Unfortunately, surgery—both plastic and cosmetic—isn’t without its side effects. If you’re a gym bunny, the worst side effect of surgery might not be headaches or fatigue but the time spent away from your happy place.

If you’re nearing the end of your time on the sidelines, you’ll probably be thinking about ways to ease yourself back into your fitness routine gently.

Obviously, many factors impact what you can do in the gym after an operation. The type of surgery you’ve undergone plays the biggest part; returning to the gym after plastic surgery Manchester is a very different prospect compared to returning after breast enlargement Manchester.

You’re not going to be setting any PBs in your first week back at the gym. So, leave your usual weights where they are and incorporate lighter weights into your exercises. You can also ditch the weights completely and just focus on bodyweight exercises. 

Avoid high-intensity workouts too. Your body has likely been through a lot recently, so things like HIIT workouts will be a big ask. Similarly, it might be a bit too soon for heavy cardio training like long-distance running and cycling. 

For a safe return to the gym, try incorporating these exercises into a light, post-surgery workout.

Leg exercises

Focus on exercises that can be done with or without weights. That way, you can tailor leg day for where you’re at in your recovery. Front squats can be performed with Olympic-style barbells, dumbbells or even without weights which means there’s a variation for everyone.

The same can be said for lunges. Forward lunges will target muscles at the front of your leg, most specifically your quads, while reverse lunges will hit those muscles at the back of your leg such as your hamstrings and glutes.

Finally, step-ups are a great way to target your leg muscles during a lighter workout. Adjust the height of what it is you’re stepping up to suit your needs and find a pace that feels comfortable for your gym return.

Arm exercises

You’re probably not ready to load your arms up with massive dumbbells, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your arms out of your workout.

Tricep dips are a great way to target your arms without adding any weight. If you’re an experienced gym goer or you’re recovering from lighter surgery, you might be able to perform your dips on parallel bars or even gymnastic rings. Easier variations include using kettlebells or a bench to perform your tricep dips.

If you do want to incorporate weights into your arm workout, a farmer’s carry could be a great way to do so as it allows the rest of your body to help out your arms.

Abs exercises

Working your abs can be slightly easier post surgery compared to other muscle groups. The majority of abs exercises are performed without any added resistance meaning you might not even need to tailor your regular abs workout.

Try putting these equipment-free exercises into a mini abs circuit:

• Regular crunch
• Reverse crunch
• Flutter kicks
• Leg raises
• Russian twist
• Plank