Stages of the WLS Journey from an Exercise Perspective

The benefits of exercise are well known, but do you take full advantage of the extra calories, better mood, and increased motivation that come with being active?

Some weight loss surgery patients are already used to being active, and have no trouble putting together an exercise program that works for them. Others, though, are starting from ground zero, and have no idea what to do or how to do it, or worry that they cannot do it. Do not worry if this describes you. Here are some strategies on getting into your healthy habit at whatever level is right for you.

Pre-Op Prep

You may not be focused on weight loss so much as getting yourself to the surgeon and studying up on your post-op rules, but there really are benefits to exercising before surgery. Healthier patients have lower risks for complications. Plus, the better you are at moving around before surgery, the easier you will find it to walk around after surgery to manage pain.

Anything helps at this stage. Walking or using a stationary recumbent bicycle is a good place to start. Swimming laps and doing water aerobics are low-impact choices that are easy on your joints and great for your cardiovascular system.

Newly Moving

You need to start slowly if you are new to exercise or have not regularly been active recently. As long as your doctor approves, you can start walking immediately after surgery, starting with a few steps in your hospital room and then trips up and down the hallways.

Aim for 20 to 30 minutes a day to start, but you do not need to do it all at once. You can do 5 or 10 minutes at a time a few times a day to hit your 30 minutes. The goals here are to get your body used to moving, and your mind used to being in the habit. Again, the recumbent bicycle and water exercises are also good exercises because they are easy on the joints.

Reaching for More

As you become fitter and exercising becomes more of a habit, you can add more time to your exercise. A good goal is to be active for 60 minutes, most days of the week. That may seem out of reach at the beginning, but be persistent. The more you exercise, the easier it gets. You might even find that you start to depend on your daily workout to keep you alert during the day, let you sleep at night, and, somehow, “feel like yourself.”

As your body gets used to the walking or other exercises you have been doing, you can become more daring with your exercise routine. Try:

• Increasing the length.
• Increasing the intensity, such as adding some uphill walking or jogging to your regular walks.
• Trying group fitness classes, such as aerobics, kickboxing, or spinning.
• Adding strength training.
• Setting a goal that you must train for, such as making it to the top of a mountain on a family vacation next summer.

This is exciting, not something to fear, so explore with anticipation! When you reach for more by branching out, you are less likely to quit from boredom and less likely to get injured than doing the same thing each day. When you reach for more by pushing yourself, you are more likely to stay motivated, and you may even lose a little more weight.

Always remember to modify any exercise or exercise program to meet your own needs, and get your doctor’s approval before starting any new activity. Make it fun, and good luck!