Senior Member repo-man Posted March 17, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted March 17, 2008 I've been working out 4-5 times per week and have some results that I would rather not lose post-HT. I'm training hard(weights and running) right now and will continue till HT day. I'm going to take the 10-12 days off just to reset the body. Any suggestions on what I could do to stay in shape during the 1 month post-HT? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member something Posted March 18, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted March 18, 2008 light cardio and diet..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted March 18, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 18, 2008 I figured I would stick to just walking wherever I could whenever I had the chance. The diet thing might be a little harder... Thanks for the response. Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted March 19, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted March 19, 2008 After 2 weeks, and your staples/sutures are out, resume low-intensity cardio, but do it for moderate duration, and do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomache. And will yourself to not engorge on food; but doing low-intensity cardio 2x a day should help this. ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member its752 Posted April 8, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 8, 2008 repo-man, I started walking every other day in addition to some weight lifting and found out gradually how shorter steps and pushing off of the balls of my feet gave me a comparable workout to something like a sit down squat. You should, as you know, walk 30 minutes atleast and at a faster pace. Maybe you'll be as amazed at the result as I was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 8, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 8, 2008 I'm going to start getting back into the gym this weekend with some light cardio. Any suggestions on what specific exercises to warm up with as I get back in the gym i.e. curls, pushdowns, etc? I'm going to start with light weights. I've read on these boards to stay away from squats and definetly agree. Any other things to stay away from? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted April 8, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 8, 2008 Most abdominal work -- like crunches. I also stayed away from exercises where I'd be pushing my donor into a bench, or something like that...so instead of a bench press, I used one of the machines where I'm sitting upright, e.g. ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 8, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 8, 2008 The abs exercises make sense, since you are "pulling your head upwards. But how about something like leg raises which works the lower abs? When did you start lifting after your procedure? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member its752 Posted April 9, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 9, 2008 repo-man, More movement, ie pulling, pushing is connected to that donor area than you might think. My donor was pretty tight after surgery and even the slightest movement of my head forward could be felt. I've heard many times over the years that any surgery to be totally healed takes one full year so you be the judge on how much exercising you may or may not want to do. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 10, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 10, 2008 I've noticed that the donor area starts to ache if I read a book at my desk after 10 minutes or so. I'm going to just go some light cardio for the first week and see how I feel. On another note, if you know that you are going to go back for another HT, does it matter if you slightly stretch your scar? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairbank Posted April 10, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 10, 2008 Well repo-man - Only thing that comes to mind is if your scar is stretched much it will be to the detriment of a plentiful harvest. Instead of having a thinner scar and more grafts with the harvest, assuming the surgeon's swatch will be the same width in either case, with a stretched scar you'll be getting more scar and less grafts, make sense?? I'm likely going back into the chair for my 3rd HT at the end of the month and am reviewing my weightlifting strategy post-surgery. That's one of the downsides, the layoff, for me I'm close to being in the best shape I've ever been in so I kind of hate it.............but the visions of working out with more hair on my head later this year make it palatable! Hairbank 1st HT 1-18-05 - 1200 FUT's 2nd HT 2-15-06 - 3886 FUT's Dr. Wong 3rd HT 4-24-08 - 2415 FUT's Dr. Wong GRAND TOTAL: 7501 GRAFTS current regimen: 1.25mg finasteride every other day My Hair Loss Weblog Disclaimer: I'm not a Doctor (and have never played one on TV ) and have no medical training. Any information I share here is in an effort to help those who don't like hair loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 10, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hairbank, Thanks for the post, makes complete sense. Since you've had two HTs and the experience of getting back into the gym post-op, what was your strategy in the past and has it translated into a thin scar? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairbank Posted April 10, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 10, 2008 Post-op first HT, I took about two weeks off, then resumed close to my normal routine with lighter weight. Right or wrong, I started back full-steam at 1 month and really had no problems. Scar was only so-so, but I don't believe it was due to the weights, more the surgeon. He was good, just not great and didn't use trichophytic closure with hair growing through the scar. Post-op 2nd HT I had taken a bit of a layoff from lifting so it wasn't an issue. I believe I did start lifing again around 2 months after............scar is great!! Assuming I go ahead with HT #3 at the end of this month, I'm thinking I'll take one week off, no lifting whatsoever. Then, 2nd week do very light reps with most all exercises........maybe follow through with that routine through week 4. I'd like to be back to normal pretty much by week 5 but maybe that's too optimistic. You're a little over 2 weeks out, right? Have you tried any kind of lifting yet? Hairbank 1st HT 1-18-05 - 1200 FUT's 2nd HT 2-15-06 - 3886 FUT's Dr. Wong 3rd HT 4-24-08 - 2415 FUT's Dr. Wong GRAND TOTAL: 7501 GRAFTS current regimen: 1.25mg finasteride every other day My Hair Loss Weblog Disclaimer: I'm not a Doctor (and have never played one on TV ) and have no medical training. Any information I share here is in an effort to help those who don't like hair loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 12, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 12, 2008 Hairbank, I haven't start any exercises whatsoever. I'm trying to be as cautious as possible, but go about my daily business. Starting tomorrow (Sunday), I am going to start doing some cardio. I'm going to see how I feel and take it from there. I really want to get back in the gym and lift a bit, but I understand that I have to ease into and that is what I'm plannig on doing. Do you have any exercises that you would recommend to stay away from, based on your personal experience? I've heard that squats and benching can put strain on the scar, so I'm going to stay away from those for a bit. How about something like pull-ups and dips? Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairbank Posted April 13, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted April 13, 2008 I really don't. I think anything that you're lifting heavier weight is probably suspect......like bench or squats! I think you can probably base much of your decision on how it feels when you lift. I remember from HT #1 I pretty much went full tilt at 1 month and really I felt fine. Just ease your way into it and start moving up. You'll probably just need to continue with it and see how you feel as you go! Hairbank 1st HT 1-18-05 - 1200 FUT's 2nd HT 2-15-06 - 3886 FUT's Dr. Wong 3rd HT 4-24-08 - 2415 FUT's Dr. Wong GRAND TOTAL: 7501 GRAFTS current regimen: 1.25mg finasteride every other day My Hair Loss Weblog Disclaimer: I'm not a Doctor (and have never played one on TV ) and have no medical training. Any information I share here is in an effort to help those who don't like hair loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member repo-man Posted April 13, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 13, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I just got back from a cardio session. Did the elliptical for about 20 minutes. I noticed that if I look down too often, the area would feel a little tight. I just kept my head to the sky for the entire workout. It definetly feels good to get back into the mix of things and break a sweat! Dr. Feller - 3,168 grafts on 3/27/08 http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=689 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Chuckisduck Posted October 13, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2008 Sorry to revive this thread, but I am wondering the same thing about returning to the gym. I had my surgery OCT 9th and think I am lucky enough to never have to go back for another. What type of exercises and how long after surgery did you guys generally wait? I play volleyball and softball and my teammates are mad that I am not playing with them now. My Hair Loss Blog - Hair Transplant with Dr. Keene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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