Did you regularly do some type of strenuous build-up-a-sweat exercise before ACDF (or other cervical surgery), or did you eventually start and maintain a strenuous exercise program after your recovery from ACDF? FYI "strenuous" is all relative, from a 1 mile plodding jog for the exercise-and weight-challenged, to a super-Ironman for the mega-jock.

What was that experience like for you? If you went back to a strenuous exercise program after surgery, what did you do before surgery, and how long did it take for you to really recover and be able to exercise at that level again (how much time, what type of conditioning, etc.)? What was your basic recovery journey. Example: pre-surgery: ran 5+ miles 3 times a week (9-10 min/mile), weight training 2 days a week. Post surgery weeks 1-6, daily 1-2 mile slow walk (20-25 min/mile). Weeks 6-16: Slowly increased walking speed and distance to 3-4 miles @15 min/mile. Weeks 17-26: started C25K program. etc...

If you didn't go back to the same activity(or at least not as strenuously as you used to do) or didn't start regularly exercising until after surgery, what was that like for you, and what was your recovery journey like for you, relative to your exercise goals?

As you worked your way up to doing strenuous exercise, what were some things that helped and some that you shouldn't have done?

(FYI: I'm very very clear that everyone's experiences are different and I should rely only on my doctor to tell me what I can do and when, but I'm just trying to gain some perspective.)