When can I exercise after lens replacement surgery?
As tempting as it may be to dive back into your fitness routine, we advise you to take it easy after your surgery.
However, the good news is that you’ll be back to exercising fairly quickly. Of course, it varies between individuals (we all heal at different speeds). But for the first few weeks, you should aim to prioritise rest before anything else.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts for you to be aware of after surgery:
Activities you can do
You should avoid most forms of exercise for at least the first two weeks. You can do low-impact exercises if you are careful. This can include walking outdoors, light stretching or slowly walking on the treadmill 1https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/exercise-after-cataract-surgery#exercises-after-surgery.
In your second week, you can consider faster walking or yoga, depending on how you feel.
Activities you should avoid doing
Within the first two weeks after lens replacement surgery we would discourage you from the following 2https://www.nvisioncenters.com/cataract-surgery/wait-to-exercise/
- Weight-lifting
- Running
- Cycling
- HIIT workouts
- CrossFit
- Martial Arts
- Sports
- Fitness boot camps
As with any other surgery, you should avoid these and any other strenuous activity in the initial weeks after your treatment.
Between your fourth and sixth weeks after surgery, you should be ready to resume normal activities such as weight-lifting, running, swimming and cycling. However, we would encourage you to build up to it gradually.
Avoid swimming for a month
Any exposure to unclean water can increase the risk of infection. Although we can treat this scenario with antibiotics, we suggest you rule this option out for the first 4 weeks to encourage easy healing.
We suggest you attend all your post-surgery appointments to sustain a fast recovery. Check with your surgeon about which exercises you can and can’t do and practice aftercare instructions, such as applying your eye drops regularly.
Book an assessment with us if you want to learn more about lens replacement surgery.
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