Help, advice needed on exercise to make my op less dangerous.

I've promised my consultant that I will make a big effort to exercise regularly before my operation, as the anaesthatist has said I am high risk due to my lack of general fitness. They are likely to make me do the exercise tolerance test again in a few months time to see if I'm any better.

At the moment I have no real trouble walking slowly when I exercise my dog, but it always leaves me feeling tired out and I have to nap for a couple of hours when I return home.
Just throwing the ball for Baxter makes me out of breathe and it's the same if I bend down to pick something up or do mild housework.
Basically my heart and lungs aren't doing their job well enough and my oxygen saturation levels are dangerously low. If anything were to go wrong during the surgery or in the days afterwards, they have told me I probably wouldn't make it. But they also said that I could improve my chances greatly if I did regular exercise.

So I need some tips on the best exercise to do, that will get me out of breathe and nice and sweaty. I have a wiifit plus and some hand weights and plan to start that shortly. But I literally have been too tired even to set it up. I'm also taking a major tranquiliser (quetiapine) for my mental illness, which leaves me very lethargic.
Yesterday I tried running around with the dog on the field, throwing his ball. 5 mins and I felt near to collapse.

Awww love, I really feel for you... those are quite a strong prescribed tablet... which won't help...

A starting point is a discussion with your GP and maybe get an exercise prescription which is popular nowadays... my friend has just done this, she won't have WLS, but it's been a good way for her to get going... if you have medical issues, the GP can maybe organise some programme or direct you, best to be on the safe side.

From my experience, I'll summarise the following... hope this helps and makes you feel less alone with this.

I've found it so difficult at times to stand upright let alone exercise... but I've managed to get myself going on my better days...

The wii is a great way to do exercise privately, I move anything that will move, on the day... and just try and make a good effort.

But it's so tiring to do anything at first and you will feel so tired particularly with the medication...

My favourite starting point is the toning tables just to get my body moving when I can... this has helped me no end...my aim is swimming, or gentle aqua aerobics, there is nothing finer and I'm not bothered how I look in my costume... I need to do it for me.

Gentle walking and then stepping up and going a bit further each day may be a good way of building up.

It's funny you mention this point since I have thought of it so many times... in some ways, waiting for the surgery gives us a huge advantage to prepare for it... Keeley is doing really well and has an appointment due on 23rd Sept... she is being tough with herself right now... may be worth linking in with her...

Even if you are in a chair... exercise your legs... get your arms moving... my joints had seized up with inactivity and every movement hurt....

Then when I faced a very serious illness last year... I hit big trouble... I will never be in that position again... it was so frightening.

Keep in touch precious, always here if you want a chat, send me a message if I can help in any way and build yourself up... even getting up and down the stairs repeatedly helps and as the days go by, your stamina will improve and ability to do a bit more...

Little steps lead to huge strides!

Best foot forward precious!! xxx

Chairobics...I saw it on tv the other day and did some and it was suprisingly vigorous.
Steph xx

I agree with Bev, any movements are better than none. Some things I do other people would probably not even class as exercise but for me they are as Im very immobile. Just do what you can, the slightest exercise is better than none x

Beverlie said:

Awww love, I really feel for you... those are quite a strong prescribed tablet... which won't help...

A starting point is a discussion with your GP and maybe get an exercise prescription which is popular nowadays... my friend has just done this, she won't have WLS, but it's been a good way for her to get going... if you have medical issues, the GP can maybe organise some programme or direct you, best to be on the safe side.

From my experience, I'll summarise the following... hope this helps and makes you feel less alone with this.

I've found it so difficult at times to stand upright let alone exercise... but I've managed to get myself going on my better days...

The wii is a great way to do exercise privately, I move anything that will move, on the day... and just try and make a good effort.

But it's so tiring to do anything at first and you will feel so tired particularly with the medication...

My favourite starting point is the toning tables just to get my body moving when I can... this has helped me no end...

Gentle walking and then stepping up and going a bit further each day may be a good way of building up.

