Everything You Need to Know About Exercising After Breast Augmentation

You finally have your dream body! And you’re super excited to get on your bike or head to the gym to start maintaining it.

You should be watching the show Run on Crave, but you’re actually craving a run. You’re a bit of a gym rat, so now you feel like a rat in a cage. This can lead some people to try to return to their active lifestyles too quickly. They feel fine, so they assume they’re ready to work out. Actually, they don’t feel fine. They feel anxious and bored, and that seems to give them superhuman levels of energy.

As eager as you might feel, it’s very important to take your time and let your body heal properly. This is one of the most important conversations we have in our Toronto Plastic Surgeons clinic every single day.

Many of our patients are already living a healthy and active lifestyle prior to their surgery, which is great because healthy patients often see the best outcomes. However, it can also lead them to feel a bit antsy after surgery. They’re used to being up and on the go. Bed rest doesn’t always agree with their personality.

This blog covers the basics and gives you some outlines of when most patients can return to their workout routines. However, it’s important to remember that these are just guidelines, and no two bodies are the same.

Make sure you have a detailed conversation with your surgeon about your fitness lifestyle, and any sports you plan on taking part in after your surgery.

When Can I Start Working Out After Getting Breast Implants?

Here is a broad view of what you can potentially expect during the breast augmentation recovery process. As you can see, it’s important to take your time and pace yourself.

Day 1-5

You don’t want to be completely sedentary. You will want to get up and lightly walk around as much as possible. However, your main priority is to rest and recover these days.

Don’t attempt any exercises, and your surgeon will likely warn you against even doing things like reaching up in the kitchen to grab things off of shelves. This is a crucial and delicate time, so take it as easy as possible.

Day 7-20:

Your body is still healing and adapting, so give it a chance to do both of those things properly.

Your energy levels may be returning to normal, so you may feel like you’re ready to do more. But it’s not quite time to return to the gym yet, even for light workouts. However, walking is very good.

Walking gets you up and moving, while getting your circulation moving. This is some very easy and low-impact cardio, and of course, the fresh air never hurts. So make daily walks a part of your routine.

Week 3:

Now is generally the time where you can throw some light cardio back into your routine. We know you’re itching to get back at it again, but don’t go too hard! Try to stay in the range of about 50% to 60% of your old intensity.

You may feel a lot better, and you might feel ready to go hard. But, you’re still in a crucial healing time.

Week 6:

This is the time where we generally say that most of our patients are nearly completely healed. They can ease themselves back into weight lifting or more vigorous cardio workouts.

Once again, we feel it’s important for you to not take these timelines as absolute. These are general averages. Your personal recovery time will depend on too many other factors to list here. So, it’s important to stay in close contact with your surgeon and discuss your fitness lifestyle with them.

Does the Type of Augmentation I Get Impact My Recovery Time?

Yes. One of the reasons we don’t like to give steadfast timelines is that there are just too many variables in play. Your recovery time will depend on things like your age, health, and lifestyle. Also, the type of surgery you had will also obviously influence your recovery time.

All of the workout timelines we covered in the previous section are for breast implant surgery. However, you might also consider.

Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

The breast lift doesn’t involve adding an implant, so the recovery times can often be shorter than getting implants.

You will potentially be looking at a 1-3 week recovery period following your breast lift procedure, but you still need to keep the lines of communication open with your surgeon.

Many patients can resume non-strenuous activities after about 7-10 days. But you should never assume that’s the case.

If you were to get a breast lift with implants, this would extend your recovery period.

Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

We’re proud to say that we offer fat transfer breast augmentation in Toronto from our Yorkville clinic. This procedure is somewhat similar to the famous Brazilian Butt Lift, in that the surgery uses harvested fat cells from your own body to add volume and shape to your breasts.

This is a very popular procedure because you’re adding volume using your body’s own natural fat (typically from the thighs, hips, or stomach), which means there is no need for a foreign implant. It’s also very popular because of its relatively fast recovery time.

Generally speaking, patients may be able to resume working out 7-10 days after their procedure. But, as always, it’s important to consult with your practitioner.

The Mommy Makeover

This is not exactly a breast augmentation procedure. It is a customized combination of surgeries that often includes some form of breast lift, and/or breast implants.

It’s even harder to forecast how long it will take to recover from a Mommy Makeover. Of course, your body will have to recover from the boob job; whether your procedure included implants, or a lift, or both.

