Exercise After Breast Augmentation Surgery

After undergoing Breast Augmentation surgery, you will likely be wanting to return back to your normal lifestyle as soon as possible, including returning to your normal exercise and sports routines. This article will cover in-depth when you can return to moderate levels of physical activity after Breast Implant surgery. For more information about breast implants or to request a consultation with specialist plastic surgeon Dr Eddy Dona, please contact our surgery using the contact form at the bottom of this article

Listen to Your Body

Everyone’s recovery after Breast Augmentation surgery is different and whilst you will be given guidelines by Dr Dona as to when you can return to different activities, your recovery process may vary, and it may take slightly longer for you to return to exercise. Throughout this article, you will notice a general trend of only increasing physical activity as you feel ready to do so and not overexert yourself.

Wearing Bras After Surgery

For the first six weeks after your surgery, you will have a surgical bra to wear. The surgical bra is also known as a compression bra and applies pressure on the breast to help stabilise them and for comfort – helping the breasts the maintain placement of the implants. When returning to any forms of exercise after breast surgery, you must wear a bra or often two that helps prevent your breasts from bouncing up and down. If your breasts are bouncing up and down while you are running, then you’re wearing the wrong bras. Wearing a supportive sports bra is important as it will hold your breast firmly in place and limit movement while you are exercising.

Walking After Surgery

You will be encouraged to walk around the house the day after your breast surgery, walking prevents blood flow throughout your body and prevents blood clots from forming. After the first few days after surgery, feel free to extend your walk duration for as long as you feel comfortable doing so, remembering to stick to a walking pace for the first four weeks postoperative.

Running After Surgery

You can slowly return to running at the four-week mark, you will want to start with a light intensity and gradually increase the distance and speed of your power walks/runs as your body feels comfortable doing so.

What happens if you work out too soon after Breast Augmentation?

During your recovery, your body will build a scar capsule around the breast implant, this scar capsule holds the breast implant firmly in place. Engaging your chest muscles with too much intensity within the first four-six weeks after your surgery can result in shifting the implant before the scar capsule has fully formed around the implant. The implant shifting can cause the breasts to have an asymmetrical and unnatural shape. Too much exercise can also contribute to increased swelling, bruising, and soreness. Undesired scar formation can also develop. To avoid this, chest exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups should be delayed and done in moderation.

Returning to The Gym After Breast Augmentation Surgery

For those who love the gym, you can slowly return to that at the four-week mark. However, four weeks is a long time away from the gym and you will decondition a lot. Also, you’ve had chest surgery so will still have some discomfort from this.

When you do go back to the gym, it is important to start with very light short sessions and be guided by your body. Slowly and gradually build yourself up to normal training over the following weeks and months.

However, experiencing pain in a post-surgical state means you need to pull back a little. It’s your body saying it’s not quite ready to be pushed that hard.

Going to the gym prior to four weeks to do “just legs” is not allowed. Any leg work requires core and upper body for stabilisation etc so it’s still forbidden.

Returning to Crossfit and High-Intensity Workouts

Returning to CrossFit will take some time longer to return to due to the much higher physical intensity, you will need to return to the gym at the four-week mark after surgery and gradually build yourself up to your normal CrossFit activities. It generally takes no sooner than eight weeks to be able to commence CrossFit style training after Breast Augmentation surgery.