[Andy Reed]

Hi there!

Scott is absolutely correct. Surgery, with bed rest, and the significant stress that comes along with this, are a huge hit to your aerobic fitness. This detraining effect that you describe, can certainly take place in the time lines you describe, but the good news is that by sensibly returning to easy aerobic efforts, you will be able to get back to your pre-surgery levels of fitness.

I would recommend keeping your efforts very easy at first and listen to how your body reacts, taking rest days as needed. Once you are able to consistently walk of jog for an hour, perform a HR drift test (described in our Knowledge section) to establish your Aerobic threshold HR. You will then need to spend time in zone 2 to rebuild your fitness. Everyone is different, and I don’t know the details of your surgery, but it can take months or even years to maximise your aerobic fitness. Err on the side of caution at first – don’t be tempted to do too much too soon. Be deliberate and consistent however, and your fitness will return.

If you wish to discuss things in more detail, I am happy to arrange a phone consult with you, and we can get more specific about your particular medical issue, if that would be beneficial.

Good luck.