Wanting Tips for Getting in Shape for Surgery

[jesscv]

pilates is great! before and after surgery...

[golfnut]

Pilates

Thanks for the tip. I bought the book, Pilates for Fragile Backs, that I will use after my surgery. Right now, I can do most stomach exercises, but figure crunches and other exercises won't work with two long rods down my back.

[jesscv]

crunches are difficult post-surgery, esp. if you're fused relatively high or low, but there are mannnyyy great stomach exercises you can do alternatively. i like toe taps, rocking on the sacrum and doing oblique reaches with weights, the pilates "hundred", planks...

[golfnut]

Good idea with planks-hey, no bending with a plank, so it shouldn't be a problem. I just don't want to lose the abdomen muscles I have now after surgery. I'm glad I will not have an excuse.

[jrnyc]

"rocking on the sacrum"!!?? i am supposed to have surgery T11 the sacrum...i doubt i'd be doing any rocking on it!!

i have never done pilates cause my trainer said he thought it would be too hard and too much stretching on my spine! i exercised religiously until 3 years ago, when the pain got sooooo bad that i can barely do any exercise movements now!

the only "getting fit" my surgeon wants now is he wants blood work to see if i am "malnourished" as i am down to 95 pounds from lack of appetite from pain meds! he wants me to "get fit" nourishment wise and to gain some weight to allow for inevitable weight loss after surgery

jess

[pmsmom]

Walk, walk, walk.

My dd is not very athletic, so we bought a treadmill about 7 months prior to surgery. She walked every day.

It helped improve her lung function immensely!

Also, walking was about the only exercise which was recommended after surgery--getting back into it gradually--to improve circulation and avoid blood clots and such.

Good luck on your surgery!

[titaniumed]

Eat well. Dont eat any junk, stay out of the center of the supermarket.

This is so important...
Ed

[golfnut]

Thanks for the pointers, everyone. You are all so helpful with our questions!

[jesscv]

there are COUNTLESS pilates exercises you can do without any articulation of the spine. it's just about finding the right instructor who has a great understanding of anatomy and biomechanics. i can't even tell you how strong pilates has made me since my surgery, hence why i'm such an advocate.

[golfnut]

Jessica,
It's sure encourgaing to know that eventually after the surgery I will be able to do something in addition to walking. We have a Pilates instructor at our Y that I will talk to. Thanks so much.

[jrnyc]

whoops...that was not T0 .....i edited it...
it was T11-sacrum...actually, L4-S1 and T11-sacrum with pelvic fixation...

anyway, i go by what my trainer told me about staying away from pilates cause it would stretch and hurt my back....

i dont figure on much of any stretching or anything once i have rods in my lower spine...mind you, i am one who will need rods to start where many thoracic folk's rods end!!

it was upsetting yesterday to see my new G.P. and find out that her partner was disabled by fusion surgery...a fully working physician who is now on disability! (probably private disability, but still!) i didnt get specific as to whether he had Harrington rods, but she did say he had the open cutting ("filet of fish") surgery....
i saw her to get moving on what my surgeon wants me to take care of to get ready for surgery....alot to do...including gaining weight!

jess