Regular exercise promotes health! Developing a healthy lifestyle after transplant helps you continue these habits into adulthood. Being active with your family or exercising with peers should be a part of healthy living – and it’s fun!
A daily exercise program that includes aerobic exercise is a fun way to share physical activity with family and friends while helping to establish good heart-healthy habits. Here are more details about exercise after transplant and how you can stay active!
Exercise isn’t just for athletes or people who like hanging out at a gym. For you, it can:
- Make your heart healthier
- Increase your muscle strength
- Keep your bones strong
- Help maintain a healthy weight
- Lower your chances of diabetes
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Help control blood pressure
- Boost your energy
- Help you fall asleep faster and sleep well
- Improve your confidence and self-image
- Reduce stress, anxiety, and feeling “down”
- Make you more optimistic and excited about things again
What is aerobic exercise?
Think about aerobic exercise as any activity that gets your heart pumping and breathing a little faster. When done regularly, aerobic exercise supports your overall health and helps protect against heart disease and diabetes.
Moving is important! Even light to moderate activities count, like:
- casual walking
- taking the stairs a couple flights instead of using the elevator
- adding steps by walking a longer route through a store
- selecting a parking spot a bit further away from your destination
- dancing around your room (yes, that totally counts!)
If you would like more vigorous activity, you can try:
- fast walking or running
- biking
- swimming
- skating
- soccer or other sports
The best exercise is one you enjoy and feel comfortable doing. You should aim for about 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity four to five times a week. Activities that strengthen your muscles and bones should be added about two to three times each week. Bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats, resistance band workouts) and sports activities (basketball, soccer, swimming) as well as running, jumping, and even skipping are all activities that will help.
Choose what’s best for you and what you enjoy! It’s your workout!
But I had a transplant — Can I actually do all this?
Great question! Most teens and young adults can exercise after transplant—but you need to talk to your transplant team about your goals and what’s safe for you. There may be limits based on:
- The type of organ you received
- How long ago your surgery was
- How your body is doing right now
Most transplant teams ask you to avoid heavy activity for about three months after surgery. After that, they’ll advise you on how to slowly build up your strength and length of time you exercise.
If you’re playing school or college sports, you will most likely need a pre-participation physical evaluation (PPE). Your primary care provider does this exam, but your transplant team also needs to give the green light. Be sure to confirm sports participation with your transplant team.
Safety Stuff You Really Should Pay Attention To
These apply to everyone—but they are especially important if you had an organ transplant.
- Drink plenty of fluids —before, during, and after exercise.
- Use safety gear (helmets, pads, goggles —whatever your sport requires) and be sure you have them on correctly.
- Follow the rules. They exist to keep you safe so that everyone has fun.
- Warm up and cool down for 5–10 minutes. Your body will thank you.
- Listen to your body. Breaks are okay. Pain is not a challenge—it's a warning.
- Skip the workout if you feel sick or super tired. Recovery is part of training.
- If you get hurt—especially anywhere near your transplanted organ—call your transplant team or head to the ER right away.
Final Thoughts
Daily activity promotes a healthy lifestyle as you get older. Keep in mind that exercise isn’t a chore - it’s part of taking care of your transplant health and making sure you stay strong for everything you want to do in life. So keep moving – even short walks help! Or dance around your room!
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