Your work out regimen and new tattoo can cause a conundrum for collectors with a fitness mindset.
For all intents and purposes it’s best to avoid strenuous working out for 3-4 weeks while your new tattoo ink heals and the aftercare process runs it’s course.
The following article will lay bare the details of why working out can cause issues with newly tattooed skin, and suggest some ways to stay in shape while your open wound knits and mends.
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Sweat is the Problem
Some degree of sweating is to be expected for everyone. However, sweating too much is not good for the first weeks after getting inked. Sweating at a gym is a recipe for disaster
Avoid participating in heavy sweating activities or intensive gym workout and lifting sessions until at least the second round of layered tattoo peeling is complete.
Gyms, spas, sauna, and activities such as hot yoga can expose your tattoo to bacteria. Going to the gym in a post COVID-19 world is also not recommended for the consideration of those around you when you have freshly inked skin.
Be smart, be sensible, and be considerate. It’s not too much to ask of yourself.
Avoid Tight Fitting Clothing
It’s important to let your new tattoo breathe.
Restrictive clothing and the fabrics of active wear can stick to your skin or negatively impact airflow even when out of workout mode. This promotes sweating, chafing and rubbing – all situations you want to avoid in skin contact for a new tattoo.
Active wear also applies technology to move moisture away from your skin and keep you dry during exercise and leisure activities, which is also to be avoided when your fresh ink needs constant hydrating around the tattooed area.
If you live in a warm or hot climate, wear loose fitting clothing that doesn’t constrict movement of air and your limbs.
If you live in a cold climate and you need to stay warm, try to choose a fabric such as cotton to put next to your skin as it breathes better and allows for better moisture flow.
No Running, No Swimming
These two activities should be avoided for the entire initial period of tattoo healing.
Personally, I don’t have to worry about running (I’m built for comfort not for speed), but there’s a lot of people out there who love it. But when you run, your body sweats. A lot. And thisd is not good for fresh inked skin.
Gear down to a sensible walk that elevates the heart beat but stops short of drenching you in sweat, and your new tattoo will be happy!
Submerging your tattoo in water for long periods is a surefire way to cause damage to your tattoo and skin as it heals.
You can shower regularly after 24 hours of getting a tattoo, but keep them brief. Avoid chlorinated swimming pools, natural bodies of water, and especially spas and sauna as sweat + water = bad news!
How can I stay fit while my tattoo heals?
Aside from giving your skin the time it needs to heal, take into consideration the size, shape and placement of your ink when considering the possibility of exercise after a new tattoo.
A massive back piece will be treated differently to a small wrist tattoo in both aftercare and exercise, for example. If you must, target exercises that take the tattooed area ‘out of the line of fire.’ If you’ve got a badass arm sleeve, maybe spend some time on leg day!
If you do light exercise after getting a new piece of body art, be aware. Note whether the movement of your muscles and limbs pulls or tightens your tattoo. If it does, take it out of your workout plan until later on in the process.
If you do have an extremely large tattoo then you should be resting anyway. You might not realize it due to the adrenalin and excitement, but your body has been through some pretty intense drama and could do with some time to repair around the wound as well. The gym can wait until your fired up and fresh again for that killer Crossfit session.
A Final Word
Should you encounter problems at any stage of the tattoo healing process your first port of call should be to your tattoo artist or the tattoo shop you got inked. They will be able to allay any fears you might have while the tattooed area heals, recommend an alternative treatment method, or send you to the doctor to get medical intervention if there is a need.
Tattoo Work Out and Healing FAQs
What things should I avoid after getting a tattoo?
The following behaviors or products are not recommended during the initial tattoo healing and aftercare period:
- Doing nothing after getting a tattoo
- Exposure to direct sunlight
- Touching, picking, scratching, and rubbing
- Shaving the body
- Neosporin and medicated ointment
- Excess exposure to water
- Avoid tight fitting clothes that don’t breathe well
- Pick one: wrap healing, wet healing, or dry method
- Over treating the tattooed area
- Excess sweating
- Avoid excess drugs, cigarettes and alcohol
- No fondling
- Re-bandaging the new ink
For a comprehensive breakdown click here for the 13 Things to avoid after getting a tattoo.
Can you do yoga after getting a tattoo?
You can do some light yoga stretching as a limited sweat free workout, although it’s been theorized that your ink can be displaced and that you could increase the risk of infection. My recommendation is if you can hold off and settle for a brisk walk at most, then you’ll be fine for 3-4 weeks.
Hot yoga is a form of yoga as exercise performed under hot and humid conditions, resulting in considerable sweating. It is NOT advisable to do any hot yoga while your new ink is healing.
Remember, you’ve spent a considerable sum in opting for new body art, making sure it’s protected is the main aim in the short term!
Can you shower with a new tattoo?
You can get your tattoo wet during the tattoo aftercare process, but make sure you don’t swim or soak in water of any type for at least three weeks or until the tattoo heals in full.
Not showering for two weeks would be a hindrance, not just for you, but for the people around you as well. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for that long before you can get back to your original routine of personal hygiene. A day after you have got the tattoo done, you should be okay to get under the jets.
Water can interfere with the healing process itself or cause infection to the tattooed area. This would increase the time the tattoo needs for healing – or necessitate the ink being fixed or treated – and can punish the ink and tissue underneath.