To achieve full recovery after hip replacement surgery, it is vital to incorporate regular hip replacement surgery exercises into your life. Regular post-operative exercises aid you to return to your normal lifestyle within 3-6 weeks of surgery. The hip replacement surgeries are geared to restore your strength, blood flow, and mobility.
Post-Operative Hip Replacement Surgery Exercises
Your physical therapist will make a customized plan for hip replacement surgery exercises as it helps your hip to regain its strength and movement.
Walking
Walking can be the best after hip replacement surgery exercises for a healthy recovery, because it helps to recover the hip movement. In the initial stage, before performing the hip replacement exercises, using a walker/crutches aids in strengthening muscles and preventing blood clots.
These hip replacement surgery exercises will be painful at first, but it helps in speedy recovery. It is advisable to do walking twice or thrice per day with a duration of 20-30 minutes each time.
Climbing Stairs
Stair climbing is a great way of doing the hip replacement surgery exercises. Use a crutch on the opposite side from your hip surgery, climb up the stairs leading with your good leg. Put your weight slowly on the crutch, raise the operated leg and place it on the step while doing these hip replacement exercises.
While climbing down from the stairs, lead with the operated leg by putting your weight on the crutch. Eventually, you will get stronger enabling you to climb up the stairs foot over foot.
Early Post-Op/After Hip Replacement Surgery Exercises
Lying down after hip replacement surgery exercises
- Ankle rotations – You should move your ankle inside and outside away from the other foot. Repeat 5 times in each direction and do it at least 3-4 times a day.
- Ankle pumps – These hip replacement exercises should be done right after the surgery and until you are completely recovered. You should point and flex your ankles often at least once an hour.
- Abduction exercises –You should slide your leg out as far as you can to your side, away from the body and then slide it back. Repeat it 10 times per day.
- Buttock tightening – These after hip replacement surgery exercises should be performed by lying on your back, contracting your buttocks muscles and holding for a count of 5. Release and repeat it 10 times a day.
- Knee bends – Lie on the bed, and keep your legs straight in front of you, pull your foot towards your buttocks by keeping your heel on the bed. Hold in this position for about 5-10 seconds, and straighten your knee keeping the knee to the original position.
- Quadriceps – Tighten your thigh muscles by lying on your back. Try to straighten your knee by holding it for 5-10 seconds. You can repeat these hip replacement surgery exercises for 10 times in 10 minutes by resting for a minute.
- Straight leg raises – Tighten your quads, keep your knee straight. Then lift the leg a few inches and hold it for 5 – 10 seconds. Lower the leg and repeat it until your thighs feel fatigued.
Standing after hip replacement surgery exercises
- Standing hip abduction – Hold the back of the chair for support, raise your leg out to the side, hold and slowly lower to the floor. Repeat this hip replacement exercises 3-4 times a day.
- Knee raises – Stand behind a chair and hold its back for support, raise your knee toward your chest but only to waist height. Hold it for a count of 2-3 and put the leg down.
After performing all these hip replacement surgery exercises for a month, you have to consult a Physical Therapist regarding when you will be ready for more advanced hip replacement exercises.
High level Exercises and Activities
The aggravation from your hip issues before your medical procedure and the aggravation and expanding after a medical procedure have debilitated your hip muscles. Moreover, the muscles around your hip before complete hip substitution turned out to be short and tight in light of the fact that your hip didn’t move.
Strengthening and progression exercises
- 3-4 times each week (each and every other day)
- Begin with 1 arrangement of 10-15 redundancies
- Progress steadily to 3 arrangements of 10-15 reiterations, take a 1 brief break between sets
- Figure slow and controlled developments, don’t bother standing firm on the situation
- Continue on toward an activity marked “movement” when you can without much of a stretch total 3 arrangements of 10-15 redundancies
- Rehash practices on your other leg
Precautions After Hip Replacement
For essentially the a month and a half after medical procedure (and once in a while as long as a half year), you’ll have to play it safe as your portability returns. For instance:
- Try not to twist your hip beyond 90 degrees
- Try not to cross your leg as an afterthought with the new hip over your other leg
- Keep your toes straight when you walk
Read also Exercises for hamstring strain
