An arm lift can be an excellent treatment to restore a more defined shape to the upper arms, often correcting the appearance of “bat wings” caused by lax or sagging tissue. While full healing after arm lift surgery and realizing the final results may take up to one year, returning to your normal exercise routine may only take a few weeks. Depending on the exact details of your treatment plan, Dr. Bottger — our board-certified Philadelphia plastic surgeon — advises waiting four to six weeks after surgery before returning to your full fitness regimen. Strenuous activity is prohibited for the first few weeks, especially exercises involving lifting the arms.
After one to two months post-op, most of the swelling from brachioplasty should be resolved and your results are often more easily visible. At this time, Dr. Bottger will advise when you can return to exercise. We often recommend starting with light workouts to see how your body responds. If you believe you’re able to take on more demanding exercises, we encourage you to speak to Dr. Bottger so he can give you personalized medical advice. A good approach is often to gradually add more strenuous workouts to your routine as you find out how much your body can handle. That said, high-impact activities or heavy lifting should still be avoided until you receive full clearance from your surgeon. Although we understand the desire to return to an active lifestyle as soon as possible, your safety and the quality of your final results is paramount.
It’s always best to closely follow Dr. Bottger’s post-operative instructions to ensure the smoothest possible recovery, and to get the most out of your arm lift results. Contact our Philadelphia office today for more information about our body lift procedures or to schedule an appointment.