Incidental Activity

After your weight loss surgery, Dr. Bagnato suggests that you begin implementing light physical activity into your daily routine. While most of your weight loss after bariatric surgery will occur due to limited calorie consumption, daily activity can greatly benefit your health. If you’ve been leading a sedentary life for a long time, it may be hard to jump right into any sort of fitness routine. If that’s the case, you may want to start with short and simple exercises, such as walking in the mornings or evenings. Additionally, you can try fitting physical activities into your day through incidental activity.

What is Incidental Activity?

Incidental activity is any type of physical activity or exercise that you perform throughout the day as part of your everyday routine. You don’t have to set aside time for incidental activity; rather, you find ways to implement it into what you’re already doing.

Adding More Activity into Your Day

Here are some great ways to insert incidental activity into your everyday routine:

  • Get up and walk around while you’re talking on your cell phone.
  • When you’re watching TV, try to get up and do something on every commercial break. For instance, go grab the mail or put away some dishes.
  • Practice a “3-Floor Rule:” If your stop is three floors away or less, take the stairs. If it’s more than three floors, take the elevator to one floor below, and take the stairs the rest of the way.
  • If you have a dog, walk an extra block or two every time you take him or her out.
  • Instead of driving around to find the closest parking spot, pick the first spot you see in the back of the lot, and walk a bit further to the store.
  • Cleaning or vacuuming around the house.

You may already be doing many of these incidental activities to improve your mobility and fitness. If so, try upping the intensity of how you do them. For instance, if you clean or vacuum your house weekly, start dancing around as you do so. That can get your heart rate up and provide you with a mini cardio workout. Or try watching TV standing up, and jogging in place during the commercial breaks.

When it comes down to it, any amount of activity is better than no activity. Your bariatric surgery can help you manage the dietary portion of weight loss, but you’re responsible for the exercise and lifestyle portion. Incidental activity is a great way for you to start getting active after weight loss surgery.

From the Palmyra Surgical Blog

  • Understanding the Glycemic Index
    Understanding the Glycemic Index
    Carbohydrates are one of the six essential nutrients. Despite common talk about avoiding carbohydrates for weight loss, our bodies require them to thrive. Carbohydrates contain sugar. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks down that sugar and absorbs it into the cells with the help of a hormone called insulin, where it is then converted to fuel and used for energy.
  • Reasons to Consider Weight Loss Surgery
    Getting weight loss surgery is a choice that can have a major influence on your health and quality of life for years to come. The conversation surrounding weight loss surgery may come up at the advice of a doctor, after seeing a friend who was successful in their weight loss efforts or maybe after a series of frustrating weight loss attempts.
  • Managing Special Occasions after Weight Loss Surgery
    Every time you turn the corner there is another fast food restaurant or bakery loaded with its own temptations, and you do what you can to stand strong and stick to your post-bariatric diet plan.
  • Shop Smart to Lose Weight
    Healthy Shopping Strategies for a Healthy Household
    When one person in a household gets weight loss surgery, it is actually common for other members of that household to lose weight too. This is called a “halo effect.”
  • Making Healthy Food Substitutions after Weight Loss Surgery
    Approximately six weeks following weight loss surgery you’ll start making the gradual transition back to a whole-foods diet. This is an exciting period for many people. After weeks of gaining sustenance through liquids and soft foods, being able to enjoy a regular meal is something to look forward to.