...

At 4 weeks out I was doing absolutely nothing except leisurely walking. I didn't resume 'real' exercise until 3 months out when I started a walk/jog routine at an outdoor park trail.

These days I run 20+ miles weekly, lift free weights 2 to 3 times a week, and supplement with other cardio such as the stairmill and stationary bicycling.

Wow very nice i walk for 30 mins a day but feel as though i am not moving enough ..

At four weeks I mostly kept it to walking on the treadmill and doing pretty short stints on the elliptical, aiming for 90 minutes of activity a week. At 5 weeks post-op I was able to do some moderate hiking & backpacking while on vacation, about 4-5 miles at a time max and my pack was only 20-25 lbs. I started back with strength training around 8 weeks post-op, was weak as all heck and still building back up to where I was pre-op. Now (four months post-op) my routine is a 3 mile jog early each morning, free weights 2-3 times a week and yoga 1-2 hours a week.

Edited October 18, 20178 yr by BT816

3 weeks post and I've been on treadmill 30-60min for about a week and a half. The first part, it was too sore between the staples in the muscle and y bruised rib on the other side. I probably wouldn't if I didn't have one in my bedroom., after my post op appt on Friday, hoping to go back to the pool. That's my method of choice. I'm anti-gravity [emoji12]. Whatever you do, start slow and work up!

Passed the five week post op mark two days ago.

Have been walking 20-35 minutes per day and doing 10-15 minutes with my stretch bands.

When I saw the exercise physiologist on Wednesday 15th Nov he asked I was not doing more walking.

I told him that, despite being 23kg less, I was really wanting to get back to the pool because of the low impact on my joints (knees and ankles).

I promised him I'd be back in the water by Saturday. It's 2:10pm Saturday afternoon here and the pool shuts at 4pm today ... so I am about to get my arse into gear and go.

(I did dress and pack earlier. I arrived at the pool to find that the therapy pool was full, the learners pool was full and the exercise pool has a kid's birthday event set up ... that was 11:40am.) This time, I'm sure that the kiddy lessons will be over and the 'big' exercise pool will be fairly clear.

It's 23C (73F) here today ... NOT hot enough to attract the big crowds of a hot day. So, I'm about to leave.

Will report back this evening.

11pm Saturday ...

I went to the pool ... first time since my son's funeral on March 10th.

Swam steadily (slow breaststroke) for 36 laps (900 metres) then put in 24 laps (600 metres) of medium-slow chest-deep wading.

The first time in nine months that my fitness band has recorded 10000 steps and strokes in a day. (I used to average 17000 before March this year.)

So I impressed myself with my pool restart.

It had a huge effect ... I slept for 2.5 hours once I got home. I NEEDED THE REST.

I will be back at the pool at 8am Sunday when it opens.

12 hours ago, Rainbow_Warrior said:

I will be back at the pool at 8am Sunday when it opens.

Well, 8:08am by the time the covers were off the main pool ...

Sunday swimming was 84 minutes of ambling breaststroke (56 laps/1400m) and 12 minutes of chest-deep mid-speed wading (16 laps/400m).

My Vivofit 3 passed 11000 steps/strokes before 10am. Feeling nice and tight in my upper body.

My body and mind say I am hungry after the energy expenditure but I'm sticking to a big coffee and two eggs.

11:25am Sunday 19th NOV right now in eastern Australia.

Edited November 19, 20178 yr by Rainbow_Warrior

RainbowWarrior, I also love exercising in the pool and just got back myself. I do 1800 meters of water walking in chest-deep water -- forward, backward, side-to-side, jogging, and galloping. How long after surgery were you cleared to go into the pool? I can't walk very long on land at this point and so will want to get back in the water as soon as I am able after surgery.

21 minutes ago, brightfaith said:

How long after surgery were you cleared to go into the pool?

I was okay to return to the pool Day 11 or Day 12 post-op (i.e. OCT 23rd/24th) but I dawdled and fart-arsed around until the exercise physiologist pressured me last Wednesday 15th NOV to nominate a day I would be back in the pool.

Under his steely gaze, I answered, "I'll be back in the water knocking out laps before sunset Saturday ... maybe even tomorrow (i.e. 16th)."

Mmmm ... painted myself into a corner by way of this promise.

It actually was a lot easier once I got there and started.

Edited November 19, 20178 yr by Rainbow_Warrior

Just now, Rainbow_Warrior said:

I was okay to return to the pool Day 11 or Day 12 post-op but I dawdled and fart-arsed around until the exercise physiologist pressured me last Wednesday 15th NOV to nominate a day I would be back in the pool.

Under his steely gaze, I answered, "I'll be back in the Water knocking out laps before sunset Saturday ... maybe even tomorrow (i.e. 16th)."

Mmmm ... painted myself into a corner by way of this promise.

It actually was a lot easier once I got there and started.

Lol. So glad you got back in. And very glad to hear you were cleared to go in so soon -- I hope that will be the case for me when the time comes.

2 minutes ago, brightfaith said:

And very glad to hear you were cleared to go in so soon -- I hope that will be the case for me when the time comes.

Mmmm ... my biggest impediment was that I had a serious MULTIPLE health complication a week after my 32yo son was killed at work on March 1st. I kept up my swimming until about the 6th or 7th of March then became absorbed with the funeral and the attitude of relatives and in-laws.

Now that I have returned (TWO DAYS IN A ROW), my head is okay about continuing.

Between March 10th (my son's funeral) and yesterday, I had four operations (including the gastric sleeve) and about 18 or 19 visits to health specialists ... combination of obesity and stress mucked me around badly.

Anyway, I am in good hands now. The pool is low impact on joints and I had gone down almost 40kg (87 pounds) in the 17 months prior to my son's unfortunate construction accident.

SUNDAY 19th at the pool ...

84 minutes of ambling breaststroke (56 laps/1400m) and 12 minutes of chest-deep mid-speed wading (16 laps/400m).

Vivofit 3 passed 11000 steps/strokes before 10am. Feeling nice and tight in my upper body.

Well due for an afternoon nap!

12311 steps/strokes by Sunday bedtime.

Monday 20th NOV ...

I arrived at the pool at 5:05am ... I love the earlier week-day opening.

3rd day back at the pool ...

111 minutes [60 laps/1500m] of ambling (very pedestrian) breaststroke followed by

33 minutes [26 laps/650m] chest-deep medium-speed wading ...

I had EASILY cleared 15000 steps/strokes on my Vivofit 3 fitness band before 8am today.

It's now 10:46am on the east coast and my fitness band says 16300 steps/strokes for the day thus far.