Hi
Has anyone got any advice on resuming some form of exercise when recovering from surgery? Just some ideas on what others found manageable, what type of exercise etc. I am taking part in zoom yoga & I am keen to start other types of exercise (other than walking which I am doing a lot of). Mainly to keep occupied but to also tone up.
Any tips / advice would be fantastic 
My doctor said I could do anything I wanted after the 3rd procedure. The only thing I have a limit on is weight, no more than 40 pounds so around 18 kg. Good thing our dogs donāt exceed my weight limit, I found Tai Chi to be helpful. I also used those light hand weights to keep my arm muscles toned. Repetition helps a lot more than the amount of weight to tone and build muscle. I continued to do my Physical Therapy stretches since I had lower lumbar fusion the year prior to rupture, those help tone a lot, especially the core. Donāt forget the yard work and housework which all help to keep your muscles toned. Did your doctor put you on any restrictions?
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Ah that sounds great what youāre doing 
My consultant did not state any restrictions so I guess itās just me to decide what to do when I am ready. Pre surgery I was doing small group personal training which was quite intense. I donāt think I am ready to resume that although think I will try some low weights, core etc. We are currently in a second lockdown in the UK so I am out walking a lot.
Hope you are all ok in the US & thank you for replying & advice it is much appreciated
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Ms. Lucy, Have you tried speed walking? It was something quite popular back decades ago. I thought it odd the first time I saw someone doing it, but now I can see the benefits on your feet and knees as compared to jogging or running.
We are not on lockdown as of yet. Our county did receive a letter chastising our growing numbers of positive cases. We stay home a lot.
Stay safe!
Moltroub
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Speed walking sounds like a good idea & I have tried it before. I did a legs / strengthening session this morning which my personal trainer sent & I have just done a 5k walk with my husband & dog (Lily). Exercising certainly releases feel good endorphins & if itās supporting my recovery than that is a bonus.
Fingers crossed your county sees a reduction in positive cases. All our lives have changed dramatically this year & it has been testing times for us all.
Take care & stay safe
Before my Sept 2015 rupture, I swarm a half-mile daily and did yoga twice a week. All helped my recovery. Since being home, I took Aqua-therapy, also very beneficial! In rehab during PT, I doubled the reps. If therapist said to do 10 reps, I did 20! This also helped my recovery. I feel I am about 95% recovered now.
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I say listen to your body and donāt push it. The 10,000 daily steps is apparently an arbitrary number not based in science, and when I try to achieve it I get headaches. Wear a fitness monitor if you like and make adjustments to your activities gradually. Yard work is hard work, much harder than we realize. I have had to hire other people to help with mine.
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I had strict restrictions when I left the hospital after a month. I am now in a wheelchair and the best thing you can do is to get a couple of 2 lbs weights and when you are sitting around watching the boob tube do 10 reps of 10, around 5 times. Then put the weights next to you and in 15 minutes do another set. Do not go heavier than the 2 lbs and just keep doing them.
I do mine morning, noon and at night.
This keeps my upper body sound because I need my upper body to get in and out of my chair. My surgery didnāt put me in the chair, I have a sever case of Arachnoiditis. I am fused from S-1 through L-2, with the last disc needing to be fixed but I will live through the pain before I will have my 27 back surgery. Once they do the last L level you will be back in in 6 months because you will rupture the T disc so easy. I have also had both of my sac, joints fused, gave me the most pain relief.
Ray
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Hi Lucy.
Firstly- take it easy and slowly!! Iām on my 2 year mark now and Iāve only just got back to fitness. Start on walks and build up. Weights and resistance training is great for the brain. Maybe set a circuit?? Reach our if I can help letās us know how you get on! Xxx
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Lucy, I am four and a half years on from my rupture, and I am out cycling (on my trike) three times a week, and do on-line yoga twice a week (with my pre-COVID-19 instructor), so I would say if your doctor(s) have not put you on restrictions you should exercise to your hearts content, it is good to be active.
