Tips for Exercising After a Facelift

After a facelift (or any surgery for that matter), many patients are eager to get back to their workouts. On top of trying to keep their health and physique in shape, most people enjoy the stress relief and refreshed feeling that comes from exercise. But it’s a difficult balance to strike because, while some exercise can help your recovery, too much exertion too soon will have the opposite effect and could cause dangerous complications or a less than ideal cosmetic result. The tips below can guide you back into your workout regimen.

Listen to your surgeon’s recommendations.

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that everyone’s health, surgery, and healing rates are unique, so there’s no set timeline – it will vary with each person and with the extensiveness of their procedure. Before your facelift, you should discuss the surgeon’s post-surgery activity recommendations because these are tailored to your facelift recovery. You should also discuss this during your follow-up appointments, and I make sure my patients know that they can call me any time with questions.

Start with light exercise as early as possible.

You should begin light walking (like wandering around the house) as soon as possible after your surgery. This enhances your circulation, reducing the risk of a blood clot, without raising your heard rate or blood pressure (which can put you at risk for complications).

Expect to wait at least a month before engaging in any strenuous activity.

Keep in mind that this is only a general guideline, but sometimes it’s helpful for patients to have an idea of what to expect.

Start slow and gradually work up to your regular workout.

When you are well enough to start exercising, don’t try to “make up for lost time.” Start slow and gradually increase the difficulty and duration until you’re back to your regular routine. Many patients start with walking, then advance to light workouts on the elliptical machine before working up to running or other types of cardio, and finally weight-lifting.

Try stretching and/or yoga.

If you need some physical activity other than walking, stretching or sometimes yoga can be helpful. They can enhance your circulation and be a healthy part of your facelift healing process, but there are a few important rules to keep in mind. First, don’t strain yourself enough to raise your heart rate or blood pressure until your surgeon has found that you can do this safely. Second, don’t do any poses or stretches that lower your head below your heart, as this can increase swelling.

Listen to your body.

You know what exercise is supposed to feel like, and if you’re feeling pain when you work out after surgery (especially if it’s around the treatment area), your body is telling you to stop. Pushing yourself too hard will just slow down your recovery and make it take longer before you can be back to your full exercise regimen, or worse, it can lead to dangerous complications.

Use the same exertion rules for non-workout activities.

If your surgeon says you should avoid exercise that raises your heartrate or blood pressure, this doesn’t just apply to the gym. You also need to avoid any housework, errands, or other activities that stress your body until you’ve healed further.

Get in optimal shape before surgery.

Being strong and healthy before your facelift has a number of advantages. First, the healthier you are, the more likely you are to have a smooth and successful surgery and recovery. Second, if you’re just trying to maintain a healthy weight rather than lose weight, you’ll be less tempted to jump back into the gym too soon. Third, the more in-shape your body is before surgery, the easier it will be to get back to physical activity after you’ve healed.

All the tips above can be helpful guidelines, but rule #1 is to always listen to your surgeon’s specific recommendations. As a plastic surgeon, my job is far from over when my patient is done with surgery, so feel free to call my office with any questions you may have during your recovery. For more tips for cosmetic surgery patients, explore my blog and follow me, Dr. John LeRoy on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.