How Much Should You Walk Right After Bariatric Surgery?

One of the most surprising aspects of the bariatric recovery process for many of our patients is how quickly they can get back on their feet and walk – just a couple of hours after their surgery!

It’s a testament to how far we’ve come in minimally invasive procedures. In fact, robotic bariatric surgery has taken this to the next level with even shorter average recovery times than traditional laparoscopy.

But when you get home from your bariatric procedure, it’s often a very different and unfamiliar situation – you don’t have a clinician, nurse, or doctor to guide you on how much and where to walk. You are left to your own devices.

In this article, the aim is to help you determine how much walking you should do after your surgery to maximize the benefits of exercise while minimizing potential issues.

Start Slow and Build Up

Walking for just a few minutes in the couple of days after coming home from bariatric surgery is enough. You may be tempted to walk a lot more, and if you feel up to it, we won’t necessarily limit how much you get up and (gently) move after surgery.

However, it’s easy to let your emotions and the excitement of a new procedure overtake common sense, and this is one way patients can overdo it. While walking may not feel like a chore, it shouldn’t be tough. Let your body provide the feedback you need to determine how long you should walk, and when your body says it’s had enough, listen.

The goal in the first couple of weeks after bariatric surgery is not to burn a significant number of calories or fat through walking. Instead, getting up and about increases blood flow to your limbs and extremities, reducing the risk of infection and blood clots. Each day, you should cover a little more distance. And in doing so, constantly (again, gently!) challenge yourself. Just don’t force it, as that’s a fast way to end up back at the doctor’s office.

What to Walk On

Try to walk on a solid, flat, and relatively smooth surface; no uphill climbs or hikes over rough terrain, at least not at first.

Typically, we want patients walking on concrete rather than grass or other surfaces that could cause a trip or a fall. As you are better able to maintain your balance and have fully recovered from surgery, you can start to switch it up.

One more tip: try to stay close to home in case you need to get back quickly.

Walk With a Buddy

You know the saying, Time flies when you’re having fun? Make walking fun!

Spending time with a friend, spouse, or loved one and chatting while walking is a great way to stay motivated and on track. A friend can also be a lifeline, especially if you have any problems; plus, they can help you stay motivated and encourage you to exercise every day.

Wearables Can Come In Handy

A FitBit or similar wearable device can be instrumental for tracking your daily walking progress. It’s part of the business end of losing weight, but it’s also enjoyable to track how far you can walk in a set amount of time and see your distance-to-time ratio improve over weeks and months.

As we mentioned above, making daily progress should be non-negotiable, and it can be hard to monitor without an automated helper. Many smartphones offer free apps that count your steps and convert them into miles walked, so you don’t need an expensive or sophisticated gadget to stay on track. Even a pedometer or step-tracking device, no matter how simple, can be handy.

If you do have the means to purchase a specialized device, one potentially useful feature of the Apple Watch is the walking steadiness measurement. This can help you understand your fall risk and show your improvements in steadiness over time.

What You Walk in Makes a Difference

We have to discuss what shoes you wear when you walk.

First and foremost, you need shoes that are in good condition and provide proper support. If you notice that the soles have worn down or the shoes are in poor condition, it’s worth investing in a solid pair of new sneakers.

You may have read about zero-drop shoes, which have the same sole height at both the front and the back of the shoe. These can be very useful, but may also put strain on your calves and Achilles tendons. If you’re not accustomed to wearing them, consider starting slowly by wearing them for just a couple of hours a day, preferably not during a long walk. With that said, zero-drop shoes can also help improve balance. This, along with a wide toe box, can significantly enhance your walking experience and lead to better overall fitness.

Pace Yourself

Walking is a great postoperative activity that requires minimal impact on the joints and is unlikely to cause significant strain or injury.

As you get the hang of walking and you’re doing lots of it, you can consider running as well. We typically suggest doing so once you’ve lost a significant amount of weight to reduce the load on your joints. Running is a high-impact activity, so be cautious not to overdo it, even if you’re feeling great.

Most importantly, we want to ensure that walking is a part of your everyday routine. This means that you’ll always have some muscle-building and cardio-boosting activity to offset some of the muscle loss that you can experience as you lose weight.

Always speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about walking or if, at any point, you’re walking causes pain or significant discomfort.

The team at Advanced Bariatric and Surgical Specialists is to support you through every step of your surgery and healing process, helping to ease any anxiety and promote a swift recovery. If you have any questions about your activity level, or any other concerns about weight loss, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or to schedule a consultation.