Had minor surgery and can't get my heart rate up for a week!

Help!  I'm going to go crazy without being able to excercise.  Any suggestions on activity I can do that won't get my heart rate up too high besides walking?

Do you think light bike riding is ok?

meh, take the week.  i had major surgery and couldn't run for five weeks, and it was no big deal.

edited to add: i also had a major complication (hemorrhage), probably because i did too much too soon.  it's not worth it.

Lying on the couch with a cooler of beer and the remote control is a good way not to get your heart rate up.

First rule of Fight Club is don't talk about Fight Club.

 First rule of medical issues -Do As The Doctor Tells You To. One week of not exercising will not be a long-term problem, a lifetime of dealing with the aftereffects of not healing up properly before applying stress to your body is - well, forever. As long as you're under doctor's orders you'll want to clear any potential exercise with them first.

 That said - if you can limit yourself to light bike riding it might be okay, but I have a hard time picturing a bike path flat enough that your heart rate wouldn't increase just from dealing with slight inclines. Maaaaybe you could use a heart rate monitor set to beep once you approach the danger zone, but I think waiting the week is a lot less trouble than dealing with a surgeon who's a little miffed that you went off and undid his handiwork ;)

Everybody is correct; Watch your calories and when your doctor say’s it is ok to start again go for it.

I figured these would be the responses I would get. haha  Ok, I'll listen.  :)

So now I get to catch up with my DVR and movies! 

Thanks for the advice...something I should have known myself anyway!

Original Post by melkor:

That said - if you can limit yourself to light bike riding it might be okay, but I have a hard time picturing a bike path flat enough that your heart rate wouldn't increase just from dealing with slight inclines. Maaaaybe you could use a heart rate monitor set to beep once you approach the danger zone, but I think waiting the week is a lot less trouble than dealing with a surgeon who's a little miffed that you went off and undid his handiwork ;)

I agree- I find that even light bike-riding elevates my heart rate a little.  I would say go for a walk, but keep it at a strolling pace.  This way you're out and moving around so you don't lose the habit, but you don't risk not healing properly.

gglad you will listen to the doc. I had surgery and couldnt run for about 3 weeks and I was totaly flipping out. I should have watched my calories, and Ididnt ...but guess what- at the end, I ended up losing weight! Go figure. I think it was muscle/my body using energy to repair itself. AND when I started back runnning, I did not even lose my endurance. It took about 3-4 days and I felt like the same ole me.  I hope this little anecdote of mine keeps your spirits and hopes high for when you are done recuping!

Original Post by frustrated11:

gglad you will listen to the doc. I had surgery and couldnt run for about 3 weeks and I was totaly flipping out. I should have watched my calories, and Ididnt ...but guess what- at the end, I ended up losing weight! Go figure. I think it was muscle/my body using energy to repair itself. AND when I started back runnning, I did not even lose my endurance. It took about 3-4 days and I felt like the same ole me.  I hope this little anecdote of mine keeps your spirits and hopes high for when you are done recuping!

 Thanks much, that makes me feel better!

Original Post by trhawley:

Lying on the couch with a cooler of beer and the remote control is a good way not to get your heart rate up.

 HA!!!!!!!! ;P

And, I agree..One week? Take that little time to heal!