Post Surgery Exercise Guidelines

Exercise Guidelines for Success after Weight Loss Surgery
With Alex Shirley

Physical activity is essential for good health and for weight management and yet so many people struggle in this area. In today’s video, Alex will be looking at how to make physical activity really work for you even if it hasn’t in the past. 

You probably know that to get the best results after your surgery, and to achieve a good level of health, you’re going to need to move regularly. The reality for most people however is that they lead busy lives and find it a struggle to find the time to fit regular "exercise sessions" into their schedule. Lots of people also find the idea of "exercise" very unappealing and when they think of physical activity they think of going to a loud, sweaty gym, running for hours on a pavement or going to a bootcamp class where they’re shouted at.

Now some people like those kinds of physical activity and that’s great for them because a big part of effective program is finding a form of activity that you enjoy. The reality is though that you don’t need that kind of physical activity to get great results. You don’t need a “no pain, no gain” philosophy – in fact this type of philosophy often just leads to injury, to people dropping out or to rewarding themselves with food that undoes all of the hard work. In this video Alex shares a smarter, more enjoyable way to move where you ‘work in’ before you ‘work out’, so that you get great results and most importantly so that you sustain it.

Sample Exercises

You can see sample ‘work in’ exercises here. 

 

You can read the transcript for this video below:

Transcript: Post-Surgery Program - Week 3: Movement Principles

Hi I’m Alex and I’m a Health and Wellness Coach at Fresh Start. Today I want to talk to you about the importance of physical movement and how to make it really work for you after your surgery.

You probably know that to get the best results after your surgery, and to achieve a good level of health, you’re going to need to move your body and be active in some way on a regular basis. The reality for most people however is that they lead busy lives and find it a struggle to find the time to fit regular movement sessions into their schedule. Lots of people also find the idea of “exercise” very unappealing and when they think about it they think of going to a loud, sweaty gym, running for hours on a pavement or going to a bootcamp class where they’re shouted at. 

Now some people like those kinds of exercise and that’s great for them because a big part of effective movement is finding a form of activity that you enjoy. The reality is though that you don’t need that kind of activity to get great health results. You don’t need a “no pain, no gain” philosophy – in fact this type of philosophy often just leads to injury, to people dropping out or to rewarding themselves with food that undoes all of their hard work. So if this is what you associate with physical activity, then I want to change the way you see being active and moving your body. I want to share with you a smarter, more enjoyable way to move, so that you get great results and most importantly so that you sustain having an active lifestyle.  

So we’re going to talk about the importance of movement and specifically the right kind of movement for you that takes into account your health and stress levels and I’m going to look at some of the best options available.

Today is designed to help you:

• so that movement becomes an enjoyable part of your life;
• so that you get the incredible health benefits that come with moving your body more; and
• so that you get all the other positive benefits of movement that will then flow into all the other areas of your life as well – your work, your relationships, your personal development and so on. 

Here’s why this is important - If you don’t make regular movement part of your life, you’ll never, ever achieve the long term results that you want after WLS. In fact it’s almost impossible to maintain an ideal body weight long term without being active.

Before I talk to you further about different types of physical activity for you, I want to emphasise that physical activity is a form of stress and that you must consult with your medical practitioner before starting any physical activity and movement program. I’m not going to give you an exercise program – I’m going to be talking about lots of options. They may not all be appropriate for you depending on your health so you must work with your medical practitioners to work out what’s right for you – especially if you have an injury or a medical condition.

Now, If you’re not moving regularly then you really must. We’re not just talking about your weight; we’re talking about your health, and not just your physical health but also your mental and emotional health. 

Humans are designed to move. It’s estimated that our hunter- gatherer ancestors would do 3.5 hours of physical movement of various intensities each day and this went on for thousands, and thousands, and thousands of years. Our bodies have literally adapted to this regular movement and there are a number of very important functions in the body that require movement in order to work properly. 

At a very basic level, when we move, water, blood and oxygen are pumped throughout the body by the contraction and relaxation of muscles and we need a certain level of movement to keep our bodily functions working properly:

Movement is essential to keep up our energy levels. Movement brings nutrition and oxygen to the cells in our body and also to remove waste from those cells. 

Movement helps us manage our blood sugar levels. With regular movement, our muscles consume blood sugar at a natural pace. Without daily movement, the body will be less efficient at using the nutrients and blood sugar levels can become too high or too low causing problems in the body. 

Movement helps us maintain a healthy body weight – it helps us develop muscles that keep our metabolism up. Without adequate movement, our metabolism slows and and this results in the body storing more energy as body fat. Watch out though – if exercise too hard then stimulate appetite or reward yourself – undo hard work. 

Movement helps repair our muscles and joints. Movement brings water, nutrition and oxygen to the muscles and joints. Without movement we’re more likely to have aches and pains.

Movement helps pump nutrients to every part of the body and it also helps to pump waste out as well. Regular movement also moves your lymphatic system and this strengthens your immune system. 

