If you’re preparing to have an arm lift, or brachioplasty, you may wonder how long after surgery you can get back to your fitness routine. Like all surgeries, there is a period of recovery after brachioplasty before strenuous activities may be resumed.
The first few days after surgery you won’t feel like exercising. You’ll have some discomfort and swelling, and possibly bruising. Your surgeon will have you wear an arm lift compression garment and may recommend elevating your arms. And you’ll have incisions that must be protected and allowed to heal.
Short walks are a good gentle exercise to start with. You shouldn’t lift or swing your arms much, and avoid lifting anything heavier than a few pounds. As you feel better, you can take longer walks, do gentle stretching, and begin low-impact exercises with your lower body, such as a stationary bike.
After ten to fourteen days, the swelling and bruising should be much improved, and you and your surgeon can discuss the activities that are appropriate as you continue to heal. It may be some time before it’s okay to lift heavy weights or do strenuous arm exercises. And your incisions must heal before you can swim.
There are several ways you can help yourself recover faster from plastic surgery. Plan to take it easy during your recovery, communicate with your surgeon, and do follow your surgeon’s orders. As with any plastic surgery, wearing a compression garment is always recommended. ContourMD has a wide variety of compression garments with sleeves that are ideal for arm lift surgery.
