Arm Exercises to Maintain Your Brachioplasty Results
After having an arm lift (brachioplasty) you most likely want to enjoy your results for as long as possible. The question is, what can you do to keep your arms toned after a brachioplasty procedure? And when is it safe to exercise? This blog post will answer all that and more.
In this article, Dr Beldholm breaks down some brachioplasty exercises you can try once cleared for physical activity. From low-impact workouts ideal for early recovery to intensive upper body exercises, these tips will keep your arms beautifully toned after arm lift surgery.
Exercise is the key to maintaining arm lift results
The results from arm lift surgery can last a very long time, especially for those dedicated to a healthy lifestyle. A vital part of healthy living is exercise. Some people love to break a sweat in the gym. Others have to will themselves to work out. Regardless of how you feel about exercise, staying fit and active after recovering from upper arm skin and lift surgery will ensure that your surgical results last a long time to come. Of course, you’ll also need to eat a balanced diet to maintain a steady weight after your brachioplasty procedure.
How soon can I exercise after brachioplasty surgery?
An upper arm reduction comes with a recovery period. It can take four to six weeks before your surgeon clears you to resume your normal routine at the gym, although you will able do light activities sooner. While a full recovery can take three months, you should feel well enough to hit the gym much earlier than that, unless you hit a speed bump and have a complication post-surgery.
Staying Active in Early Recovery
In the first few weeks after arm lift surgery, the surgical site needs to heal. You’ll also have some post operative swelling in your arms and hands. Dr Beldholm may have you wear compression sleeves to help with that. After the operation, you may want to keep your swollen arms elevated as you sleep. However, you won’t be bedridden after an arm lift. In fact, you should get up and walking from day one of arm lift recovery.
WEEK 1: WALKING
Walking can reduce swelling and increase blood circulation. Keeping your blood flowing means a lower risk of blood clots after surgery. Dr Beldholm may instruct you to take short walks around the hospital hallway every few hours. While you will have some discomfort or feel foggy after waking up from surgery, you shouldn’t have difficulty bearing weight. It is important to walk often, even if you don’t feel up to it. Don’t worry, as you will have pain medication to ease any discomfort. Later in recovery, walking can be a great way to relieve stress.
WEEK 2-3: LIGHT ACTIVITY
By the time you are 14 to 21 days into your recovery from upper arm lift surgery, Dr Beldholm may clear you to engage in light activity. In addition to taking daily walks, you can start incorporating light workouts into your routine. This is not the time to hit the jogging trail or start lifting heavy weights at the gym. Instead, you enjoy longer walks and do light aerobics and stretches. The most important thing you’ll need to remember at this stage is to avoid lifting heavy objects or straining yourself. You’ll need to give it another week or two before your surgeon gives you the green light to up your activity level.
WEEK 4-6: VIGOROUS ACTIVITY
Have you been feeling pent up after taking time off of your usual daily routine? The good news for arm lift, is Dr Beldholm may clear you for increased physical activity at four to six weeks post-op. While you must take care not to strain yourself, it should be okay to go for a run and do more strenuous exercise – so long as your surgeon gives you their nod of approval. Many arm lift patients are elated to get back to the gym and put the discomfort of early brachioplasty recovery behind them.
WEEK 12 AND BEYOND: EXERCISE WITH RESTRICTION
At three months, nearly all arm lift patients are feeling back to their usual selves again. They can exercise without restriction now that the underlying tissues have started relaxing and most of the swelling has subsided. Shooting pains as the nerves heal at the incision area have mostly resolved. The upper arms are starting to take their final shape. At this stage, some patients decide to keep arm lift worth double down on their efforts to get toned arms by hitting the gym more often.
7 Exercises to Maintain Your Arm Lift Results
Here are some arm exercises to try once your surgeon clears you for strenuous activity. These are some of the easiest and most effective ways to build muscle tone in the upper arms. A gym membership isn’t required. All you’ll need is dumbbells.
Remember, if you feel pain, stop. You do not want to push the limits after you’ve had surgery. Otherwise, you might not heal properly. It’s not worth it to risk injury for the sake of staying fit. After plastic surgery, it can take a few weeks to months to feel back to normal. Everybody recovers differently.
Now that you’ve read the disclaimer, here is a list of exercises for chiseled upper arms. These workout moves are a great way to enhance your arm lift results and keep excess skin on your upper arms sleek, muscular, and free of excess fat.