Regular movement (at the right intensity) also helps lower stress – the stress or fight or flight response was designed to protect us in the wild. These days, rather than expending energy trying to escape from a sabre-tooth tiger that’s chasing us – our stresses are more likely to be a visa bill or a work email or a relationship issue and our response is often to sit there in frustration or distress. We need to release that stress by moving! By releasing that stress then you also reduce your emotional eating.

Regular movement also helps you sleep better – when you’ve been moving your body, your body wants to rest and repair itself. The Timing of movement is critical here though – if you move during the day then that helps with sleep – if however you move too intensely in the evening then you’ll be stimulating yourself and this can disrupt your natural sleep patterns. 

Movement is essential for a healthy heart. The heart is not designed to pump blood all by itself. When the body gets adequate movement, each muscle helps to pump and circulate blood. This greatly reduces the stress on the heart and the cardiovascular system. Without this assistance from the muscles it puts much more stress on the heart. 

And lastly, movement also helps balance our mood. Emotions are directly affected by the kinds of nutrition being supplied to our nervous and hormonal systems. If the body isn’t moving regularly then whatever nutrients it takes in aren’t going to be transported effectively to the organs and glands responsible for maintaining emotional balance. Also by changing your physiology you’ll be put into a better state – feel positive, strong, confident! Sit down like this – how do you feel? Now sit upright and strong – instantaneous shift of feelings! Once again by feeling better you reduce your emotional eating.  It’s been said that movement is one of the most powerful and underutilised antidepressants available …and food is one of the most abused anti-anxiety drugs…

So clearly it is essential to make sure that we get adequate movement in our daily lives and stay active. It’s important however to make sure that we get the right kind of movement. 

Health experts from around the world recommend a minimum daily amount of movement of 10,000 steps and this can be easily measured with a pedometer. In Australia, only 1 in 5 adults meet this minimum amount and the average is just 7,400 steps each day. The problem with our modern society is that most of us today don’t need to move that much at all –  we don’t need to hunt and gather our food – for most of us our jobs and lifestyles are mostly sedentary, we can easily get food at a supermarket and we have cars to travel around in. This means that most of us have to go out of our way to add movement into our lives – it doesn’t just happen naturally. 

So what we are missing is lots of general, low intensity movement. And this is incredibly healthy for the body. The problem however is that rather than focusing on this lower intensity movement we have been conditioned to think that for movement to count then it has to be intense, hard exercise – there’s a no pain, no gain philosophy that has probably done us more harm than good.

Movement is a form of stress on the body and it can also be a good stress or a bad stress. If you move your body too intensely, you add stress to a body that may already be stressed from other life stuff like work, relationships, travel, late nights, etc.

How well you’ll recover depends on what is called your allostatic load i.e. how much total stress you’re under at any given moment.

In other words, on those days when you were late for work and your boss yelled at you and you food on your favorite shirt and you were up all night caring for a sick child and you had an argument with a friend or family member, or you were ill — and then you went to the gym and tried to push yourself hard or pushed yourself doing some movement at home? You better plan for some serious recovery time.

On the other hand, if you slept well, woke up to sunshine, had a terrific breakfast, and feel fantastic, and you’re in great health then your body will likely recover faster and better from your physical activity. 

The right amount of physical activity, at the right intensity, and the right time means that we’ll get healthier and stronger.

Too much intense physical activity, too often will lead to strain and stress and we’ll shut down and break down.  A ‘workout’ can literally work resources right out from your body – so an intense movement session may be doing you more harm than good. Put simply, the more stress that you are under, the more dangerous working out intensely is for you! 

Now you probably have a good idea of how much stress your under already but incase you’re not sure, I want to talk about the symptoms of stress:

Symptoms of stress include poor digestion, constipation, anxiety, increased breathing and heart rates, poor sleep quality and night sweats, low sex drive, waking up feeling unrested, increased muscle tension, frequent colds, increased appetite and cravings, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, headaches and weight gain. 

So the more of these symptoms that you’re experiencing the more this means that you’re under a lot of stress and that you will see far better results from what we call a “Work In” program rather than a “Work Out”. 

Work-in exercises reduce stress levels rather than raising them and help you rest and recover.  These lower intensity exercises help your body pump nutrients more efficiently around the body and are designed to counter all the effects of living an inactive, stressful lifestyle. 

If the idea of working out makes you tired just thinking about it then you are getting an important message from your body and you should listen to this. if you don’t have the energy to workout chances are that your body just isn’t ready for stress of that kind. When your body sends you a message telling you not to work out, it really is actually at the same time sending you a request to work in!

So what do I mean by working in? 

Working in exercises are exercises that are at an intensity that allows you to breathe normally when performing that exercise. 

Working in exercises should also help you digest food. So if you did the movements straight after eating then you would feel better because the combination of low stress movement and breathing with a relaxed mind actually stimulates digestion and elimination as well as lowering stress hormones and raising repair hormones.

Working in exercises should be relaxing for your mind. They should never be so complicated that you need to think as you exercise. Your brain needs rest just like your muscles and you want your whole body to enjoy the work-in experience.

So what are some examples of working-in?

