Walking after Weight Loss Surgery

“If you get killed, walk it off!” admonishes Captain America in his recent motion picture. Jokes aside, it isn’t always easy to walk it off especially when you suffer from ankle, knee, hip, or back pain as a result of obesity. But walking it off may be the best advice you can get after bariatric surgery and certainly, if there is any way you can manage it, is the best method of exercise you can undertake in the first few days and weeks of your recovery.

When put to use the right way, walking can actually be a huge help in allowing you to realize your ultimate weight loss goals. This is especially true following weight loss surgery.

Exercise following Bariatric Surgery

Weight loss surgery is just one step on the path to wellness and weight loss. Following your bariatric procedure, you are responsible for making changes to your diet and lifestyle. This includes how often you exercise.

Immediately following weight loss surgery you will need to give your body time to recover, just as you would after any sort of operation. Walking is a great type of exercise to ease yourself into a physical activity routine following your surgical procedure. In fact, your weight loss surgeon will want to see you walking the day of your operation, if not a few days later, to show that your recovery is progressing well and that you are going to be able to move around when you get home. From there, it is only a matter of time before you can change into your sneakers and sweatpants and head out for a walk around the block.

Once your weight loss surgeon clears you to start working out, use these tips to create a walking program that you’ll want to keep up with:

First, create a walking route that lets you ease into physical activity. Your first walk might only be around the block, but in a matter of weeks you could be trekking across the neighborhood. Before you set foot on the pavement, look at a computer and map out your route. Websites like mapmyrun.com are great for this.

Once you have your route laid out, get your gear together and make sure that you are prepared for the activity, both physically and mentally. This means having a good pair of walking shoes and sweatpants, but it also means ensuring that you have a water bottle ready to help you stay hydrated while you walk and plenty of tunes to help you stay motivated as you finish your workout.

Talk to your weight loss surgeon about starting a walking workout program after weight loss surgery.  Once your bariatric surgeon says you are ready for the increase in activity, don’t delay!