Why is exercise important? DRAFT - University of Washington

UW MEDICINE | PATIENT EDUCATION

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Activity After Bariatric Surgery

Phy sical therapy an d exercise

This handout gives exercise goals and activity precautions to follow after bariatric surgery.

Why is exercise im portant?

? Activity after surgery helps prevent:

D R A F T ? Upper respiratoryinfections ? Blood clots

? Constipation ? An exercise and strength training

program will help you:

? Strengthen your m uscles and bones

? Burn calories, helping you lose weigh t

? Relieve stress

? Im prove your overall health

? Maintain a healthy weight over tim e

In the Hospital

Exercise is very important after having bariatric surgery.

While you are in the hospital, you will:

? Get out of bed with help from your nurses or therapists

? Meet with a physical therapist (PT) and an occupational therapist (OT)

? Sit in a chair for at least 6 hours

? Walk in the hall 5 tim es, for a total of 9 to 18 laps around the unit

Fo r Yo u r Sa fe ty

? Log-roll in and out of bed to protect your incision. Your PT or OT will teach you how to do this.

? Breathe norm ally while m oving in bed, gettin g to a chair, and exercising. Do not hold your breath.

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Page 1 o f 2 | Activity After Bariatric Su rge ry

Ph ysical Th erapy | Box 356154 1959 N.E. Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98 19 5 | 20 6.598 .48 30

Effort When Exercising

0

At Rest

1

2

3

4

Goal Range

5 5 = working hard

? Do n o t lift anything that weighs m ore than 10 pounds until your doctor says it is OK. (A gallon of water weighs alm ost 9 pounds.) Your doctor will talk with you about this at your 6-week follow-up visit.

How hard should I exercise?

The table at left shows your target exercise range, on a scale from 0 to 10 . ? For your hom e workouts, exercise in the goal range between 4 and 5.

6

7

8

9

10

Most Effort

? Use the "walk and talk test" to check how hard you are exercising. You want to be a little short of breath but still able to talk with som eone.

W a ys to In cre a s e Yo u r D a ily Activity

? Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

D R A F T ? Park farther awayfrom the store. ? Walk instead of drive. ? Get off the bus a few stops earlier and walk to where you are going. ? Walk at the m all.

? Dance around the house.

? Play with your children, grandchildren, or pets.

? Stretch, do sitting exercises, or lift hand weights while watching TV.

? Do housework or yardwork.

? J oin an exercise club or class. Water exercise program s m ay be best if you have joint pain.

? Buy a pedom eter or sm art watch to track your progress and set goals.

Questions?

Your questions are important. Call your doctor or healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns.

Physical Therapy: 206.598.4830

Activity Go als at H o m e

? As soon as you can, return to your hom e exercise program that your outpatient physical therapist created with you.

? For the m ost weight loss, aim to walk 10 ,0 0 0 to 12,0 0 0 steps a day.

? Return to the gym as you can. Start with light weights that weigh less than 10 pounds. Make sure you are not holding your breath or s t r a in in g.

? Return to swim m ing when your incisions are healed and your doctor says it is OK.

? Start with the exercises in this packet and progress to m ore challenging exercises as you can. Strength training will help your m uscles get stronger. This is very im portant after bariatric surgery.

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? University of Washington Medical Center Published PFES: 04/2018 Clinician Review: 04/2018 Reprints on Health Online:

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Ph ysical Th erapy | Box 356154 1959 N.E. Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98 19 5 | 20 6.598 .48 30

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