Gastric Sleeve surgery is the first step to changing your life if you are obese and other methods of weight loss failed you. But this surgery is only the first of several lifestyle changes you must make for the program to succeed. Exercise after gastric sleeve is the most critical lifestyle change you make as you gain the benefits of bariatric surgery.
While gastric sleeve surgery is less invasive than gastric bypass, it can still yield impressive results when combined with a well-designed post-surgical diet and exercise program. In fact, you can anticipate a reduction of over 60 percent in your excess weight within two years. This outcome is significant and comparable to the results of gastric bypass, underscoring the effectiveness of diet and exercise.
The impact of diet and exercise on lifestyle change cannot be overstated. According to Stanford University, with ongoing adjustments to a gastric band and a commitment to healthier eating and exercise, some gastric band patients have achieved weight loss results similar to those of other bariatric surgeries. This finding underscores the crucial role of diet and exercise in the success of any weight loss journey, regardless of the surgical method chosen.
Exercise after Gastric Sleeve as a Way of Life
Exercise after gastric sleeve helps you in many ways, including furthering and maintaining loss of pounds and inches.
Once you decide to have a lap band procedure, start an exercise program that you will continue after surgery. It cannot be emphasized enough, exercise is crucial to maintaining weight loss long-term.
Starting an exercise program before surgery shortens convalescence time and cuts the likelihood of post-surgical complications. Simply starting a walking program can pay big dividends for you as you progress through your weight loss journey.
Exercise and Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Before beginning any exercise program, patients must discuss the program with their physician who may change or limit the regimen. Generic programs are not used on real patients, but are included here to tell patients about what to expect. Your doctor or exercise physiologist will tailor a program that meets your needs and takes into account any medical conditions you have.
Exercise Before Surgery
Beginning six months before surgery and until surgery, exercise 20 to 30 minutes, three days a week. Recommended exercises include:
- Two 10 minute walks every day.
- Chair marching: while sitting in a chair, march in place for 20 minutes. This is a great exercise for people who suffer from back pain.
One to Six Months After Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery
When you exercise after gastric sleeve do so continuously for thirty minutes. These exercises increase your range of motion so you can do everyday things, such as tying your shoes. In addition, you need to build strength, since as you lose weight, you lose muscle. When you lose muscle, you lose strength. Exercises to consider:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Biking
- Resistance training with dumbbells, gym machines, or weight bands
Six Months to One Year After Surgery
At this point you have the stamina for 45 minutes of ongoing exercise after gastric sleeve at least four times each week. Exercise experts suggest that you vary your routine to keep your body challenged at each session. Recommended exercises that you may wish to consider at this time are:
- Kickboxing, yoga, aerobics, or dancing.
- Using dumbbells while sitting on a balance ball. This resistance training strengthens abdominal muscles.
One Year of Exercise After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Your exercise program and sleeve surgery should result in a significant weight loss. This is when many people feel they can stop exercising. They are wrong! IT is important to adopt the mindset that exercise is now part of your new way of life. It is not optional; it is a part of who you are.
At this point, gastric sleeve patients can follow the same exercise recommendations for the general population, which is 45 minutes of exercise, four to five times a week.
Undergoing gastric sleeve surgery is a life changing experience. One change is starting an exercise program that becomes a part of your everyday life. It protects and improves your weight loss, helps keep you in good physical form, and helps keep you in a positive frame of mind.