Some of our patients are very active, they love working out and spending a lot of time exercising. We completely understand, however, it is recommended to keep physical activities to a minimum of 1 week following the dental surgery specially if multiple implants were performed. This length of time depends upon your procedure and how your body has responded so far. After that short period of rest and relax you can start going back to your regular workout routine.
When you restart your chosen activities you have to be conscious of your healing process. Jumping back into exercise too soon can cause the implant to be rejected from the site. Avoid situations where you could put undue stress or even risk injury or impact to the area.
Even running and jogging can cause an increase in your pain. This is due to the increased blood flow to the area, which can cause more problems with the surgical site.
If you’re unsure of when is the right time to begin exercising again, you should always ask your dentist. Each patient’s situation is very different. Your healing process may run smoothly and allow you to return to your normal activity level in a few days. Another person could have complications that require them to wait weeks before exercise.
You always need to stay mindful of your body and the implant site. Listen to the warning signs that your body gives you to determine whether or not it’s too soon for exercise.
When you do return to exercising regularly, you need to be prepared. There are certain activities which can cause complications even after you wait the recommended amount of time.
You must be aware that some sports or activities are more intense than others, so it might take longer for a patient to go back to their normal routine after surgery. If you’re an avid exerciser, you’ll need to understand that going back to your normal workout routine too soon can cause complications and set backs.
Weight Lifting
This is likely to be one of the most risky activities that you can take up after surgery. Lifting heavy objects, bending up and down, and generally putting stress on your body can cause you to clench and unclench your jaw. This could lead to your stitches ripping and cause bleeding and pain.
You should wait a few weeks before starting up this activity again.
Yoga
If you are anxious to get your extra energy out, consider trying yoga. This activity is low impact and you can go as slow as you need to get the same impact but still be mindful of your body’s healing process.
Although yoga is considered a more gentle activity than running or contact sports, you still need to be mindful of the way that movement affects your dental implant site. Too much movement, no matter how slow, can cause your wound to reopen.
You might want to avoid positions that require you to hold your head upside-down or anything that could cause you to lose your balance and fall.
Look online for a gentle, stretch yoga flow. This will allow you to control your body’s movements and avoid damaging the implant area.
Running
While it may be hard to stay away from it, even if you’re an avid runner you should be careful when beginning to run again. You should wait at least a week to avoid impacting the healing process.
Running isn’t a contact sport and it doesn’t require you to lift heavy objects, but it does cause your body to move in an up and down motion. This could cause stress or unnecessary movement of the wound area.
Swimming
If you’re an avid swimmer, like yoga, this could be a good sport to start with. As long as you aren’t swimming competitively or attempting to hold your breath underwater for a long time, you can gently get the exercise you need without disturbing your wound site.
You want to do everything you can to avoid ripping your stitches and causing unnecessary pain, bleeding, and even infection.
Regardless of the sport or activity, if, when practicing your favorite sport, throbbing or bleeding occurs you must stop and discontinue exercising. Bending, lifting or strenuous activity may cause you have an increase in bleeding, swelling and pain.