However, you could also be facing other surgeries like a liposuction procedure or tummy tuck. Your body needs time to properly recover from these surgeries, particularly if your tummy tuck involved rebuilding the abdominal muscles. That can take more time to heal properly.

Sports Bras and Breast Implants

Should I wear a sports bra after my surgery? What kind of bras should I buy? These are easily two of the most common questions about breast implants that we answer during our pre-operation meetings.

Yes, you should wear a sports bra following your surgery. You may have read different things online, or heard different things from people who have had the surgery. There is a bit of a difference of opinion on this topic.

Dr. Thomas Bell feels it’s important to wear a compression garment or sports bra following your surgery. It’s hard to argue with his results. He is, quite simply, one of Canada’s leading plastic surgeons and experts in breast augmentation. At the same time, our breast augmentation before and after pictures and online reviews speak for themselves.

We recommend that you wear your sports bra for 24 hours a day following your surgery and do so for about 4 weeks. This gives you the support you need during your crucial healing period. Life is full of unexpected bumps and jumps, and a compression garment gives you the support you will need to heal properly.

You will also want to hold off on buying a bunch of new bras to complement your new body. You need to keep in mind that the full effects of your surgery may not be fully evident for a few months. Buy a few bras at a time and resist the temptation to buy more, no matter how great they may feel or look. Something that fits in the early stages may not be as comfortable in a few weeks.

The Dangers of Working Out Too Soon After Breast Implant Surgery

It is absolutely crucial to ease your way back into being active following your surgery. As we have mentioned, you need to give your body the chance to heal, while also giving your implants the chance to fully settle into their desired positions.

If you rush back to the gym or rush back into too much of any type of activity, you’re putting your results and your health in serious jeopardy.

You run the risk of:

• Broken sutures
• Unnecessary swelling, bruising, and/or pain
• Asymmetric breasts because of the implants shifting

Always err on the side of caution and speak to your surgeon before resuming any type of physical activity. At the same time, listen to your body. If your surgeon has given you the green light to start jogging again, but you’re still experiencing pain or swelling, you may not quite be ready yet. You may have to give it a little bit more time before getting back into it.

Will Implants Impact My Athletic Performance?

How will these implants impact my golf swing? Or my tennis game? Will I still be able to run comfortably? What about CrossFit?

These are all popular questions we get from active women who are interested in a breast augmentation procedure of any kind. Or they may be more concerned with weekend-warrior-type activities such as canoeing, kayaking, skiing, or snowboarding. They want to ensure that their new body will agree with their preferred lifestyle and they don’t want to lose their favourite weekend retreats.

There is no need to worry. Once you give yourself the proper chance to rest and recuperate, you should not have to make any lifestyle sacrifices.

“Being someone who has implants and also in the fitness industry, I can tell you that implants shouldn’t impede you from having an active lifestyle,” wrote Dr. Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD in an article for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

She added you should also, “Definitely use a good supportive bra when exercising and wait until you are fully recovered and cleared by your surgeon before starting any activity.”

Will there be a brief adjustment period following your surgery? Absolutely, particularly after a bit of downtime. However, once you’re back in the swing of things, muscle memory will take over and you will be able to perform at your previous levels in no time.

The Surgeon You Choose Is Crucial

Working with the right surgeon impacts every single aspect of your procedure. From understanding your goals during the pre-op meetings, to skillfully performing your actual surgery with advanced technology, to maintaining an attentive level of care after the surgery, the right surgeon makes all the difference.

Our Dr. Bell has defined new trends in the world of plastic surgery for over 20 years. He is renowned for refining the through-the-armpit approach (both under the pectoralis major muscle and on top), around-the-areola, under-the-breast, and trans-umbilical breast augmentation procedures.

He is known throughout Canada for his incredible surgical skill and his personal level of care.

We’re Here to Answer All of Your Questions

Our surgeons have performed well over 2,000 breast augmentation procedures over the years, so don’t worry, they have heard it all. There is no reason for you to feel too shy to ask any question. We’re here to help and to make you feel as comfortable as possible at every step of your journey.

Our own Dr. Bell is one of Canada’s thought-leading experts on the plastic surgery industry, as a whole. He is frequently interviewed by major media outlets about trends in the world of cosmetic surgery.

If you’re ready to see what the new you can look like, we’re ready to show it to you! Click here to schedule a consultation with one of our experts today!