Exercising After Rhinoplasty

Exercising After Rhinoplasty

A commonly asked question is when can I return to the gym or just resume exercise after rhinoplasty? Since, not all exercise is the same and not all rhinoplasties are the same this serves as a general guide which patients should ask Dr. Shah and his staff for their exact case.

Week 1:

Exercising After Rhinoplasty: Week 1

Activity Level: No exercise

• 1 week after rhinoplasty, patients are limited to walking around at a light pace and avoid heavy lifting. It is vital to not raise your blood pressure here as it can trigger epistaxis, swelling and shift the nose.

Week 2:

Exercising After Rhinoplasty: Week 2

Activity Level: 0-25% (light exercise)

• 2 weeks after surgery, the patient can engage in limited exercise focusing on weights. Patients should perform 25% of their typical workout weights and 25% of their reps. Special attention should be made to limit the heart rate and jostling of the head or nose.
• Inversions in such activity as downward dog in yoga should be avoided.
• Cardiovascular activity should be limited at this point.

Week 3:

Exercising After Rhinoplasty: Week 3

Activity Level: 25-50%

• Weight lifting can now be increased to 50% of typical workout weights as can 50% of the repetitions.
• Inversions should also be limited in downward dog.
• Cardiovascular activity can resume at a 50% pace where the heart rate remains limited. Patients should avoid jostling of the nose and running at this point.

Week 4:

Exercising After Rhinoplasty: Week 4

Activity Level 50-75%

• Weight lifting can now be increased to 75% of typical workout weights and now up to 75% of repetitions.
• Patients can begin to introduce inversions in yoga such as downward dog and progress if their swelling allows.
• Cardiovascular activity can be increased to 75% of typical workouts while still avoiding running at this point. Patients should pay attention to swelling to see if the nose swells after working out and avoid those activities until the following week.

Week 5:

Exercising After Rhinoplasty: Week 5

Activity Level 75%-100%

• Weight lifting can now proceed with normal weights and repetitions to pre-surgery levels.
• Patients can now proceed to most activities in yoga.
• Cardiovascular activities can resume to pre-surgery levels and may include running at this point.

Week 6 and onwards:

Patients should correlate the degree of swelling with working out. Working out increases blood flow to the nose but also helps patients resolve some swelling by encouraging venous outflow formation and lymphatic drainage and does typically balance the degree of swelling noticed earlier on. Contact sports should be avoided for at least 6 months and masks should be worn with Dr. Shah’s permission for athletes who participate in sports with potential contact such as soccer, basketball, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I play basketball after rhinoplasty surgery?

Yes, you can. If you play a competitive contact sport a custom mask can be fit to the face to help prevent the nose from being hit (protect your nose!).

Will working out after rhinoplasty make my nose swell?

Either one may cause swelling in the nose early on due to the vasodilation which occurs. Consider holding off of both of these until 4-6 weeks so the healing process is completed.

Is steam or sauna appropriate for my nose after rhinoplasty?

Either one may cause your nose to swell early on due to the vasodilation which occurs. Consider holding off of both of these until 4-6 weeks.

Can I do pilates after a nose job?

Pilates tends to have less inversions than yoga and typically does not increase the heart rate.

Is boxing or mixed martial arts possible again 6 months after rhinoplasty?

Dr. Shah does not recommend sports where the likelihood of a fracture is high. Patients should consider holding off on rhinoplasty (or any other plastic surgery procedure) until their activity in sports has ceased.

Does costal cartilage impact what I can do after rhinoplasty?

Patients should avoid overly exerting the chest muscles and intercostal muscles after costal cartilage and may resume activity as soon as 4 weeks after nose surgery.

Can I play tennis after rhinoplasty?

Yes, tennis can be played and gradually increased after rhinoplasty. Consider resumption of full tennis 3 weeks afterward. Although injuries can happen to the nose after any sport, it is less likely after tennis.

What if I don’t see an exercise listed?

Consult with your plastic surgeon or his staff to determine if the activity desired will impact your nose’s recovery. Patients should utilize a common sense approach and if they are not sure about an activity cease until they can discuss it with the office.