Slow walking is one of the best examples of a work-in. Simply walking in a relaxed manner for 20-30 minutes each day will really really benefit you and you can build this up to an hour or more. It’s a great opportunity to clear the mind and you can listen to relaxing music for a more calm experience, or something more upbeat or an inspiring podcast if you want a more thought-provoking experience. Walking in nature makes it even more relaxing and beneficial.  Easy bike riding, easy swimming or water exercise can also have a very similar effect. 

Stretching is another great form of working-in. Stretching is a great way to balance the body and improve posture while at the same time raising your energy levels. When you stretch the tight muscles of your body, it immediately starts to improve your posture. When we have proper posture and our muscles are balanced, energy moves efficiently through our body.

Tai Chi or Qigong are both ancient forms of exercise that have been shown to be very effective at lowering stress levels and increasing vitality in the body.

Yoga is another form of ancient movement that is very effective at reducing stress and raising energy. Some forms of yoga are more intense than others though so make sure you find a good yoga instructor who can individualise positions and sessions to meet the needs of your body.

Pilates, the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais are more modern forms of gentle exercise that also help improve your posture and boost your energy levels. 

Gardening is another great way to work-in. Moving your body in nature and breathing fresh air. Just make sure that the work you do is easy and enjoyable.

Finally, I’ve put together some simple movements and actions that you can do at home that are also designed to energise you and you can see these using the link below.

I highly recommend a daily commitment to 20-30 minutes of working-in. As you work-in, you will notice one or more of the following happening:

• your body feels better and better day after day
• your body weight improves
• your energy improves
• your blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate all typically lower if they are currently high
• your mood levels out and you feel more emotionally capable
• sleep deepens, becoming restful
• your mental functions improve. 
• and you start looking younger!

When your body feels good, you have fewer symptoms of stress, you have a natural desire to go to the next level and most importantly if you don’t have any health issues then you can progress to working out. That doesn’t mean that you should abandon working-in altogether though. Working-in exercise are designed to help you rest and recover so they are a valuable addition to any physical activity program and you should balance working-out with working-in to help you avoid fatigue, pain and injury.

So what do we mean by working out?

This is more intense movement that raises your heart and breathing rates. This is the type of exercise that you would not want to do straight after eating because it would make you feel uncomfortable. This is what you will typically think of when you think of “exercise” – lifting weights, running, bike riding, playing sports and so on. So what are some great suggestions for working out:

• Resistance training or weight training is one of the best ways to workout. This is because on average your body loses about half a kilo of muscle every year after the age of 40 as your body’s ability to produce certain hormones begins to slow down. Resistance training sessions of around 30 minutes three times per week can do amazing things for your body and mind. You can put muscle mass on, helping to keep your weight down by stimulating your metabolism. Resistance training after the age of 40 also helps balance the hormonal system. Performed properly, resistance training also promotes bone strength and joint stability, improves muscle tone and posture, boosts immune function and aids in skin elasticity. Circuit training where you carry out a series of exercises back-to-back, is a great way to perform resistance training because as well as training your muscles, you’re also training your heart and lungs. We’ve put together a series of sample circuits that are designed to not only give great results but also to improve function. In daily life we need to be able to push and pull things, twist to the side and bend, squat and lunge to pick objects off the floor. We use these basic movement patterns in our circuits for a great work out, that also improves one’s ability to cope with daily life.
The circuits can be found using the link below. Remember though that they are not appropriate for everyone - make sure you check with your medical practitioner or exercise physiologist before starting any movement program, especially more intense ones.
• Taking up a sporting activity such as golf, tennis or anything that requires a regular commitment can be a great way of working out.
• Choosing to do some hard physical work like more intense physical gardening or landscaping can be a great way to work out. 
• Walking briskly for 20-40 minutes several times per week can be a great way of working out. Walking on trails is best because natural settings give the body more variety and stimulation. Adding in some stairs or some steep slopes is a great way to increase intensity.
• Bike riding is another fantastic way of working out. In Scandinavia, you see people riding bikes everywhere, even when it’s cold and rainy and they’re generally very healthy. Alternating fast bursts with slower recoveries can stimulate the body similar to resistance training improving fitness, metabolism and hormone function.
• More intense style of pilates and yoga are also good forms of working out.
• Other good options include swimming, kayaking and dancing.

Each of these forms of workout will build muscle, pump the body and improve fitness. It’s important to remember though that workouts also deplete the body of energy so they must be balanced by eating nutritious foods, drinking water, getting lots of sleep, working-in regularly and taking time to relax and enjoy life.

Finally, I want to end with probably the most important principle about being active and that’s that the best movement program in the world is not necessarily weight training or yoga or walking or stretching. The best movement and physical activity program in the world is the one that you will actually do regularly! As we’ve already seen, movement is one of the most powerful ways of improving your health, both physically and mentally. To get the benefit though, you need to be moving regularly and to do this you must enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it then you will never ever sustain it, no matter how disciplined you think you are. 

So focus on moving in a way that is enjoyable for you and also think about how you can make movement even more enjoyable, for example by finding a training partner or by listening to music or by going to beautiful locations.

I trust you found this useful and we look forward to sharing another lifestyle resource with you soon.