1. Chair Dips
Pull up a chair, it’s time for a hard-earned break. Just kidding. It’s time for tricep dips. Take a seat in a sturdy chair, grasp the sides of the seat with your hands, then slide your bum off. Drop your buttocks toward the floor, then lift yourself so that your bum is level with the chair seat. Repeat.
2. Floor Presses
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the ground. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, keep your arms elevated toward the sky, aligned with your chest. Drop your elbows to the ground, hold, and then return to the starting position. You can alternate floor presses or do both arms at the same time. The choice is yours.
3. Plank Curls
This is an advanced move that you can try after you’ve completely healed from your arm lift surgery. Once approved by your surgeon, get ready to plank. With dumbbells in hand, hover over the floor with your arms extended, back straight, core engaged, and toes pointing to the floor. Curl the left dumbbell toward your shoulder, hold briefly, and then return the dumbbell to the floor. Repeat by alternating sides.
4. Bicep Curls
To do bicep curls correctly, stand up, keep your feet should-width apart, and hold the dumbbell with your palms facing up. Keep your arm and back straight and chest proud. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to bring the dumbbell toward your shoulder. Drop it back down in a controlled motion and repeat.
5. Upright Rows
An upright row exercise is similar to bicep curls, except you’ll grasp the dumbbell with your palms facing the floor. Start with your hands in front of your thighs, then engage your muscles to lift the dumbbells in a straight line toward your chest. Your elbows will be pointing outward as you do this move. Hold and repeat.
6. Triceps Extensions
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With both hands behind your head, grasp a dumbbell. Raise the weight toward the sky, then return to the starting position and repeat.
7. Triceps Kickbacks
Standing with your back straight, knees bent, and feet slightly apart, lean forward with a dumbbell in each hand. Don’t move your upper arms for this maneuver. Instead, swing the dumbbells back and forth in a slow, controlled motion. Focus on keeping your upper arm back muscles engaged as you do this move for maximum payoff.
FAQS
Will I lose upper body strength after an arm lift?
Your surgeon may ask you to avoid intense workouts for several weeks, but that doesn’t mean your upper body strength needs to dwindle. If everything heals as planned after cosmetic surgery, you can expect to get back into your regular exercise routine within four to six weeks.
When is it okay to do heavy lifting after arm lift surgery?
After arm lifts, most patients aren’t ready for heavy lifting or upper body workouts for six weeks. Don’t rush into vigorous exercise too soon. Otherwise, it could delay the healing process or cause a complication.
How often should I exercise after arm lift surgery?
After the recovery period ends, continue exercising and increase your level of physical activity gradually. Aim to work out two to three times per week. The goal is to keep your body weight stable. Excess skin and fat can return if you aren’t careful about gaining and losing weight.
Can I start to exercise before my arm lift scars have faded?
Absolutely. Arm lift scars fade over 12 to 18 months. If all goes well after your surgery, you may begin a light exercise routine a few weeks into your arm lift recovery. As long as remaining skin around your scar is healing properly and the incision sites look good, you should have no issues exercising.
Is exercise a possible substitute for brachioplasty surgery?
If your main concern is excess fat, exercise may help with that. Unfortunately, working out in the gym or at home cannot tighten excess skin on the arms. An upper arm lift procedure may be needed to remove saggy, loose, excess skin and fat there.
Why can’t exercise tighten loose skin?
Exercise affects fat and muscle. It can’t rebuild collagen, renew skin elasticity, or remove excess skin. If you have poor skin elasticity or an extreme amount of upper arm skin after dramatic or significant weight loss, arm lift surgery could be an option worth exploring. During the operation, Dr Beldholm will go to work removing excess skin and unwanted fat to give the arms a tighter, leaner appearance.
Why are my arms swollen? How can I reduce swelling after my operation so I can exercise?
After arm lift surgery, swelling is usually worst during the first two weeks. The inflammation should gradually decrease over the next 12 weeks. As it does, you should feel more comfortable adding physical activities to your normal routine. To reduce swelling after arm lift surgery, wear your compression garments or compression bandage as directed. The gentle pressure from the compression garment will minimise swelling. You can also sleep with your arms in an elevated position. Follow your surgeon’s arm lift surgery recovery instructions, and you’ll be back to exercise within a few weeks if all goes according to plan.
