Exercise with Breast Implants

TAMPA, FL, July 28, 2012 (Press-News.org) Many women considering breast implants in the Tampa area are avid exercisers. With year-round mild climate and a 9-month swimsuit season, it's important to women to keep in good shape. Unfortunately, with exercise, women often find their breasts shrink as well, so they don't get the look they desire, and look to breast implants as a way to even out their figure.

But they're also concerned: will breast implants impact my ability to keep enjoying my regular exercise routine?

The good news is that women will likely be able to keep exercising after getting breast implants, especially if they keep a few things in mind before and after their procedure.

Get Proportional Implants

If you want to be able to maintain your normal exercise routine after breast augmentation with breast implants, you should make sure you get breast implants that are proportionate to your body. In general, plastic surgeons are responsible about this, and they will measure your chest and, your natural breasts before giving you recommendations about a range of breast implants that will help you get good-looking, proportionate results. This will help you achieve an attractive, natural appearance.

If you are concerned about being able to maintain your exercise routine, talk to your surgeon during your consultation about your level of activity and what types of activities you enjoy. He may revise his recommendations or at least put your mind at ease.

Take Time to Heal

You may be eager to get back to your routine after surgery, but make sure you take the time necessary to fully heal before you resume activity. During recovery, your body needs to heal. The surgery is invasive, but many people find they experience less discomfort than they expected and take that as a sign that they're ready to get back to exercise, but that's not necessarily true.

One of the vital parts of healing is the rebuilding of the delicate capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in your breast and skin. You won't feel it, except maybe as a little itch, but it's vital work. If it gets interrupted, you can experience hematoma (excessive bleeding and accumulation of blood) around the breast implants. This is easily treatable, but it is associated with a higher risk of capsular contracture later on--which may require revision surgery. So take your time to recover.

You can begin light exercise within a few days of surgery, but avoid elevating your heart rate too much and avoid any type of high-impact exercise. Then you can begin gradually increasing your exercise level. Your plastic surgeon may recommend an exercise plan, but if not make sure you check with him before beginning any new exercise.

Support Your Implants

You may not have paid too much attention to your sports bra before breast augmentation, but now it's time to get serious and make sure you have a good one. Compression style bras are good for smaller breasts, but after surgery you should probably get an encapsulated style. Underwires and racer backs are also good for support.

You should also make sure you replace your sports bra regularly to make sure it is doing its job. If you exercise 3 or more times a week, you'll want to replace it every 6-12 months due to wear on the elastic.

Competitive Sports Are Different

If you're a casual exerciser, there's no concern about breast implants, but if you're at a highly competitive level, you may need to consider the impact breast implants may have. Swimmers will notice a significant slowing at competitive levels. Runners may, too. Weight lifters often report that submuscular implants are disruptive, and tennis players with larger breasts (natural or augmented) complain that it affects their game. Breast implants are banned in competitive boxing.

The most important thing is to be open with your plastic surgeon about your exercise routine and how much it matters to you. Your surgeon can then give you recommendations about the best way to maintain that after your breast augmentation.

To learn more about breast augmentation, please visit the website of Gayoso Plastic Surgery in Tampa, Florida at http://gayosoplasticsurgery.com.