This morning I had my pre-op exercise assessment at the Summa Green Campus. I didn’t quite know what to expect other than exercise of some type. It turned out to be an informative and worthwhile visit.

I spent about an hour with a professional trainer who put me through a series of strength and endurance tests to baseline my physical fitness. They will track my performance in the coming months after surgery. I actually made it through all of them and didn’t wimp out. The hardest for me was the weight machine and lifting 80 pounds. I am sure that is miniscule for those in shape, but it was a challenge for me. The timed walk was a breeze.

I was especially happy that she gave me exercise recommendations that are targeted to improve my fitness. I need to continue my treadmill but gradually increase the speed. Adding more time would come next. Adding some sort of weight resistance training is highly desirable. This is the identical recommendation that came from my cardiac rehab. It doesn’t appeal to me, and I have avoided it for years. I guess I will work on adding it in after surgery.

Going into this, I tended to question the value of so many of the pre-op tests and visits that were scheduled for me. It thought that they were nothing more than feeding the coffers of other Summa departments and facilities. As I worked through them, I can see their value in preparing the patient and being sure that they are suitable for surgery. I am glad that I had this opportunity to give me an idea of where I should be going in terms of exercising correctly to get the maximum benefit.