Cosmetic surgery can be the answer to a lot of our questions and struggles with our bodies and self-image. But whatever plastic surgery you are planning to have, be it a tummy tuck, liposuction, or any other type, it is not an excuse to have a sedentary life. The best candidates for cosmetic surgery are people who work out regularly and have healthy eating habits and a balanced lifestyle.
Some people might think that having plastic surgery can compensate for a healthy lifestyle or that liposuction is an easy and affordable weight loss program, but cosmetic surgery does not substitute for a proper diet and exercise at the gym. In most cases, people schedule plastic surgery procedures to perfect the results after a weight loss diet or after a pregnancy, for example. What cosmetic surgery can do for you usually can’t be replaced with exercise and diet, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help a lot with recovery after a plastic surgery procedure.
Among the post-operative recommendations your doctor gives, every single time, is the suggestion to get out of bed and walk as soon as possible. Even after a long surgery with general anesthesia, you will see that your doctor will urge you to start moving as soon as possible. While it might sound like an exaggeration to move after you have just recovered from the anesthesia, your doctor is making these recommendations for your own good. Walking as soon as it is physically possible is recommended to reduce the risk of complications like blood clots and atelectasis. More than this, the healing and recovery process will be improved if you start walking after the surgery.
While some believe that bed rest is the best solution after a surgery, any doctor who cares about his patients will tell you it is the other way around. It is important to move as soon as possible, and your surgeon will insist you do just this. When you move around, your body will recover sooner and resume its functions. For example, it is important to have a stool soon after the surgery, but some find it difficult (with the lack of food before the surgery and a light meal or just fluids after). Walking around your bed, even taking one step every couple of minutes, is essential for your digestive system.
Staying in bed for too long can be to the detriment of your fast recovery and also your state of mind. It is a well-known fact that walking or any type of exercise will trigger a release of endorphins, the hormone of happiness. This is why people return from the gym in better spirits and feeling energetic. It is all due to the level of endorphins in their bloodstream.
The importance of walking after cosmetic surgery can’t be neglected, but, at the same time, it is important to do it in moderation. Overexertion of a body that just went through surgery is not a good idea either.