What happens if you exercise too soon after tummy tuck?

Tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty is a technique where excess fat and skin is removed from the abdomen and the underlying muscle tissue is tightened. This process provides patients, both male and female, with a more aesthetically desirable appearance, and improved confidence following significant weight-loss.

If you have undergone tummy tuck surgery or are considering the procedure, you’ll need to be aware of what to expect during the recovery period. Exercise is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle and is crucial in the maintenance of abdominoplasty results.

Whilst this is true, it is important to be aware of and adhere to the recommendations around activity and exercise during the recovery period. Here we will cover the details of exercise following tummy tuck, when it is safe to return to your usual exercise routine and suitable exercises that can help to maintain activity levels safely.

Exercise after tummy tuck

Your Harley Medical Group Surgeon will work with you on a person-centred basis to formulate a recovery plan and provide a more specific timeline for you to plan around.

As a guide, recovery time usually ranges from 6 to 8 weeks. You can read our tummy tuck recovery guide here.

Although it can be tempting to return to normality soon after surgery, it is important to allow your body enough time and space to rest, avoid any postoperative complications and achieve the best possible results, and exercise restriction is an important part of this.

Following abdominoplasty, even the simplest of tasks may place excessive strain on the healing tissues of the abdomen and disrupt the recovery process. It is essential that any activities involving overreaching, bending or twisting are avoided for at least 4 weeks. However, mobility is essential following surgery, so walking short distances with support, even on the day of surgery, is recommended.

Any strenuous cardiovascular exercise like jogging, running, cycling or competitive sports must be avoided for between 4 and 6 weeks following surgery. For many patients, walking is a helpful way to maintain activity levels as much as possible.

Resistance and weight training

Any form of resistance training involving the abdominal muscles, such as crunches, sit-ups, Russian twists or plank positions must be avoided for at least 6 weeks or longer if advised by your surgeon. This is because, during the abdominoplasty procedure, the muscles of the abdomen are often adjusted and repaired and therefore need significant time to heal.

The amount of recovery time required before returning to weight training varies according to the level of fitness before surgery. If you were engaged in a regular weight lifting programme beforehand, it is likely that you will be able to return to this sooner than an individual who is weight training for the first time. In general, weight training should be avoided for the initial 6 weeks and be reintroduced incrementally thereafter to ensure a smooth transition. Initially, a weight lifting programme that isolates the arms and legs as much as possible is recommended. Importantly though, the weight must be reduced to avoid activation of the abdominal muscles during movements that target the arms and legs.

Exercise after mini tummy tuck

A mini tummy tuck is an excellent abdominoplasty alternative for those with excess skin below the belly button only. Although described as ‘mini’, the procedure is invasive and still requires a recovery period.

The length of the recovery depends on whether the abdominal muscles have been tightened during the procedure. If this is the case, exercise and any strenuous activity must be avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. If no changes have been made to the abdominal muscles and the surgery involved the removal of excess skin only, you may be able to return to strenuous activity sooner, once the incision site has healed.

Tummy tuck surgery is appropriate for people who are already close to their goal weight but experience loose, sagging, or wrinkled skin on their abdomen that can’t be reduced through diet and exercise. While it is not technically a weight loss procedure, patients can lose up to 10 – 20 pounds after a tummy tuck. However, the recovery period requires rest and abstention from exercise. As a result, patients are frequently concerned about gaining back any lost weight.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angelo Cuzalina at Tulsa Surgical Arts in Tulsa, OK understands the concerns of patients who are thinking about undergoing a tummy tuck and talks patients through what to expect after the procedure.

Below, we’ll discuss how soon patients may have to wait to get back to their exercise routines after tummy tuck surgery.

What does tummy tuck surgery involve?

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, tightens loose skin and muscles to shape the abdomen and create a flatter belly. Dr. Cuzalina performs the surgery using general anesthesia and makes incisions based on the amount and locations of problematic skin.

Some patients only need minimal skin removal, or a mini tummy tuck, while others require a full tummy tuck and an incision that runs from hip to hip. The procedure is typically accompanied by body contouring and liposuction to remove troublesome pockets of fat.

Patients are sent home in a compression garment after tummy tuck surgery to control swelling, making standing and walking painful for a few days after the procedure. Proper healing requires complete rest for those first few days. After that, patients can begin to resume some everyday activities. But getting back into workouts takes a bit longer.

When can I exercise after a tummy tuck?

As the abdominal muscles adjust and the surgical incision heals, patients are encouraged to do some walking. Most patients can get back to their regular daily routines within two weeks, but exercise must be relatively light for the first 6 weeks.  Elliptical machine, walking and light weight training is best for the first 2-6 weeks as tolerated. 

However, full workouts, especially those that involve crunches or other abdominal strain, should be avoided until roughly eight weeks after tummy tuck surgery. Every patient is different, and Dr. Cuzalina will make recommendations based on your body and its recovery. Lymphatic massage starting the day after tummy tuck surgery and at least once per week after that can dramatically improve recovery by promoting decreased edema and less pain.

Those concerned about gaining weight as they recover from tummy tuck surgery are encouraged to get some light exercise in the weeks following the procedure until they can work back up to their full strength. Your particular instructions will also depend on your exercise habits before your tummy tuck surgery.

How to stay fit after a tummy tuck

Roughly a week after a tummy tuck, patients can begin to take longer walks to stay active and maintain good blood circulation. It may take two weeks to work up to more significant cardiovascular exercise.  Dr. Cuzalina absolutely recommends physical activity and exercise for health but also realizes anyone can out eat their exercise routine.  So, it is critical to eat a healthy diet and stay more toward a low carbohydrate and low salt diet especially right after surgery along with plenty of water.  Don't forget your vegetables as well.  A tummy tuck can significantly decrease your clothing size(s) and improve your shape but don't assume that you can just eat whatever you want because you look so much better.  You can still gain weight if you over eat and it will find somewhere on your body to enlarge..  The good news is that if you simply maintain your weight the results will always be apparent.

Longer, faster walks and time on the elliptical or stationary bike often make good fitness options after around two weeks. But it’s safest to wait until you’ve seen your surgeon for a follow-up appointment and they have approved more activity.

Lifting light weights to strengthen your arms, chest, and shoulders is often appropriate for patients after 3 – 4 weeks of recovery.

After 5 – 6 weeks, some light abdominal work may be appropriate for some patients. Again, this should be cleared with your surgeon. You may want to hire a personal trainer to monitor your workouts since they can help you avoid exercises that target your abdominals, which will slow the healing process.

Finally, after 7 – 10 weeks, it may be time to engage your core again, but patients typically need to start slowly and work up to more repetitions.

Crunches, sit-ups, swimming, weightlifting, and CrossFit isolate the abdominal muscles and will likely be the last exercises patients can add back to their routines.

Tummy tuck surgery in Tulsa, OK

If you’re interested in learning more about tummy tuck surgery in the Tulsa, OK area, schedule a consultation with cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angelo Cuzalina at Tulsa Surgical Arts. He will give you customized advice about the tummy tuck surgery that is right for you and inform you about any physical limitations you can expect in the weeks and months after a tummy tuck.

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