Exercise helps to keep us strong and physically fit, but since the action is also strenuous on our body and our spine, it’s important to approach exercise in a specific manner if you are recovering from a spine surgery or injury. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five ways you can make sure you keep your spine safe while exercising if you’ve recently undergone a corrective procedure.
Safe Exercise Tips After Spine Surgery
Since every person and operation is different, it’s important to connect with your spine specialist for individualized tips on how you can exercise safely after a spinal procedure. That said, don’t be surprised if some or all of these precautions are recommended as you work to find an exercise routine that works for you after a spinal procedure.
- Let Healing Occur – For those who exercise and work out regularly, being physically limited for weeks or months can be a major pain, but it won’t be as painful as jumping into an exercise routine before enough healing has occurred. Oftentimes your doctor will give you major activity restrictions in the immediate aftermath of your operation and then allow you to do more as healing runs its course. Know that you’re going to be physically limited for a bit after your operation, and now is not the time to jump into an exercise routine.
- Take It Slow – Slow and steady wins the race, especially when it comes to exercising after spine surgery. An operation is a major trauma on your body, and it will be in a weakened state as it works to heal from this trauma. If you overload your spine while it’s working hard to recover, it can lead to a setback or even cause your operation to fail. Don’t jump into an exercise routine until you’ve been cleared by your physician, and once you’re cleared, start with a very basic routine and slowly increase the stress on your spine until it proves it can handle your workout.
- Work With A Pro – Many patients find it helpful to connect with a physical therapist during their recovery period. This ensures that they are performing helpful exercises and that they are doing the moves correctly. Doing an exercise routine under professional oversight can help teach you how to safely strengthen your back following a surgical procedure.
- Avoid Certain Exercises – As we talked about on this blog, there are certain exercises that are overly strenuous on your spine. If you have a previous back injury or have already undergone a spinal procedure to correct an underlying issue, it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of these four exercises.
- Low-Impact Is Your Friend – You may need to shift to a low-impact exercise routine for a while after your spine surgery. Low-impact exercises like walking, stepping on an elliptical, yoga or swimming can all help to burn calories and strengthen your back without overly stressing your spine. Exercises that avoid hard contact with the ground, like running and jumping routines, are best avoided until you receive specific clearance.
We understand that you want to get back to challenging your body with exercise after a spinal procedure, and we’re glad you want to be active again, but you need to approach this stressful activity with the right mindset as your spine works to heal. For more information, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
