Ugh, we know. People seem to go on and on about the importance of exercise—which can be pretty hard if you’ve never really been into it. But, the hard truth is, exercise is vital to a healthy lifestyle. Humans, after all, are animals—we are made to keep moving.

Let’s take a quick look at some general benefits of regular exercise:

• Improved mental wellbeing
• Improved aerobic fitness
• Strong muscles and bones
• More energy and better sleep
• Reduce your risk of heart attack and other health issues
• Weight management

Let’s focus on this last point. Exercise can be a great way to develop and maintain a healthy weight, but it’s only really effective as part of a whole healthy lifestyle (food habits, sleep habits etc.), and does depend on the person.

On your weight loss journey, you might’ve tried exercising as a way to reduce your weight and found it didn’t work for you—whether you were finding it difficult to create a healthy lifestyle, or you were doing everything right and just not seeing results. This is totally normal, and totally okay.

Bariatric surgery is a fantastic way to get control over your weight and recharge your mindset. But, it doesn’t mean that exercise is any less important. In fact, it’s really even more important, to ensure you get long lasting results, and keep your body healthy. Read on to find out more.

Exercising after bariatric surgery

Giving your body time to rest and recover after surgery is vital. Recovery time will vary between patients but will generally be around 4-6 weeks. Though, during this time, walking and gentle stretching can help your body recover and get you feeling a bit more normal.

Once you’ve been approved to start exercising normally, the best thing is to do so. Regular exercise will aid in preventing weight regain after surgery and allow you to reap the most benefits of bariatric surgery as possible. As we’ve already said many times throughout this blog post, it will also keep you physically and mentally healthy, which is the most important thing.

“But, I hate exercising…”

We get it. How are you supposed to exercise when you hate everything about it? Conventional methods of exercise can be boring, repetitive and costly. Running, using gym equipment, lifting weights—some people love it, but to others, it’s all a bit mind-numbing. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of activities that you mightn’t have even considered to be good forms of exercise. We’ve included both free and paid activities, and none of them require a gym membership!

Some unique forms of exercising (that don’t require a gym)

Swimming

Whether it’s in the ocean, or at your local recreation centre, swimming is a low-cost, fun way to exercise. Swimming is a low-impact activity, which means your heart rate will get up and stay up, but your body won’t suffer as many aches and pains in the following days. It’s great for endurance, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness and muscle toning. It’s a full body workout!  There are even water-aerobics classes that will keep you motivated with others, if you find swimming a bit too lonely.

Pole fitness

As well as giving you a killer self-confidence boost, pole fitness is also a great workout. Your core is constantly engaged, routines will improve your cardio, and you will build and tone your upper body with all the moves that require lift and strength. Flexibility is also a big part of pole fitness, so you will find that with time, you will be able to move your body more freely than ever!

Hiking

Hiking is one of the best forms of free exercise. Spending time outdoors alone has been proven to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure. Couple this with the health benefits of exercise, and you’ve got a match made in heaven! Choose your location and distance, and you won’t even realise you’re exercising as you take in your beautiful surrounds. If you’re located in Western Australia, check out Trails WA for some trails near you!

Dance

There are so many kinds of dance fitness classes around, you’re really spoilt for choice! Groups like The Jungle Body and Les Mills Sh’Bam have classes in most suburbs. The routines are simple with only four or five moves, so even the most uncoordinated person can get involved! The routines are targeted to work a specific part of your body—it could be full body, arms, legs or core—and go along to some of your favourite songs. Again, you won’t even realise your heart rate going up!

Rock climbing

No, you don’t need a rugged cliff face—we’re talking indoor rock climbing! Rock climbing combines cardio and strength into a single workout. With cardio and strength comes toned muscles, improved cardiac and aerobic fitness, and you will also notice an improvement in your flexibility. There are so many different levels of difficulty, that you will always be able to progress and push yourself.

Yoga + Pilates

Some words that might come to mind when you think of yoga or pilates could be relaxing, boring, or meditaton. But, what people often don’t realise, is how many variants of yoga and pilates there are! In fact, most yoga and pilates classes are about strengthening your core, improving flexibility and strengthening muscles, all the whilst feeling really in-tune with your mind and body. If you need a workout for both your physical and mental self, yoga or pilates could be great for you.

Any questions?

If you have any questions regarding exercise and bariatric surgery, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team at Emerge Surgical or book an appointment with Dr Padovan by calling (08) 9544 5200. We would love to help you get as much out of your bariatric surgery as possible.