How Important Is Strength Training After Bariatric Surgery?

We intuitively know that exercise is critically important for long-term health, whether you have bariatric surgery or not. However, bariatric surgery requires a whole new dedication to your exercise program. While the biggest weight loss gains are made with a significantly restricted diet, those gains are solidified for the long term with a great exercise program.

That said, when most patients think about exercise, they think of walking, running, elliptical, stationary bike, and other cardio exercises. To be sure, these are critically important to burning additional calories and keeping our hearts healthy. However, too many patients underestimate the value of strength training –lifting weights of any kind – weights in the gym, body weight, or resistance, all of which have distinct benefits. With that said, we know that many patients are worried that they may bulk up with resistance training, but that isn’t the case unless they’re using anabolic steroids, which, of course, we would never recommend, or if they are predisposed genetically to bulking up muscle. Fortunately, most patients will get stronger and shapelier with resistance training.

So, Let’s Discuss the Benefits

Reducing the Risk of Osteoporosis

Resistance – how much our muscles are being worked through resistance training – is the key to strengthening bone tissue. Appropriate calcium and vitamin D intake are, too. However, resistance training builds on those gains and significantly reduces the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, which is a particular concern in middle-aged and older female patients.

Maintaining Muscle Mass

Much like what you’ve likely read regarding GLP–1 receptor agonist medications like Wegovy and Zepbound, losing significant weight very quickly often leads to muscle mass loss. Losing muscle mass can have several detrimental consequences, including losing shape in the body and increasing the risk of osteoporosis. A combination of appropriate protein intake and resistance or strength training is the best way to maintain muscle mass no matter how much weight you want to lose.

Aesthetics

In the paragraph above, we talk about how additional muscle tone can improve the contours of your body. Musculature provides the body shape many of us look for and find attractive. Without that muscle, our bodies are less toned, and though we might be at our goal weight, we will not have the shapeliness many of us are looking for. In addition, many patients lose so much weight that their skin begins to hang or sag. This sagging skin is inevitable, but muscle can fill some of that skin. Many patients who would’ve otherwise considered a panniculectomy or skin removal procedure may not even need it. Of course, some patients may want plastic surgery to improve the sagginess of their skin, but with proper musculature, these procedures are less extensive.

Long-Term Weight Loss

The long-term weight loss gains from resistance training are important and undeniable. The simple fact is that muscle burns calories even at rest, and the more muscle you have versus fat, the more you burn without exercising. Raising this baseline caloric burn allows for more sustained long-term weight loss. It also allows you to enjoy your food more because you are not so much at the mercy of diet alone.

Pain Relief

Many patients develop osteoarthritis from the wear and tear and chemical issues associated with excess weight and obesity. Osteoarthritis is especially prevalent in the knees and may eventually require joint replacement. Building musculature takes pressure off the joints and provides a solid foundation for body function. Removing this pressure with good musculature often eliminates pain and may help patients avoid invasive surgery or delay it for a while.

Mental Health

Exercise also has exceptional mental health benefits. In a study of the effects of strength training, patients who trained just three times a week were shown to have greater improvement in depression and generalized anxiety than people who took SSRIs. This shows how important and beneficial strengthening exercises can be, as SSRIs have many potential issues and complications.

The Bottom Line

While many bariatric patients do not like resistance training, the above shows how important it is to continued health. We look forward to seeing you achieve your goals with this combination of strength training, which will undoubtedly lead to incredible gains.