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Personify Fitness

Recovery

(for the mind as well as the body)

You’ve just had surgery or picked up a long term injury and you know it’s time to rest and let your body physically recover… but what about the psychological side of recovery?

The emotional factor can be tough post surgery. With many ups and downs. We ask Personify Fitness Group member Laura Southey to give her insight and top tips on how to get through these initial stages. She had invasive heart surgery 1 month before writing this article and wanted to share her rollercoaster journey to help others in the future.

An ideal read for active individuals, friends or family due to have exercise limiting surgery.

What’s up’ doc?

When the doctor says you can expect a big routine change post surgery, they weren’t lying! With what feels like zero exercise levels compared to what you are used to you can feel a loss of identity.
Laura’s top tips when experiencing this are to:

  • Keep yourself occupied with other things you CAN do: seated low impact exercise or simple distraction is key to patience in recovery.
  • Keep your mind active with word searches, magazines or a new book.

Avoid a breakdown by breaking it down
Don’t look too far ahead, in a sense of the full recovery as this can feel forever or unrealistic, Laura says.
Instead, take it day by day and aim for short term, achievable goals and relish in these new achievements when met. Class these as post surgery personal bests. Start with laps around the hospital, house and then get out and get further and seek professional guidance such as Personify Fitness’s Coaches or your Doctor to ensure you are moving at a progressive pace that doesn’t hinder recovery.

Hormonal Hiccup

The lack of endorphins, especially for those who are used to living highly active lifestyles can lead us to feeling down. It can feel like fitness levels drop to their lowest, as the hormonal imbalance exaggerates the reality that your and that it’s just the start of a new journey towards a new peak. Start slowly and focus on time of total exercise not distance or pace. Seek fresh air and enjoy getting out when you can.

Trick or Treat?

Don’t turn to food or alcohol for short term mood enhancement, it doesn’t work! You are not burning off the calories at the same rates. Often treat foods that are high in sugar or additives that make you feel good for a short while Laura explains. You then either crave more or your energy or you experience a drastic energy crash and you want to fall asleep.

Laura’s top tips are not to binge eat (restrict portion sizes to 70% of usual meals) and ask that visitors don’t bring unhealthy snacks. If the unhealthy food is inconvenient then it’s less likely to be eaton. Preparation of healthy meals and snacks pre-surgery or utilising the slow cooker for healthy options can help you choose healthier options.

A Lapse in Concentration or Boredom

Don’t treat a lapse as a failure and reset and go again with the healthier routine.
This can make you feel disappointed in yourself as those wandering hands (often out of boredom) have an incredible talent to find the hidden treat foods. When this happens regularly, body shape soon gets affected, especially with the now reduced exercise levels.
Laura’s tip tip is to stay hydrated as dehydration and hunger have similar symptoms, stay hydrated and you may feel less hungry too

#SuperSoutheySquad

The hardest points are when the small everyday, normal things become challenging, you can feel a drop in autonomy Laura explains. Having to rely on others with washing clothes, going food shopping and cooking. This is the most frustrating time but the biggest positive she took from this was it really shows how many amazing people you have around you, how much they care and will do for you when it’s truly needed.
Laura has the #SuperSoutheySquad, which is a team of friends and family who she can rely on for encouragement, friendly banter and support as many have experienced exactly that from Laura in the past. It is key that you set up your support groups to help you get through the toughest times when you feel a loss of autonomy.

Safety Shell

Laura felt safer at home so don’t want to go out. That is fine for a few days and then it can imprison you slightly. Know that this will pass especially if you make plans with friends to get out the house. Use this time to fast forward recovery and plan to meet up with friends outside of the house.

Stay Positive

It’s not all bad, there will be a fundamental reason the surgery had to be done and in most cases this will lead to that positive result, remind yourself that this is just the process to getting back on track. Don’t overthink it and break down to small recovery goals as well as the fitness goals previously mentioned, and believe these manageable chunks of progression will get you long term destination.

What To Do Next?

For those yet to have surgery, Laura was told that her pre-surgery fitness really helped with the speed of her recovery and to get out of hospital quicker. Less fit individuals had been there for much longer. Get and stay fit for surgery but always follow the professionals advice and stick to what you know, new training regimes may lead to worsen conditions if muscular or skeletal for example.

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Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Reddit
Tumblr
StumbleUpon
WhatsApp
Telegram
Pocket
Skype
Email
Print