Exercise post surgery

[GGoyster]

Hi, I appreciate there are other more serious matters of concern but I would just like to know what types of exercise and when you started after lung surgery. I am bored with physio and less motivated to walk everyday!

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

HI GGoyster

I hope you have been recovering well from your operation. You may or may not have our lung surgery booklet and I have placed the link for this below:

roycastle.org/app/uploads/2...

It provides timelines to recovery and what exercises may be helpful.

Everyone is different in their exercise capacity after surgery and it is advisable to listen to your body what form or degree of exercise you are able to do. It is not wise to 'push through pain' on recovery or if you are short of breath. It can also depend if you had keyhole or open surgery.

You could discuss with your physiotherapist if there are exercise classes that may interest you more, and what is safe to do.

You are welcome to contact ask the nurse on the helpline 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600, alternatively you can email us at [e-mail]

Take good care of yourself.

The Roy Castle Support Team

[Anotherbadname]

hi. I'm almost 72 and previously always excersised. I've had various surgeries with my last one being a lobectomy I think it's very important to get back to exercise as soon as you feel well enough. I don't know what you have had done but as long as you don't overdo it exercise helps blood flow and aids recovery. Tom.

[JanetteR57]

I was encouraged to exercise with the physio exercises and the motivational spirometer gadget but also told to move as many of those exercises are static. I had open surgery and got up and showered every day to start with walking around the house, then down to the post box then further on the estate then in the local park and gradually built it up. My usual exercise was swimming but as my wound had started to re-open - I think due to showering/vigerous physio exercises, I waited until I saw the consultant again at the end of March (my surgery had been Dec) to seek his permission. He asked how the swimming was going and pulled a face when I said I hadn't been as I'd had to have the wound packed. He said as they'd cut muscles and disturbed nerves, the muscles would have shortened so it may be quite painful but he encouraged me to get back in the water.

I'd already had a real break from my previous 2-3 x 130 lengths a week after being admitted in the October after symptoms and not swum until the night before and the morning of surgery so was seriously deconditioned. My first visit, the day after seeing him, I remember thinking I'd never do front crawl again but that day did 20 lengths on my back sculling my arms at the side and doing breast stroke. I built it up each visit and by end of June when I saw him next I was back to my 130 lengths. I'd never been a runner but was told that pilates, yoga and even a rowing machine would help re-open up the rib cage/thoracic space.

I don't know whether you had keyhole or open surgery nor how long ago nor whether you have any other conditions or damaged lungs. As a younger fitter patient and never smoker and distance swimmer for many years, I wouldn't want people to think I started from scratch to achieve the distances I did. However I swim with a woman who only learnt to swim during the pandemic who now regularly swims a mile (64) lengths several times a week. I'd also been a distance walker but had never stepped foot in the park at the back of where I live but enjoyed building up stamina and watching spring unfold with the passing days/weeks when I walked after my surgery. Keeping active also helps mental health

You may find some of these exercises helpful.... asthmaandlung.org.uk/living...

I went onto swim much much further than I ever had by building it up slowly and going regularly and used the opportunity to raise funds for Roy Castle foundation whilst recovering my fitness. My furthest swim was 320 lengths which took almost 5 and a half hours about 18 months post surgery. By going regularly and doing 200-300 lengths, I swam 989 miles in a year.... but the year of surgery was less than a third of that....

good luck with your continued recovery.

[Sally789 in reply to JanetteR57]

Good tip about the yoga. I had my lower left lung removed Dec 2023 and am not back to pre operation walking levels, did 17000 today but I’ve been thinking about starting yoga too !

[GGoyster in reply to JanetteR57]

Dear Janet, many thanks for your helpful reply. I too was a big swimmer before surgery. Interestingly my consultant told me two months later it would be a long time before he would agree to me swimming. However your journey has given me confidence once I resume it. Keep going!

[JanetteR57 in reply to GGoyster]

did they say why? it's clearly listed in the Roy Castle surgery booklet - nobody's suggesting copying Adam Peaty but swimming is good as the water supports your weight and you can focus on getting your breathing right ..... last year I was at a conference in Holland where there was a pool and found myself swimming with one of the professors who'd had a pneumonectomy (whole lung removed) some years ago. he was swimming better than me so I asked him how he found it after having a conversation with the person at Roy Castle foundation who was compiling the booklet had added a comment about difficulties of pneumonectomy swimming based on a comment from one of the clinicians who helped with the booklet. My fellow faculty member said he'd never had a problem of buoyancy (suggested in the booklet posted above in the response from Roy Castle foundation) and like me found swimming a wonderful exercise for mind and body....I remember reading before the pandemic about one surgical patient who used his stairs to train his lungs and fitness by going up and down them several times to get his heart rate/breathing up without even leaving the house... good luck with your recovery...

[GGoyster in reply to JanetteR57]

I can only see in the booklet that it says speak to your consultant which I did. I wondered about buoyancy following the same comment. Good to hear the positive stories thank you.

[JanetteR57 in reply to GGoyster]

swimming is mentioned on p19 (pre surgery) and p42 (post surgery). I'd check again with your consultant the reasons for suggesting you're not ready when it's recognised as such a good form of exercise for those with breathing difficulties generally. Like you, I walked initially after surgery then developed tendonitis (built it up more each day then went to Derby for a weekend and probably over did it) so was told to keep all weight off my ankle (that was before I resumed swimming) and all that happened was I gained weight from so much inactivity making it harder when I restarted as pulling extra weight through the water took some getting used to! Thankfully swimming regularly helped me 'normalise' and even lose the weight gained (and more) as well as regain lung function and fitness to a level I hadn't had in decades.

