Exercise is an important component in achieving your goal toward weight loss surgery. The Kitsap Physical Therapy bariatric team is comprised of one of our physical therapists and personal trainers. The physical therapist will first screen/evaluate you to identify any physical and/or orthopedic barriers for exercise goals either pre- or post-bariatric surgery. From there, you will meet with a trainer to gather baseline measurements, i.e. weight, BMI, girth circumferences, blood pressure, VO2 and blood sugar if needed. Then our trainer will work with you to identify exercises to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength, mobility,  and flexibility. This can be done pre-surgery if your physician requires weight loss and an increase in fitness prior to surgery. We then create a custom exercise plan to meet your specific needs and goals; this can be done one on one with a trainer or in our group Bariatric NextSTEP (Supervised Therapeutic Exercise Program).

The Bariatric NextSTEP class is virtual once a week on Tuesdays at 6PM. Class will consist of up to 30 minutes of cardiovascular work (either Biodex, chair supported or weight-bearing) along with full body strength training and conditioning. The goal, whether you are pre- or post-surgery, is to gradually increase your duration of being able to increase your heart rate (in your calculated zone) for up to 30 minutes, along with improving your overall strength, mobility and flexibility. Our long-term goal is for you to be able to transition into a fitness facility/program with what you learn. Our group Bariatric class also allows for the socialization and support from other fellow bariatric patients. 

Your physician will give you a referral to one of our bariatric physical therapists to get you started.