How long after a vasectomy can i cycle

Table of Contents Show

How long after a vasectomy are you fully healed?
Can I run 5 days after a vasectomy?
Why do you have to wait 3 months after a vasectomy?

Fellow cyclists who've had a vasectomy, I'm curious how long after the procedure you waited before getting back on a bike again. My doctor was vague about cycling specifically, just said absolutely no strenuous exercise for a week after the procedure. Considering the added pressure that a saddle puts on that region, I'm leery of getting back on that soon. I know the caveat of not taking medical advice from the internet, just interested in hearing some of your experiences from people that share my hobby and have had the same procedure. My doctor was more concerned with lifting heavy and making sure my kid didn't nail me while it heals, but when I tried to get more input on cycling he stuck to that "no strenuous activity for a week".

Great news—so you underwent a vasectomy, and everything went smoothly. Now, it’s time to talk recovery process, downtime, and the timeline for easing back into your usual activities. For many patients, a regular routine involves some form of fitness and exercise, be it lifting weights at the gym, running, a pick-up basketball game, or biking.

But returning to your regularly scheduled programming takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and rushing into strenuous activities too soon can cause extreme pain/discomfort in the surgical area. The key is to regain your fitness routine while being extremely mindful of anything that may cause infection in or reopen the surgical wound. Below is an overall guideline for regaining fitness levels after undergoing a vasectomy:

Immediately After Surgery

As soon as you complete a vasectomy procedure, you should not engage in any form of physical activity for 48 hours. This includes any form of exercise, sports, sexual activity, prolonged periods of standing, or even walking. Try to stay off your feet as much as possible, and follow care instructions provided by your doctor. Just turn on Netflix, ice the surgical area if you prefer, and rest. That’s it.

First Week After Surgery

In the 3-7 days following surgery, you can gradually increase your amount of physical activity ONLY if necessary. Rigorous exercise and sports should still be avoided, and do not lift objects (and babies!) heavier than 20 pounds.

If you feel fine after approximately four days and aren’t experiencing any discomfort/pain, walking or light exercises are allowed. Avoid anything more intense like weight-lifting, running, or biking, as this can cause significant build-up in pressure in the treated area. Furthermore, biking puts pressure on the penis and could hinder the healing process.

Two Weeks After Surgery

After two weeks of downtime, most men are able to resume their usual workouts (except extreme heavy lifting…more on that below). Non-contact sports such as golfing, bowling, tennis, and biking are allowed, but again, be extra aware of any pain or swelling. Stop activities immediately if aching occurs.

3+ Weeks After Surgery

While three or more weeks sounds like an excruciatingly long period of downtime, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Contact sports such as football, boxing, wrestling, hockey, basketball, martial arts, etc should not be resumed for at least three weeks after surgery.

**ATTENTION, WEIGHT LIFTERS: Wait at least four weeks before attempting heavy weights in low-repetition sets. Stick to lighter weights for now, as intense spurts of heavy lifting can significantly build up pressure in the surgical area and lead to massive internal bleeding in the scrotum. Not fun.

Ultimately, follow your doctor’s guidance on what is appropriate for your post-surgery timeline. Keep a close eye on signs of pain, swelling, and discomfort and judge your fitness abilities accordingly. In the event of any unpleasant side effects due to exercise, contact your physician immediately.

Yes it can. Riding your bicycle shortly after your operation isn’t a good idea. Indeed you should avoid physical exertion in the first week – just put your feet up. You deserve the rest!

Stay off the rowing machines and keep away from the gym for FOUR weeks to allow the wound time to heal and, more importantly, the internal join on the vas tube (the anastomosis) to settle. You also need to stay off sex for the first fortnight.

With respect to cycling, there are a number of ways it could potentially alter the success rate after a vasectomy reversal:

-Bruising in the scrotum which delay your return to full fitness

-Sitting on the saddle may squash things

-Too much leg movement increases friction on the skin and the chances of a wound infection. Sweating a lot as a result of exercise may also increase the infection rate

– Cycling may disrupt the tiny, tiny stitches we use to re-join the vas tubing during the operation.

-Lastly there is evidence that rising your bicycle for 5 hours or more per week can reduce the actual sperm count

So riding your bicycle, especially competitive cycling on a hard, sports saddle, should really be avoided for 4 weeks after reversal surgery.

How long after a vasectomy are you fully healed?

Full recovery time is about eight to nine days for many people. Keep in mind this may vary depending on your individual perception of pain and ability for tissue healing. It will take longer until you can ejaculate without sperm in your semen.

Can I run 5 days after a vasectomy?

How long should I wait before running? Again, you really should listen to your surgeon, but we typically tell our patients to give it a good seven days as a minimum before they return to any vigorous physical activity. This reduces the chance of irritating the scrotum and aggravating any swelling down there.

Why do you have to wait 3 months after a vasectomy?

It can take up to 3 months for a person to become completely sterile after a vasectomy. An individual is sterile when their sperm count falls to zero. It is still possible to ejaculate as before, but the semen will not contain sperm that can cause pregnancy.