Breast augmentation is common in female athletes who perform high volumes of cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, biking, etc. It is also common to see atrophy of the breast with competitive bodybuilders who are consistently lean for competitions. It is quite common for these women to come into our office and say, "Dr. D. I want to be able to return to my previous cup-volume.....or......Dr. D. I just want to be able to wear a strapless dress again."
The next question to follow is......."How soon can I return to working out after my breast augmentation?"
This is the simple 4 week rule.
Week 1: Walking is O.K.
Week 2: OK to return to the gym. Low impact cardio is fine such as exercise bike. Isolated arm exercises are O.K.
Week 3: OK to return to running. Patients should wear two support bras while running.
Week 4: Unrestricted gym activity is OK. Pilates and Yoga OK at week 4 as well.
