The Risks of Exercising After Getting a New Tattoo: What You Need to Know
If you love working out AND getting tattoos, you're probably wondering if it's okay to train while having a fresh tattoo. In general, it's best to take a break from training and let your healing tattoo do its thing.
Whether it will be detrimental really depends on what body part you had tattooed and what body part you're planning to train. For example, if you had your leg tattooed, you're probably fine doing an upper body workout. And vice versa. If you had your back tattooed, it would be smart not to train your back muscles. Obviously.
The thing is, you don't want the area you had tattooed excessively flexing or stretching while it's healing. Naturally, it's going to have to deal with some movement because you have to go to work or use that body part. But, you want to limit any EXTRA stress on that area as much as possible.
Think of a cut on your knuckle. Every time you bend your knuckle, that cut opens back up. A healing tattoo is similar. The more stretching and moving the skin does, the more difficult it is for the tattoo to heal. Especially when it begins to get scabby, you don't want those scabs breaking open.
When you cause too much stress to a healing tattoo, it can result in:
Scarring
Faded areas in the tattoo
Excessive scabbing
Infection
When you pay good money to have permanent art, you should take proper care of it throughout the healing process to ensure the best outcome. Aftercare is a huge part of the tattooing process.
REASONS NOT TO WORKOUT AFTER GETTING TATTOOED
Risk of Infection and Irritation
A fresh tattoo is already uncomfortable, are you sure you want to add itching or infection to it? When sweat gets into your fresh tattoo, it can create an itchy and irritated environment. If this happens, it will take longer for your tattoo to heal and cause more discomfort.
Risk of a Faded Tattoo
When you cause extra stress to your tattoo, it impacts the entire healing process. If you scrape it on something, have fabric constantly rubbing against it, or get some type of bacteria in it, there's a higher risk that pigment will fall out, leaving the tattoo looking patchy.
REASONS TO WORKOUT AFTER GETTING TATTOOED
Gains.
TIPS FOR WORKING OUT AFTER A TATTOO
If you do choose to workout with a fresh tattoo, consider these tips:
Start slowly, perform light exercises before jumping into the heavier stuff.
Wipe down equipment before using it to decrease the chance of infection.
Don't wear clothing that will uncomfortably rub on the tattooed area while you workout.
Be careful not to scrape or bump your healing tattoo.
Wear loose clothing to cover your tattoo and protect it from bacteria.
Clean your tattoo immediately after you're done working out.
Be mindful of your tattoo when performing any physical activity.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Don't train the body part you had tattooed.
Avoid putting extra stress on the tattooed area. For example, if you had your elbow tattooed, don't do exercises that require you to repeatedly bend your elbow.
Don't touch your tattoo to the gym equipment, mats, the ground, etc.
Any water sports should be avoided until the tattoo is fully healed.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You're not going to loose all your gains if you miss a few workouts. It's worth it if it means you're avoiding infection and irritation on your very expensive skin art. Not to mention, you could end up taking longer to heal if you irritate your tattoo more than necessary.
But, if you must workout, take it easy and avoid exercises that require you to put strain on the body part you had tattooed. Be mindful of your tattoo, protect it, and clean it.