This is also a good time to start doing crunches again.
After you have been in recovery for 12 to 18 weeks, you can start engaging in resistance training exercises to help strengthen the abdominal muscles. Later, you should plan on rebuilding and strengthening the muscles in your abdomen. For this reason, you shouldn’t plan to resume your regular physical activities until you have been through a minimum of six to eight weeks of recovery. Taking things slowly can help you build up a little muscle without taking risks with your health. If part of the surgery was hernia repair or muscle tightening, you may need to wait a little longer.Ī tummy tuck reshapes your stomach and lifts it to a healthier position, so tearing your sutures should be avoided. Before engaging in these activities, discuss your exercise plans with your plastic surgeon. After the first four to six weeks of recovery, you should be able to engage in low-impact cardio workouts. For exercises that put more pressure on the abdomen, you should wait a minimum of five months. By the two month period, you can engage in most types of physical activities, although you should still avoid doing sit-ups and crunches. This may involve walking on flat surfaces or using a stationary exercise bike. You should be ready to start a light exercise routine after the first two to three weeks. Typically, it will be half as strong after two months and will regain 70% of its normal strength six months after the procedure. This means your abdominal tissue will be weaker than it was before the procedure.
Even though you may feel better, it’s important to remember that it will take up to a full year for your abdominal tissue to completely heal. This will give your body time to start the healing process.Īfter the first two weeks or so, it will be important to start moving around a little more, though you still don’t want to push yourself too hard. You’ll want to rest throughout this period since taking it easy is the best thing you can do for yourself. Immediately following the procedure, you’ll feel some pain and discomfort in your abdomen. If you’re looking to get back to your routine, here’s a rough guide to what you can expect from the timeline. If you’re living an active lifestyle, it can be difficult to take some downtime after surgery. Following the steps given by your plastic surgeon means that your recovery goes smoothly and safely. Abdominoplasty, which is more commonly known as the tummy tuck, is a major procedure, so it’s important to take the recovery process seriously.