Of more than 1,000 patients surveyed, around one quarter of those undergoing surgery considered themselves unfit; over one third took no regular exercise.
None of us would run a race without preparing ourselves. Having an operation puts considerable strains on your body, it's a big physical challenge. The more you train, the better race you will run. Surgery is little different.
Patients who are fit are known to recover faster, with less complications, short time in hospital, and fewer re-referrals with similar problems in the future.