97. Guest Poster: San Diego Plastic Surgery Clinic

I was recently approached by the San Diego Plastic Surgery Clinic requesting to do a guest post on my blog.  I took this as a great opportunity to ask a few questions I had about exercising after have reconstruction with implants.  I was very satisfied with the response which you can read below.  It's still good to consult your own plastic surgeons to get the go ahead to exercise after your reconstructive surgery as we each have our own individual experiences.

3 Questions Answered For Those Getting Sub-Pectoral Breast Implants

Post written by Peter Samberg—a writer for Associates for Plastic Surgery, a cosmetic surgery clinic in San Diego providing a suite of procedures from breast reconstruction to face lifts.

After receiving implants under the muscle, exercise is always a concern for women. Can you exercise? Are there certain exercises to avoid? How long do I need to wait after surgery to be active? Will I have to worry about it my whole life? These are all valid questions and all questions that run through almost all the minds of those who have had implant surgery.

Implants can either be placed over or under the muscle. Where the implant is placed can alter appearance and healing. Behind the Sub-pectoral implants are also referred to as under-the-muscle implants. The muscle support can assist in the healing process of this surgery, but here are a few tips to know before you start exercising.

1. When can I start exercising?

While it differs for each patient, the pectoral muscles usually take one to two months to be fully healed. You do not want to start any rigorous exercising or weight lifting until you have fully healed. Because of placement behind the muscle, extremely strenuous exercises to the chest muscles may displace the breast implant.

Low-impact exercise, like walking or bike riding, can actually increase healing time. However, most doctors ask patients to refrain from weight lifting and push-ups for 6-8 weeks.

2. What should I avoid?

Post-surgery you want to give the pectoral muscle time to heal around the implant. You should refrain from push-ups and weight lifting until the healing is complete. Not only should you skip the free weights at the gym, be careful not to do any heaving lifting in your day-to-day activities. After the muscle has healed, you can resume lifting. Breast augmentation surgery should not affect your regular exercise habits one you are fully healed.

3. Do I have to worry about this years down the road?

After the muscle is healed, you should be good to go. However, excessive training of the pectoral muscle can lead to implant displacement. You should always be careful, but after the implants are healed you can live life normally. They will not change your strength or ability. Just be careful not to over-exert the pectoral muscle to steer clear of displacement.