How soon back to gym upper body or exercise bike?

[Ernie]

At age 53 I've been running and lifting weights regularly since I was 15.  For decades I used free weights, but about eight years ago I shifted to using Cybex and Nautilus machines mostly.  It just felt better on all my joints and back.

Last week, on day 25 after having my right hip resurfaced, I felt ready to go back to the gym (LA Fitness), and it did not seem risky to me, or that I was pushing things.  My belief is that if I'm careful to use weight machines where my body weight is fully supported by the chair (most of the Cybex and Nautilus machines are designed this way), and if I keep good form, there should be no problem lifting with the upper body.  I did start out by reducing the amount I was lifting on each machine to 2/3 of what I was doing before surgery, but this was to avoid getting myself super sore after not lifting for a month, and I found I was able to increase the amount incrementally with each workout. 

Last week I did my usual routine of lifting at the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, preceded by warm up on the elliptical machine (Monday, 12 minutes, Wednesday, 24 minutes, Friday, 30 minutes).  Again, to be clear, I'm not doing any free weights at this point, nor am I lifting with my lower body, not wanting to stress the hip neck until it is fully healed at six months.  But it does feel very good to be working out again.

I'm just sharing my reasoning and experience, but I'm not a doctor.  And though I've got years of experience with keeping muscles strong, my track record with bones is not nearly as good ;)

[katekosar]

I have always been hard-headed and pushed things way beyond my limitations, even though they "seemed okay" at the time.

I ended up killing my hip.

Now I am doing EXACTLY what the doc says.  What I think, say or do is of no import.  My doc is my workout god.  He giveth, and he taketh away.

Hopefully, in a year, I'll be able to begin to train again for Ironman.  Till then, I am but a humble servant of the Word of the Doc.

kate

[halfdone]

 ;D ;D

Well said O wise sage of the hip.  But beware of the little "I can push this just a little bit harder" whisper of the workout devil.

[phillwad]

My wife (my driver) and I were out on Thursday doing some shopping for her and I spied a "Play it Again" store so I managed to have her stop and I  picked up some free weights, just a couple of 20lb weights that will allow a bunch of different exercises for my upper body over the next few weeks without having to get to the gym.

Feeling much better  ;D

Phill