After mastectomy and breast reconstruction, each person heals at a different rate. During the first week, patients should take time to rest and relax, and reduce arm movement to avoid affecting the chest muscles. You will need to wear a specialized bra for 4 weeks after surgery.
Walking and jogging are suitable sports that can be performed one week after surgery. When walking, you should walk slowly, increasing the intensity over time. When walking or jogging, you should limit arm swinging to avoid affecting the chest muscles.
After 7-14 days of breast reconstruction, you can do light exercises such as walking. For the next 2-4 weeks, you can ride a stationary bike or take longer walks to increase your endurance. You can also do lower body aerobics (hips, abs, legs) and maintain at 50% of your pre-surgery intensity.
4-6 weeks after breast reconstruction, you can jog, wearing a sports bra to support your breasts when exercising. Run at a slow pace for about 10-15 minutes a day to improve your health. If you practice yoga, you need to wait at least 6 weeks after surgery because yoga movements that stretch, bend muscles and bear weight on the arms can easily damage the healing muscles and surgical wound.
For weight training, people who have had breast reconstruction should wait a few weeks because the chest muscles need time to heal. Once the muscles, tissues, and skin have fully healed, you can return to normal exercise or participate in new activities, including weight lifting exercises to strengthen muscles and bones.
Some gentle exercises suitable for patients with mastectomy combined with breast reconstruction include rolling the shoulders forward and then rolling back, taking a deep breath in each roll. To do this, stand facing a wall, touch the wall with your fingers, then move your fingers up as if walking… This exercise also helps the body recover quickly after reconstruction.
Maintain a healthy diet, with a variety of foods and nutrient groups to help your body recover best. Avoid eating too sparingly as this can easily lead to exhaustion.