It's funny you mention this point since I have thought of it so many times... in some ways, waiting for the surgery gives us a huge advantage to prepare for it... Keeley is doing really well and has an appointment due on 23rd Sept... she is being tough with herself right now... may be worth linking in with her...

Even if you are in a chair... exercise your legs... get your arms moving... my joints had seized up with inactivity and every movement hurt....

Then when I faced a very serious illness last year... I hit big trouble... I will never be in that position again... it was so frightening.

Keep in touch precious, always here if you want a chat, send me a message if I can help in any way and build yourself up... even getting up and down the stairs repeatedly helps and as the days go by, your stamina will improve and ability to do a bit more...

Little steps lead to huge strides!

Best foot forward precious!! xxx

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Thankyou so much Beverlie xxx
Yes I think the wii is great because no one can see me exercising indoors. I think the pills don't just make me tired physically, they also make me very lethargic mentally, so doing anything is often too much trouble.

I think one of the advantages about having nhs wls is the time we have to prepare ourselves for it, whereas the private route is much quicker.

That is so right love, use the waiting time to help you!

We will get there, I weigh in with Kelly on a Saturday morning if you want to join us???

Massage helps too, even if you are sitting, massage anywhere, it all counts, lower arms, knees, anywhere... I have days of being stuck in one place, so it's eyebrows and arm massage done by myself on those days...

Ask your GP about the medication and maybe taking it at a different time to help your weightloss and exercise...

Keep in touch, always here xxx

StephieAck said:

Chairobics...I saw it on tv the other day and did some and it was suprisingly vigorous.
Steph xx

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Ooh I think I've spotted a regular fitness programme on one of my sky channels which does that. I'll check it out thanks.

Yorkie lets be brutally honest here. And i'm speaking as someone who weighed in at 3lb lighter than you before my surgery!

There is no way i could run around with a dog weighing in at the weight i was. I'm lighter and definitely more fitter now and i still couldn't run around with the dog without having to lay on my back for five minutes to get my breath back after...

Personally and this is my opinion, anything that gets your cardio working is marvellous and it doesn't matter if you need a kip after your exercise, in fact it's probably good because it means you have worked your body. My suggestion would be this....

You probably take your dog for 3 or 4 walks a day? Not big walks but i bet your out for about 10 - 15 minutes each time... Just walk your dog, do a certain amount of distance walking faster so your breathing a bit heavier, then stop and play catch with the dog while you are catching your breath. The bending and stretching for the ball will be good for your muscles and people won't realise your having a resting moment... You'll be amazed how much of a difference this will make.... Also make use of the equipment in your home! If you have stairs maybe just using one step, climb up and down the one step aim for 10 times 3 x a day and increase it when you can. Either increase the number of steps or the amount of times a day you can do it! The last thing you can do is put your favourite cd on and have a bit of a boogie, sit down and then have another boogie...

Wishing you lots of luck and i really hope your fitness improves so that you have a safe operation and return back to us a winner and a loser all in one go xxxx

What about swimming, it's a great work out and it supports all your joints.

I am still very overweight and I go with the attitude of "I am there for me" sod everyone else.

Is there a medical aquafit class near you? I did a GP referred exercise scheme here in Huddersfield and did the aquafit and it really helped my fitness - I was cream- crackered after each session but felt better for it.

I needed the medical one because they catered for all shapes and sizes and was designed for people with cancer so nobody felt they had to do anything they couldnt manage.

Just walking quicker will burn a few more calories - I was the unfittest person ever pre-op - and am probably not much better now!!

Good luck

xxx

thanks guys.
i walk the dog 3 times per day for an hour each time, but to be honest, a lot of that involves standing around chatting to other dog owners. I'd say I do at least an hour of actual walking though. I've been doing that for 3 months now and have lost inches from my waist so it must be having some effect.

There is a swimming pool just ten mins walk from my house, which does have a gentle aquafit class. I'm just too embarrassed to go there. I suppose that if it is the difference between life and death, I should get over that embarrassment but the walk from changing room to poolside mortifies me. Perhaps when I've lost a few more stone I might do it.

