The power of prehab
“Be prepared” is a great motto. Fitness you achieve today — aka prehabilitation — truly does change your health outcomes tomorrow. That idea was at the heart of the Realage program we developed in 1986 when we launched it on “Oprah” and it still lives in our new Actualage program on Longevityplaybook.com.
Well, it turns out that pre-surgical rehabilitation — or prehab — is also a highly effective way to improve tomorrows for anyone who is heading into major surgery, whether it’s for an orthopedic condition or for a procedure that involves the liver, lung, colorectal system or urologic system.
In fact, a review in JAMA Network that analyzed 12 studies, including 832 patients, to assess the impact of high-intensity interval training on patients’ pre-operative cardiovascular fitness and post-surgery outcomes, found that they benefited enormously from getting into good shape before surgery.
You can create an even more protective prehab plan if you combine HIIT with strength training, high-protein nutrition and supplements, smoking cessation, and psychological support, according to a study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Researchers followed 20 colorectal cancer patients who went through the multi-level prehab before surgery and 30 of their peers who did not. Fully 86% of the prehab group recovered to their baseline functional capacity four weeks postoperatively. Only 40% of the control group did.
So, whatever surgery you may be scheduled for, arrange for a multi-layer prehab program. And use tools at Longevityplaybook.com to develop your routines, keep track of your progress — and see how much younger you get.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow,” and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.