Any activities that require you to put undue stress on your chest muscles, including heavy lifting and upper-body strength training, should be avoided for up to a month after breast augmentation. This gives your body the opportunity to heal and ensures you get the best results possible. You should hold off on all vigorous activity, even that which doesn't affect the chest, for at least 2 weeks after surgery. This is because exercise elevates your heart rate and blood pressure, which can exacerbate swelling, bruising, and bleeding. Dr. Cutolo understands that it can be difficult for very active people to delay exercise after surgery, but it's important to listen to your body and not overexert yourself. Instead of high-intensity workouts, he recommends taking light, short walks a few times a day.