 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Implants and Exercise |
| |
WORKING OUT AFTER IMPLANT SURGERY |
| |
|
| |
We are often asked how long after breast augmentation can a women return to exercising. The answer to this really depends on the specific implant size and placement in each individual patient. We advise women not to exercise for two weeks after surgery, after which they may start slowly and advance as tolerated. Always consult your physician when starting a new exercise routine.
|
| |
|
| |
Depending on your previous exercise routine, implant size matters, and the larger the implant and placement the greater the recovery and “adjustment” time needed. If you were an athlete with an “A” or “B” cup before breast implant surgery, getting use to your new “C” or “D” cup will have it’s challenges. Each woman’s recovery time is different and each woman’s adjustment period is influenced by the following: reaching across the chest, lateral (side-to-side) displacement of the breast and implant, the additional weight of the implant, increased drag, discomfort and possible muscle atrophy.
|
| |
|
| |
The ability to reach across the chest can be decreased. For someone with A-cup sized breasts before surgery, the change is proportionally larger than for someone who begins with B-cup breasts. The implants may be more noticeable with sports that require extreme inward rotation at the shoulder with the arm extended. Examples include golf and racket sports like tennis and racket ball. Unless the implants are quite large, most athletes adapt quickly and can compensate by increasing rotation of the torso at the waist. |
| |
|
| |
Lateral displacement of the breast and implant can also interfere with the arm's range of motion. By keeping the implant diameter less than or equal to the diameter of the native breast, the feeling that "they're in the way" can be minimized. This is also a good way to keep the result proportional to the rest of your body. |
| |
|
| |
The weight of the implant is another factor. Women with large breasts (especially those desiring breast reduction surgery) often complain of lower neck, upper back and shoulder pain. Removing breast tissue - usually several pounds - relieves these symptoms. Conversely, if too much weight is added to the breast, similar symptoms can develop. However, since most implants weigh about three quarters of a pound, this problem is rare. Exercise routines that include running and jumping may make the weight more noticeable, but with the proper support, these activities are usually well tolerated. |
| |
|
| |
Competitive swimmers may notice slightly increased drag, but for the recreational athlete, little change is noted. Since most implants used for augmentation are filled with saline (salt water), they are essentially neutrally buoyant. In other words, implants won't make you float on your back - or sink to the bottom of the pool. |
| |
|
| |
BODYBUILDERS |
| |
|
| |
Most bodybuilders elect to have implants placed in front of the pectoralis muscle because of interference with muscle function. When these athletes pose, and forcefully flex their pectoralis muscles, their implants will raise up if placed behind the muscle. Although an implant is more obvious in front of the muscle, as the cover of many muscle magazines will attest, there is less movement with posing. There is anecdotal evidence that implants of reasonable size can be placed in the subpectoral plane without interfering with function, and many of my patients continue to enjoy exercising and weight lifting after their surgery without significant changes in their routine.
|
| |
|
| |
For avid women bodybuilders, most will be able to start cardio in about a week, and they can start lifting with light weights after two weeks. We recommend that they don't do any chest exercises for up to six weeks, generally cautioning that if it hurts, don't do it. In spite of this, most women who bench press told us that they are able to bench press the same weight as they did pre-operatively by eight to twelve weeks post-operatively. In a number of my patients who are very serious about their training, they have continued to increase their bench press strength as though they never had implants placed.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
