Can I Exercise After Facial Plastic Surgery?
Exercise is important to many people in order to stay fit, as well as physically and even mentally healthy.
If you’re one of those people yet you have an interest in cosmetic procedures, you may be wondering, “Can I exercise after facial plastic surgery?”
Keep reading to find out what experts recommend after rhinoplasty, a facelift, or other procedure!
Why Is It So Important to Take It Slow After Plastic Surgery?
When you undergo a surgical procedure, especially one that’s not medically necessary for your body’s functions and overall health, you put your body under unnecessary stress. This stress is temporary but should be taken seriously and factored into your everyday activities.
Your body’s working overtime to make sure that your new surgical wound is healing properly. When your body is delegating so many of its resources to this, it’s more prone to infection and injury, which is why you’re advised to take it easy after plastic surgery.
How long it takes to recover after plastic surgery ultimately depends on the type of procedure you undergo because the complexity and invasiveness varies greatly. Some are more demanding than others, causing you to require longer downtime.
As a general rule, you’ll be asked to take one to two weeks off from work or potentially longer if your job is physically demanding and requires a lot of heavy lifting or straining. Anything that can cause pressure on the incision sites, tear stitches, worsen side effects, increase your chances of complications, and / or overall delay healing should be delayed.
Take this time after your cosmetic procedure to rest, relax, and focus on allowing your body to heal without interruptions.
Can I Exercise After Facial Plastic Surgery? Is It Safe?
While taking it easy doesn’t necessarily mean you should become a couch potato, it doesn’t mean you should exercise either. In fact, you’ll need to put a pause on your regular exercise routine for at least a couple of weeks.
You might feel impatient if you’re into fitness, but this sacrifice is worth it to maintain your optimal health and ensure that your wounds heal correctly. Pushing your body too soon can result in prolonged side effects at best to irreparable complications at worst.
Exercise gets your heart pumping and blood flowing. In any other circumstance, this is great. Immediately after cosmetic surgery though, increased blood flow via vigorous exercise can increase bleeding, bruising, and swelling in the treatment area.
How Can I Stay Active and Healthy Until I’m Able to Exercise?
You can’t overdo exercise, but you shouldn’t remain entirely stationary either, so what do you do? When a couple weeks have passed and it’s approved by your surgeon, you can begin to incorporate gentle exercises. You can even go on light, short walks during the healing stage.
The key is to not go too hard too soon. Start with light yoga, balance exercises, walking, and even gentle body weight exercises to ease your body back into being active without putting strain on it. Make sure to avoid swimming and activities that cause you to break a sweat, as this can cause infection.
If you’re concerned about staying active, talk to your plastic surgeon about what you can do during recovery until you’re able to hit the gym again.
Find Answers to Questions Like This and More When You Book a Consultation with Dr. Jae Kim!
Wondering, “Can I exercise after facial plastic surgery,” “How long is downtime after surgery,” and other questions? Find out everything you need to know during your consultation.
Dr. Kim is proud to offer a variety of cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-surgical, to make you feel and look your very best! Call us at (703) 782-3003 to book a consultation and see how we can help you feel self-confident!
