Getting surgery?

BEFORE YOU GO IN, TRY THESE FIVE THINGS FOR A SMOOTHER RECOVERY.

- RENÉE BACHER

Any operation is a big shock to the body, and depending on your health status before you go in for your procedure - and how invasive it is-it often takes longer than your doctor predicts to recover. Set yourself up to be back in action ASAP with these best practices.

Prioritize "Prehab"

Before any surgical procedure, the American College of Surgeons recommends that patients who have advance notice should take steps to get themselves to a better place physically - that will help them better withstand any mandated postoperative inactivity, which can lead to increased risk of complications like blood clots and infections. There's even a term for it: "prehabilitation," or "prehab." Regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training will help, says Jenna Bourgeois, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in Baton Rouge, LA. Since you will likely need to utilize different muscles to get moving after surgery, ask your surgeon about the best prehabilitation program for the surgery you will be having, she adds; that may look like targeted physical therapy or simply taking a daily walk to improve your cardiovascular health and lower any pre-op stress. In fact, patients who walked more than 7,500 steps per day before a scheduled surgery cut their risk of post-op complications by half, according to one recent study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Review Your Diet