[Gingergus]

I'm really struggling with exercise at the moment ! I've always been a regular walker, but had a new hip in September last year, followed by the lung cancer diagnosis, so I did very little proper exercise for a 6 month period. I haven't had surgery, but had a few issues - fluid on my lung etc., meaning that I have spent time in hospital which sapped my energy and left me needing to build up my exercise from scratch.

I've just been building up distance bit by bit, and do 1 mile most days, and trying to get up to 2 miles now. Luckily my daughter lives exactly 1 mile from me - walk to hers, have a coffee, and walk back is my current goal. I often wonder if I will ever get back to my regular 7 or 8 miles again. It can be depressing that life is so very different now. How I miss my hikes. But I'm feeling determined and I will increase my goal each week until I'm confident enough to get back out in the countryside. All the Best.

[JanetteR57 in reply to Gingergus]

Well done - I found going regularly and building up slowly that I achieved a great deal. Last year due to various chest infections I had weeks between swimming which meant each visit felt like starting from scratch. Have to say I've also found the Apple Watch I was bought 3 years ago has helped motivate me to move!

[Gingergus in reply to JanetteR57]

Thank you. I used to be a great swimmer too, and was a lifeguard at one point. Perhaps I'll take it up again . I haven't been to the pool for about 3 years. It's good that we encourage each other here.

[JanetteR57 in reply to Gingergus]

the aqua aerobics class may also have helped but once in the pool all I want to do is swim. I was signposted to Yoga with Adrienne online by a respiratory physiotherapist during the pandemic too and know that online classes can help those less able to get out and about. I find swimming slowly enables me to build up greater distances - it fascinates me how many men in particular get in the pool, swim 2 lengths too quickly, get out of breath then get out!

[GGoyster in reply to JanetteR57]

I have found an illness recovery yoga session with Adrienne on YouTube so will give that a go too. It’s difficult to know what will help and what will make things worse!

[JanetteR57 in reply to GGoyster]

I'm involved with a research study for pre-habilitation before lung surgery and post surgery with a wearable app - and when designing it, we discussed our fear as patients when we become breathless (with any respiratory condition) and then give up whereas anyone exercising becomes breathless, it's a natural reaction, but we should find a way to work with this rather than quit..... I agree about making things worse and why I'm more inclined to non weight bearing exercises although having recently learned that a bone scan is showing osteopenia, I probably need to consider doing some weight bearing exercise/activities too before it develops into osteoporosis (which my mum has). My surgeon told me recovery was up to me and being inactive - sitting or lying around would do my lung no good and the more active I could be, the quicker my lungs would redevelop - which I found so empowering and something I felt I could control in a situation that had felt totally beyond my control . I attended an event in Holland a few years after my surgery where they were doing spirometry and other lung checks in the open air and results showed no difference between my lungs at that point and others who hadn't had a lobectomy which was quite reassuring.

[GGoyster in reply to JanetteR57]

I can so relate to what you refer to as fear of breathlessness not only when exercising but in carrying out everyday tasks too. It seems so far removed from pre op fitness. I am very not sitting around and received the same messages about being sedentary. I am pleased swimming has been so positive for you and I see the consultant in May so will see what he says.

[Carolineminiaturist in reply to Gingergus]

Hi yes I am struggling with exercise. I had no symptoms and used to walk about 4 miles or more a day. Post op 11 weeks ago I Built up to 2.5 miles. I am now 3 days Chemo and worried about getting fit again. I have signed up for a charity 1 mile abday in May. ( rnli) there are a lot of charities doing them and maybe a good motivation. Hope you do well. X

[JanetteR57]

it will improve - I remember feeling quite helpless but little by little, building up slowly, things did 'normalise'.... maybe pilates/yoga or other breathing exercises may help whilst you wait to speak to the consultant. good luck with your continued recovery.

This guide may help cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0... for anyone with breathing difficulties as well as Macmillan's guide (they also have a CD/DVD available) cdn.macmillan.org.uk/dfsmed...

[tailpipe]

After 2 and a half weeks I was walking 3 miles a day i decided to go back to the gym after 3 weeks just walking on treadmill and using small hand weights to get my shoulder a bit freeer. I am coming up to four weeks now (had left lower lobectomy) still doing same excercises but incresing speed and incline on treadmill when I feel I can. A couple more weeks and I think I will be more or less back to what I was. I think swimming is a little more lung intensive so that may take a while longer im not sure. I asked the nurses, did they tell you not to do things beacuse it can cause damage or because it hurt. They said because it hurt. You will not cause damage, so if it hurts stop.

Hope that helps

[Mellymel123]

I started with walking in the weeks after. Much like others, first around the house and then further away from the front door in increments. I wish I had done more pilates, barre, and yoga as I think that strengthening my core earlier after surgery would have been helpful. I have had some exercise-related breathing problems since I developed Excessive Dynamic Airway Collapse after my surgery, but since seeing a specialist and finally getting a diagnosis and some helpful breathing techniques, I am working up to trying to get back into pre-surgery shape.