Can I exercise before surgery?

Surgery, or medical treatment can, unfortunately, happen to anyone, even though we try our best to live healthy. These treatments have a lot of impact, physically as well as mentally. Is it wise to exercise towards the surgery or treatment, in order to be as fit as possible? What can you do?

Always consult your doctor before you start training. Every situation is different, and your training program might need to be changed based on the advise of your doctor.

Why exercise before surgery?

More and more studies show a declining risk of complications and a quicker recovery, with patients who prepared by being as fit as possible at the start of surgery.

Taking it easy, and rest, turns out to be not the best preparation, even though it is a natural thing to think.

A body that is healthy and fit and prepared for surgery, is able to recover quickly. Do you have to have surgery shortly? Consult your doctor, and ask him if it is a good idea to start exercising to strengthen your body in preparation.

Do’s and don’ts

The last thing you want before surgery is getting hurt. It is necessary to train as specific as possible, and not to burden or overload your body. A personal trainer can help you with this. Based on instructions from your doctor, he can create a specific tailor-made program for you. The personal trainer will also supervise the execution of the program. He monitors if the exercises are executed in a way that minimizes the risk of overloading or hurting your body.

How to train?

There are many ways to exercise; at home on the sofa, or at the training studio with fitness equipment. Your personal trainer will make sure the program is varied an adapted to what your body is capable of in your situation.

During the intake interview you will discuss your wishes and capabilities with the personal trainer. For example, if you already have exercises, but you want to make sure you are executing them in the right way, the personal trainer can help you. The main goal is quality of training, minimizing risks and aiming for specific goals.

How far in advance will I have to start training?

Although it is always better to be fit, there is a difference to train for overall fitness or to train in preparation for a specific treatment or surgery. For the latter it is common to start training 4 to 8 weeks before treatment. But there is also a lot you can improve in less then 4 weeks, so don’t hesitate to plan for an intake interview short before surgery.

Do you already know you want to exercise for this specific goal? Our advise would be to take action as soon as possible, so we can make a plan together.

Action plan

• Consult your doctor
  Contact your doctor and explain you want to exercise in preparation of the surgery. Ask if there are specific things you have to consider, or if there are areas that should not be overloaded. If there is no date set for the surgery yet, ask if your doctor can give you an indication of the amount of weeks it will take to plan the surgery.
• Plan an intake interview
  Contact us for an intake interview. Mention that you want to train to prepare for medical treament. We might contact you to ask for more information, so we can prepare the interview as specific as possible.
• Make a schedule
  It is our experience that it is comforting to be able do something during the time your waiting for surgery. This makes you feel you did all you can to be prepared, and makes you feel in controll. Together we will make up this schedule. This way you know what you will be working for.

Are you ready to start with medical fitness? Please contact us for a free intake-interview.