Soft Tissue Mass Excision (Deep) Starter Exercise Guide

1. Walking Program

What it helps: Comfortable, frequent walking keeps the joints loose, builds your stamina, and rebuilds confidence on your feet. Little and often beats long and tiring.

How often: throughout the day.

1. Take short walks at a comfortable pace.
2. Increase your distance gradually as you feel able.

Tip: Use your assistive device as directed.

2. Ankle Pumps

What it helps: Keeps blood moving to reduce swelling and the risk of clots while you're less active — small, frequent, and important early on.

How often: 20 repetitions, several times a day.

1. Flex your foot up, pointing your toes toward the ceiling.
2. Point your toes down, away from your body.

Tip: Move slowly and with control.

3. Core Activation

What it helps: Switches on the deep core muscles that stabilize your pelvis and spine, giving your hips a solid platform to move from.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10, daily.

1. Lie or sit comfortably.
2. Gently draw your belly button toward your spine.
3. Hold a few seconds while breathing normally, then relax.

Tip: Avoid holding your breath.

4. Gentle Neck Isometrics

What it helps: Strengthens the deep muscles that support and steady your neck without moving it — a safe, comfortable way to build the support that eases neck pain.

How often: 5 each direction sets of Hold 5–10 seconds, daily.

1. Sit tall with a gentle chin-tuck. Place your palm on your forehead.
2. Press your head lightly into your hand and your hand back into your head — a steady, comfortable push with NO movement of the neck.
3. Hold, relax, and repeat. Do the same with the hand on the back of the head, then each side.

Tip: Light pressure — about 20–30% effort. This is not a strength test.

5. Flexibility Exercises

What it helps: Keeps your joints and muscles moving through a comfortable range, so you stay supple and move with ease.

How often: most days.

1. Sit tall on a chair and slide one leg forward, heel on the floor and toes up.
2. Hinge forward from the hips and reach gently toward that foot until you feel a stretch behind the thigh.
3. Hold for around 30 seconds, breathing normally, then ease back.
4. Repeat on the other side.

Tip: A stretch should feel like a long pull, never a pinch - and never bounce into it.

6. Upper Body Conditioning

What it helps: Keeps your arms and shoulders strong — especially helpful for using crutches and staying active during recovery.

How often: a few times a week.

1. Sit tall in a chair without arms, both feet flat on the floor and your back supported.
2. Hold a light weight in each hand, arms relaxed at your sides, palms turned in toward your thighs.
3. Raise both arms out to the sides until they are level with your shoulders.
4. Lower them slowly back to your sides.

Tip: Stay seated and supported while you're non-weight-bearing.

7. Hamstring Stretch

What it helps: Keeps the back of the thigh flexible so the knee moves freely and your stride stays comfortable.

How often: 4-5 repetitions, daily.

1. Lie on your back, or sit with the leg extended.
2. Gently bring the straight leg toward you until you feel a stretch behind the thigh.
3. Hold, then relax.

Tip: A towel looped around the thigh can help. Hold 20-30 seconds.

8. Progressive Walking Program

What it helps: Keep building your walking distance and pace — steady gains in endurance and confidence on your feet.

How often: daily.

1. Walk on level ground at a comfortable pace, landing on the heel and rolling through the foot.
2. Add a few minutes to the walk before you add speed or hills.
3. Go a little further each week rather than a lot further in one day.

Tip: Turning back while you still feel good is how the distance builds.

What to expect in recovery

The full recovery guide for this procedure: Soft Tissue Mass Removal recovery.

Recovery reading

• Recovery Guide
• Before Surgery
• After Surgery