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Thank you all so much for your responses, advice and personal experiences
I will continue to take a slow / steady approach to resuming some exercise. I love getting out for a walk and fresh air & I am also loving the zoom yoga. I am actually aching today from my legs / toning session yesterday although to me this is highlighting I was working & makes me feel good. I am conscious that I cannot do what I had been pre surgeries although I am in no hurry to get back to that.
I hope you all continue with the level of exercise which is good for you as I agree it is good to be active.
Good news in the UK as the news / media confirms we are a very big step closer to getting a vaccine for Covid 19! Yay, we all need a bit of light at end of the tunnel & this may enhance all of our progress in our personal recoveries with a positive boost to our psychological well-being.
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Lucy,
The first thing you need to do is take it easy in your return, I was at my doctor 2 days ago for my 6 months check up, do to the COVID virus, my Nuero, surgeon see his patients on all days of the week. I go every 6 months for a brain scan, I had 4 Annieās, clipped and a blood clot at the base of my brain.
This is all do to my blood disorder, I am one of the few men who has Ledian factor 5 which is a condition that keeps your blood real thick, I take 2 medicine to thin my blood Plavix and xeralto so with my condition I need to be checked regularly.
I keep asking my doctor if thereās any other things that I can do to keep my upper body stronger and he will only recommend that I never bend down and left any more than 10 lbs so that I donāt put und due pressure on my head.
So keep asking your doctor when he thinks itās ok for you to proceed with your recovery. All of us here can tell you how we are doing but all of us listen to our doctors.
As I have always say ask your doctor before you engage in any activity.
Ray
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Dear Lucy,
I had my coiling 3 years ago and at the time I was living on the 5th floor without elevator. Since the very beginning (ok, mine was a small rupture, 4mm) the doctors encouraged me to do physical activity and in rehab they put me into Nordic Walking (every day), water gym, pilates, coordination, ā¦ you name it.
After one year I bought a e-bike so that I could cycle wherever and how much I wanted without worrying. Now I do (with e-mtb) 40-50-60 km. 
Also in the mountains.
I walk a lot as well.
And I do some exercises at home (dance-fitness or whatever makes me feel good in the body and in the soul).
A neurologist told me āSport is my credoā.
And my neurosurgeon told me that the only thing I really have to be very careful about is my blood pressure: it doesnāt have to be high.
I am not pushing myself and I move more now than before the brain aneurysm rupture. I take it as my medicine to stay on this side of the planet.
Listen to yourself, do not push, be gentle.
I wish you with all my heart the best recovery!
Iris
(Italian living in Vienna, Austria)
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Wow Iris, you are amazing. I certainly agree with you as exercise being your medicine as I feel so much better overall when active.
You have gave me a great boost & confirming that i can return to my ānormalā / pre surgeries fitness level.
Thank you so much 
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As is true of most things, itās always a good idea to check with your doctor before you get in to something new. As for me, I was a powerlifter before my rupture, and that is now off the list permanently. I can lift, but nothing that requires me to hold my breath, because of the spike in blood pressure. I donāt have any limits on cardio, however. I have found that I recover much slower, and get worn out more easily, even 1.5 years later. I mostly walk 4 or 5 miles a day at a brisk pace, row inside on rainy days and do some light kettlebell work. Our brains certainly need weight-bearing work, so if the doc gives the go ahead, picking up some heavy-for-you things is always a good idea!
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Thank you so much for advice & sounds like you adapted your exercises to suit you. I have scan later this month & then presume I will have an appointment with my neurologist/ consultant so I can touch base regarding what exercises are acceptable & which are a no no. I will continue with low impact exercises & walking until then.
Really appreciate hearing your experience & how you are recovering 
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Welcome Iris! As Lucy said you are awe inspiring. Thank you so much for your positive outlook, you rock!
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It is hard to be patient. I totally understand wanting to reclaim ānormalā! Thankfully brains are resilient and adaptable, but Iām learning that mine, anyway, simply wonāt be rushed. 
Give yourself some grace as you navigate recovery.
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