Breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery for women, and it is becoming increasingly common among athletes and active women. This makes sense for women looking to sculpt their bodies, but are only able to do so much through strength and cardio training. They need plastic surgeons for the final touches. However, surgery has added complications for women who make vigorous exercise part of their daily schedule as the body needs time to heal after surgery.
Before your surgery make sure that you and your doctor are on the same page about exercise. Talk to your doctor about your exercise regimen. Yoga, running and CrossFit all engage your body in different ways and some exercises will be more appropriate during recovery from breast augmentation surgery than others. You can do light exercise during recovery, but tailor your workouts to your recovery. Patients should not do upper body workouts for three weeks after surgery and should be careful not to activate their pectoral muscles. Implants are under this muscle and will be more sensitive to movement in the area. The internet abounds with warnings of capsular contracture, a condition where scar tissue hardens around the implants, but there is no proven link between it and exercise. After surgery athletic women should take the same precautions against capsular contracture as their less active counterparts.
Additionally, patients should pay close attention to the labels on medicine taken after surgery–doctors will prescribe steroids that make the body particularly sensitive to dehydration, a woe for athletes.
Remember, listen to your body. The recovery period after surgery is not the time to push yourself beyond your limits. Part of staying healthy is giving your body time to heal. Find ways to be active and healthy without sacrificing the investment you made in breast augmentation.
