April 2021
Jacqui Lewis - BHSc Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine
Improve Your Energy After Surgery
Here as some tips on improving your energy output after surgery to work towards making exercise and physical activity part of life over the long term.
Don’t binge exercise, as this will turn you off it and leave you feeling exhausted rather than invigorated – which is the aim overall.
Increase daily incidental activity
EG: wash the dishes
until you’re exercising 60 minutes a
day, six days/week.
(walking, cycling, weights training)
make every effort to
avoid exercises that
would create greater
stress on your joints.
Avoid activities such
as jogging, jumping
and competitive
contact sports. By hand, clean the
house, park further
away, try using the
stairs, etc. (this has
been proven to
improve weight loss
better than bouts of
exercise followed by
sedentary living). Schedule your exercise to have motivation to regularly do it.
Start slow and gradually progress
So how much exercise should you do? Experts suggest that you start slow and continue until you’re exercising 60 minutes a day, six days/week.
Do low /moderate intensity exercise
(walking, cycling, weights training) This is best for weight-loss.
If your BMI is greater than 35
make every effort to avoid exercises that would create greater stress on your joints. Avoid activities such as jogging, jumping and competitive contact sports.
Select exercises that work
around any physical limitation
Eg – sore knees? Try elliptical trainer or bicycle
Strength training is great
for weight loss
Strength training and exercise ha s a huge role after surgery. Remember, the goal is to maintain your lean muscle through the weight-loss phase and exercise can help you achieve this goal.
This keeps your metabolism ticking over = burns more energy / calories.
Always remember that
joint pain is not healthy pain
Modify if you need to – always seek professional advice so you are doing good not setting yourself up for injury and set backs
Always change up your
exercise routine
(i.e. flexibility, cardio and strength training) every four to six weeks. Revise the intensity as you get fitter so you keep progressing
Jacqui Lewis
BHSc Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine
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