I am a 75 year old lifter who has been lifting consistently since my wife of 50 years passed in 2019.
i just had cataract surgery in my right eye and will do the left one in two weeks. I was making good progress on 5x5 (have also done 5/3/1 for 5-6/cycles this past year) my question is how soon can I start training again and what is the best program to reset.
Hi there - I’m sorry to hear about your wife, but it’s good to hear that you have been training and are eager to get back at it.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide individual/specific post-operative guidelines like this. I would discuss with your surgeon regarding your habitual activity and when you’d be able to reintroduce things, even if at a lower level of intensity. There is similarly no “best” program here, but rather any one that you enjoy or have responded well to in the past – whether our beginner program, or any that you have prior experience with, would work. Good luck!
From my personal experience and research, most surgeons ask that you do very light exercises/walking. In my case, the left eye did not heal as fast as she would have liked (very hyper-mature cataract.) So she kept me on light walking for a few months. My right eye went better, and I was back lifting in 10 days. The good news is that most surgeons ask that you squat and not bend over when you need to pick something up. So I got myself a good pair of sunglasses (there will be a lot of glare) and walked as far as possible. For myself, this was a life-changing event and well worth the few restrictions. Good luck with your surgery!