Worried about whether you’ll be able to return to your running routine after breast surgery? Or are you new to running and have concerns about how this will affect your breast implants? It’s perfectly safe to run with implants. However, it’s important that you allow yourself enough time to recover and for your incisions to heal following surgery before running again to prevent pain, discomfort and/or altering the appearance of your new breasts. Here, we’ll explain how to begin running again safely following breast augmentation and address any post-surgery exercise concerns you may have.
Post-Breast Augmentation Running Timeline
Jogging/running is one of the most popular forms of cardio exercise among men and women. However, as a fairly high-impact exercise, it can result in strain on incisions and alter the shape and positioning of your breast implants if you begin running too soon following breast augmentation.
Your breast implants need to settle. If the incision doesn’t have time to heal properly, it could cause bleeding, scarring, or infection in that area. Your body needs to recover for both health and aesthetic purposes. For example, if the incision isn’t fully healed, and you exercise and produce sweat, there is a possibility that this can lead to infection. Keep an eye out for any pain, mild fever, swelling or discomfort, as these may be signs that an infection is developing. Any excessive movement is not going to help achieve the best results.
It’s best to take a gradual approach when resuming or embarking upon running/jogging. Gently ease yourself into your running routine (wearing the correct support garments, of course), and increase the intensity over time. This way, your body will have time to adjust to the movement and impact of the exercise without suffering any shocks to the system. If you feel discomfort or lack of support while jogging or running, take advice on the best support bras available. Even with a tight-fitting support bra, your breasts still carry more weight. The skin covering your implants has been stretched to accommodate them, so take care of them, and you shouldn’t cause any damage to your implants. Getting the foundations right is worth it, and you won’t risk compromising the results.
If you have recently undergone breast surgery, our surgeons and surgical team will advise that you wait around six weeks to begin light jogging and around eight to twelve weeks before running. As with any surgery, any strenuous activity should be avoided within this time. This can result in staring and tearing at incision sites, resulting in infection and delayed recovery and healing.
First 1-2 Weeks Post-Surgery:
- Focus: Rest and recovery. Take the time to rest, allow your body to heal, and avoid straining the chest area.
- Activities: Wearing a post-surgery support bra, occasional short walks are advised to support circulation and avoid complications, such as blood clots, but nothing more than this is advised for the first few weeks.
- Precaution: Avoid any physical activity that causes excessive sweating or strain, including heavy lifting.
Weeks 3-4:
- Focus: Recovery and gradual reintroduction of light activity.
- Activities: Running and jogging should still be avoided. Low-impact exercises like longer walks and light cycling can be reintroduced.
- Precaution: Continue to avoid heavy lifting and repetitive arm movements.
Weeks 5-6:
- Focus: Begin to return to routine, and increase exercise moderately.
- Activities: Longer, more brisk walks and light jogging on soft surfaces (low-impact exercise).
- Precaution: Listen to your body, stop if you feel any pain and continue to avoid heavy lifting.
Weeks 7-8:
- Focus: Preparing to return to pre-surgery running routine.
- Activities: Running and jogging can be reintroduced – but start slow. Gradually increase pace and distance as you begin to feel stronger and more comfortable.
- Precaution: Ensure your surgeon has given clearance before running again.
8-12 Weeks+
Following eight to twelve weeks post-breast augmentation, you should be fully recovered and able to run again. However, you must always listen to your body and follow to aftercare guidance provided by your surgeon so that you prevent damaging your breast implant, straining incisions and pain/discomfort, allowing for full recovery.
Following Aftercare Guidance & Wearing A Support Bra
If you are taking up jogging and have had breast implants in the past, there are a few things that you should consider before you start. So, how can you jog with breast implants? The trick is to have the correct clothing to allow you to exercise comfortably.
An important part of breast augmentation aftercare guidance is post-surgery support bras. Wearing a supportive post-surgery bra is essential following any form of breast surgery, and it’s important to wear them when reintroducing jogging and running back into your routine, too. You will be advised on what compression garment you’ll need following your breast augmentation to protect your implants and support your new shape; wearing a supportive sports bra when you run will ensure you don’t do anything to affect your implants negatively. It will help to protect your implants by maintaining their shape and position.
For best results, your support bra should be snug-fitting and comfortable. It needs to maintain the weight under your breasts but not be so tight that blood circulation is impaired.
The Best Sports Bras for Running
The support bra’s main job is to stabilise the breast implants whilst you are running. A support bra that is comfortable, useful and easy to put on and remove is vital if you want to take care of those implants.
Of course, everyone is different, and your implants, lifestyle and fitness regime are unique to you. But everyone with implants is at some risk of breast tissue stretching or breasts sagging somewhat if they don’t follow the correct advice.
Here at Enhance Medical Group, we are experts in this field and have a range of support garments to aid your recovery and help you get back to your former exercise routine. Advice and guidance about which support bra to choose is included in the cost of breast augmentation with us.
Can You Run with Large Breast Implants?
As previously mentioned, everyone is different, and some will ask, ‘Can you jog with breast implants if they are very large?’ Can you? Yes, but should you? Possibly not. Women with overly large implants may not be recommended to take up jogging or running if this is something that has never been part of their routine. You might find that it causes discomfort as it can shift your centre of gravity. This will potentially force your body into a different position, and this could result in muscle aches and strains.
If you are a regular or more serious runner or an athlete, you may want to consider the size of the breast implant you choose and discuss this with your surgeon during your initial consultation, as anything too large for your frame could hinder your performance.
Take Your Time with Running After Breast Augmentation
So, if you’re considering taking up jogging or returning to running after breast augmentation, the bottom line is that most people are perfectly safe and capable of jogging and running. It won’t harm your implants, but there are certain things you can and should do to protect them.
Ultimately, allow yourself time to heal, recover and follow your surgeon’s aftercare guidance and advice. You should be able to follow a regular running schedule without any problems. You will be able to feel if your breasts are properly supported, and if in doubt, you need only ask an expert. It’s worth taking some extra time to get this right, and then you should be able to enjoy your running routine confidently.