I've decided that tomorrow is Wiifit day. I'm going to put new batteries in, set it up, and make a start, however tired I may be. I'm also going to take a ball with me when I walk baxter, and spend a few minutes playing with him, rather than letting the other dog walkers do it.

I've just come in from our final walk of the day. We went to the shops to get baxter some more dog food, then spent 20 mins on the park. The little so and so spent the entire time trying to mount the shopping bag, much to the amusement of all the drunk teenagers who are there each night. At least I probably worked on my arm muscles playing tug with him and the bag.

Good for you Yorkiegal... Keep up the dog walking and you will improve. Good luck on the wii fit, if your anything like me all the laughing will be the best exercise any doctor could ever prescribe

And good luck with the tug of war with the dog lol xxx

I also agree, swimming is a gentle yet effective form of exercise.

For me, and Im still pre op but want to spent the weeks leading up to my op trying to optimise my (non existent) fitness - I cant even wnt too far without everything hurting but I can cycle for miles, maybe because the weight is supported. I found that the first few times I cycled I was so out of breath, chest burning etc... but my stamina quickly built up. If you dont fancy going out on a bike an exercise bike is still good as is a treadmill.

Hiya luv ... my surgen said a similar thing to me and he asked me to do 1 hour exercise per day untill my next apointment which is on the 23rd.... im wondering if hes going to make me do one of these exercise tests? what exactly does it consist of??? i take youve done one?
i baught a wii after that apointment and did it for the 1st month then lost track now im back into it and have been for the last few weeks, just over a week to go so im just hoping ive done enough. i think if you walk your dog and your going on your wii too then you will be fine... aim at an hour exercise per pay and like julie says just do little but often. hope you get on ok... you will have to meet me and bev in the wii fit park in the morning for a quick jog hehe x

as already mentioned swimming is a good form of exercise, i also did alot of cycling at the gym, it's very low impact, and you can go at whatever pace you want, and build it up towards your surgery date, but anything is better than nothing, i made a definite effort to lose as much weight and improve my fitness after my surgeon said YES, i lost 2 stone and was really going for it on the gym bike, so much so, that after my op, he told me my sleep apnoea was not a major problem, even as relaxed as i was!! so go for it, whatever grabs ya, but as i already have said, owts better than nowt!

I've found the chairobics on my sky. It's fitness tv channel 282 everyday at 2pm if anyone is interested.

keeley, for my exercise test i first had an ecg and bp measured. Then I had to go into a room with the nurse and the anaesthatist. They hooked me up to a different ecg monitor and I had to wear a close fitting mask which hooks up to a machine and then sit on an exercise bike. They start you off pedalling and ask you to go above a certain speed (still very slow) and maintain it. Then after a few mins they increase the tension as if you're cycling up hill. It took about 15 mins and then the anaesthatist sat and told me the results from the computer printout.
I was really shocked to be told I was high risk because I'd managed to complete the test without too much difficulty. But the computer said that the oxygen wasn't being distributed throughout my body correctly.

oohhhh god... im wondering if they are going to do this test on me when i go back now - i cant cope with anything holding me back now! ill stick to an hour on the wii fit every morning untill then and just hope for the best... will you be meeting us in the wii fit park in the morning?

wiifit park? is that an online thing? my wii isn't connected to the internet unfortunately. i wouldn't have a clue how to do that.

no mine isnt either - just a thing we say that we go on the wii at the same time, lol! were nutter realli - but it helps to know your not on your own! we can do this together cant we... hope you get on ok luv xx

Something that is really good to get your heart going, costs nothing and you don't have to go far from your home is to walk up and down the stairs a few times a day. Its really good cardiovascular (as it gets you panting) and if you haven't got stairs in your home or to get to your home, I'm sure you could find some nearby. I started just by walking quickly up 4 flights of stairs at work and now I run up them (I'm now a lot fitter and lighter). Swimming is excellent too but it might be a bit daunting for you to put on a cossie. Anything that makes you pant - walking fairly briskly (I find taking my ipod with some fast rhythm music on it gets me walking faster.