Starting mild physical activity during your wintertime healing period after mastectomy offers many benefits, including improving your energy level and stimulating an enhanced sense of well-being.
It can be challenging to find healthful activities to enjoy doing during the process of healing after mastectomy or lumpectomy, especially during cold winter months. Getting involved in some wintertime physical activities that are appropriate for you during the breast surgery healing phase can make you feel more energetic. Also, being active causes release of endorphins that stimulate an enhanced sense of wellbeing—a key benefit for everyone, especially during restrictive winter weather periods, and even more so for individuals who are healing from illness or surgery.
Here are four examples of the kinds of activities that can be very beneficial in improving physical condition and sense of well-being after breast surgery:
1. Walk
Walking is a high-value health and fitness activity that you can begin doing during your mastectomy healing process. As soon as you feel you can get up and be active, and in keeping with your doctor’s instructions, you are ready to venture out. Walking is the ideal form of exercise for individuals with an upper body limitation that still permit lower body exercise, such as is the case while healing from breast surgery.
You can start with the briefest walk of just five minutes or so around your yard, or to the end of your block. When you feel ready, perhaps walk a little longer. Continue to increase distance and speed depending on how you feel and what your doctors recommend. Do not put pressure on yourself to do extreme walking. The goal is to enjoy the experience while accumulating health and fitness benefits of moderate exercise.
2. Exercise
Gentle exercise of some appropriately mild form is essential for good circulation, oxygen uptake, reduced risk of back pain from inactivity, lowering blood pressure, and increasing muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination during and after your breast surgery healing process. It also improves self-confidence. Start out with just a few minutes of exercise activity per day and build up gradually, initially focusing primarily on lower body and abdominal exercises. Then, add a few repetitions of very light upper body exercises as your healing process advances, and as your doctor determines is appropriate for you. As the top priority pick a form of exercise that you are likely to enjoy most, to increase your probability of continuing it over time.
3. Dance
Your dancing does not have to be elaborate, or even at all structured or well-executed. It also need not be very rigorous to reward you with health and fitness benefits. Starting out with a few minutes of free-form movement, moving to the moderate tempo of your favorite songs on your favorite radio station is ideal to improve circulation and increase oxygen uptake and increase energy level. Focus on movements that stretch muscles that you feel comfortable stretching during your healing process after surgery.
4. Volunteer
Helping others can be very therapeutic both physically and mentally after surgery. It allows you to get up and moving, while volunteering affords many benefits. It gives you a goal to work toward. It commits you to doing something on multiple days, and involves you with others in the mission to improve personal fitness. It also provides a great sense of satisfaction from doing something important.
For more information about custom breast forms, contact ContourMed at (501) 214-6080 to speak to one of our expert team members.