Pre-op exercises?

[Tin Soldier]

I set the date and I will be heading to Seattle to get the first hip (left) RS'd by Pritchett on the 22nd of Feb.  I'm nervous, but also looking forward to getting past the recovery and getting on a bike and doing everything else that seems to have left me in the last couple years.

My question to all, is there a set of exercises that can be done ahead of the surgery that would help with recovery?  I'm a believer in the human equalizer of cardiovascular exercise (reduces stress, provides positive mood, strengthens immune system, and in general makes the body work more efficiently and just makes you healthier).  I think I will do what I can with limited ROM to get some good cardio exercise, but what about leg muscle work that would help?  Or should I just leave my gluts and stuff to be flabby and mushy so that the doc can get through them easier?  That sounds goofy, but I have seen a big decrease in my quad size on the left side from not playing soccer, biking, running,...the girth in my leg has now transitioned to my gut. :( 

[obxpelican]

Concentrate on your upper body, your lower extremities will quickly lose their tone, but your upper body will be overused the first couple weeks, sit-ups probably not a bad idea so you can easily situp in bed.

If at all possible if you have a lazyboy type chair it sure helps the first week home, especially if you are a side sleeper, it helped me out a lot.


Chuck

[halfdone]

I have 2 suggestions: 1. Diet - keep it healthy and BM-friendly in the run up. 2. Investigate if there is a pool near you that you can use for hydrotherapy post-op and make sure you're comfortable in the water. IMHO hydrotherapy is a great way to regain confidence and flexibility with the new joint post-op and a valuable part of a post-op PT regime.  Good luck.

[Tin Soldier]

Great, thanks for the suggestions.  I've already noticed my upper body becoming a little more toned, the arms, not the gut, because of how I get up from a seat.  I don't just lean forward and snap up like I used to.  I have to push myself up part way and then with a little pain lean foward and then stand up. I like the idea of sit-ups and I do have a recliner that I suspect I will get tired of. 

Pool - great idea.  I was going to start getting my cardio in the pool.  I think I kinda burned myself out on the pool from high school swim team so I never really started.  For recovery though, I'll look into hydrotherapy.  I think that would be more motivating for me.   

Thanks again.

[gary2010]

I did static cycling, squats, isometric holds, plank exercises all of which I believe improved recovery time. With hindsight I would focus more on abduction and add lunges as well as this is the slowest movement to return.

[Big Bill]

Big Bill Here...... I did water aerobics(YMCA Class) for more than a year before my resurfacing....when I finally scheduled my surgery date in May '08 for July of '08...I really kicked it into gear with total body deep water aerobics,upper body weight training,while trying to lean up a bit. Water excercises were also very beneficial to me after my procedure. Hope all of my old Hippy friends from the class of '08 are doin' well  8)

C.A.S.H.    8)

[obxpelican]

Bill!!!!

We're still here and doing well, August 08 here!



Chuck

[andybc]

I wish I had done more preop exercise. I'm still pleased with my progress. At about 10 weeks I have no pain in my hip but the soft tissue pain is really quite uncomfortable - especially when I've been sitting for even short perioda ; I then get quite bad pain for about a minute. small price to pay, I know.
Also compounded by the fact that I went back to work at 5 weeks and tend to do 10 hour days and really haven't done any physio or exercise since I went back.
In spite of all that, the whole epsiode has been brilliant and it's fantastic to be able to walk again without pain.
Andy

[AlanN]

I did 4-5 sessions per week of 75-80 minutes static cycling, interval resistance for a 45 minute session, then a 15 minute upper body weights set and the rest of the cycling at a constant resistance.
I carried out this routine for 8 weeks prior to my surgery and my surgeon said that all the muscles affected by the surgery were in excellent condition.

I feel this has really helped my recovery, I'm still only one week out of surgery and just yesterday (almost to the hour of a week from surgery) I quite comfortably walked about a mile on my crutches.

I am also finding the exercises given to me by the hospital physio relatively easy to complete and happilly do extra reps.

I couldn't do anything other than cycling because my hip was so bad but it certainly seems to have stood me in good stead.

Everybody is of course different but I'm a great believer in the fitter you are before surgery the quicker you'll recover!

Good luck with it all!

[lori.36]

I found this:
http://www.hipresurfacingsite.com/Pre-Op/20101022594/Pre-Op/Pre-Op-Excercises-/menu-id-70.html
There are other ones on this website also.  I do this routing often.
I did have a PT look at it with me to go over the particulars.  best of luck with your surgery.

[halfdone]

Great link.  Thanks for posting.  I think a lot of these will be good for post-op rehab (at the appropriate time of course) to break down the tightness and rebuild strength around the hip.  I recognize many from my last time through but I didn't use a roller and that looks like a good addition to a PT program.

[AlanN]

I found this:
http://www.hipresurfacingsite.com/Pre-Op/20101022594/Pre-Op/Pre-Op-Excercises-/menu-id-70.html
There are other ones on this website also.  I do this routing often.
I did have a PT look at it with me to go over the particulars.  best of luck with your surgery.

Blimey!
Sorry but if I'd have been capable of doing one or two of those (never mind all of them) PRE OP I really don't think the operation would have been necessary!

Post op maybe, but does anyone here waiting for their op really think they could perform these on their bad side?

[Lopsided]

I found this:
http://www.hipresurfacingsite.com/Pre-Op/20101022594/Pre-Op/Pre-Op-Excercises-/menu-id-70.html
There are other ones on this website also.  I do this routing often.
I did have a PT look at it with me to go over the particulars.  best of luck with your surgery.

Blimey!
Sorry but if I'd have been capable of doing one or two of those (never mind all of them) PRE OP I really don't think the operation would have been necessary!

Post op maybe, but does anyone here waiting for their op really think they could perform these on their bad side?

I think those are exercises that you should have done about twenty years before your hips went bad.

[Anniee]

I agree!  If I was able to do those, I don't think surgery would be necessary.  I would love to know if anyone has any pre-op exercises that can be performed by someone with much more limited ROM.

[halfdone]

The pool is a great environment pre-op.  Anything like walking against water resistance, cycling with a flotation belt, gentle swimming kicking, abduction, adduction movements etc. can be done without bearing all your body weight - helping mobilise and maximise ROM while (hopefully) minimising hip pain. (Some of this can be done in the hot tub).  I was still able to cycle a little before each of my HRs but I was most comfortable in the pool.

[Tin Soldier]

The pre-op exercises that my surgeon gave me are much less involved, smaller ROM.  I think they were designed for the older person getting a THR.  Clechcing the gluts, raising you leg just a few inches off the floor while on your back, doing some small abductor movements while on your back,... mostly on your back. 

[Anniee]

I still perform mostly my normal gym activities - elliptical, treadmill walking and weights, including lower body stuff but only light weight squats, leg presses, etc.  Maybe I should just continue with those as long as I can rather than look for specific pre-op exercises?  My surgery is not until April 20.  Dr. Gross says I can do anything I want as long as it doesn't cause discomfort.  The problem is just about anything, including sitting and lying down, hurts so I'm not sure what to do.  I don't want to make things worse, but also don't want to sit around for months and be totally out of shape before my surgery!