Hip Replacement Recovery

The leg abduction exercises are some of the first exercises a patient should perform and are able to do while going through the hip replacement surgery recovery. Really, don’t you think it is vital to focus some attention on the muscles around the hip because these body tissues were the most damaged after the surgery and need major concern in the healing process? You can do leg abduction exercises while lying in bed, and can coordinate these exercises with your breathing exercises.

It is recommended that you lie flat on your back and clear your mind. It might help if you focus on breathing and taking in deep breaths while counting down from an unusual number, like fourteen and one-half. That may seem really strange to you but the concentration on the air coming in and the weird number diverts your mind from the sensation of pain pulsing through your body.

Before you do any exercise, especially strenuous exercise, it is always best to think back and try to remember what your doctor or your physical therapist told you regarding your hip replacement recovery exercises. In addition, you might think that it will help you the fastest if you push yourself through excruciating pain, following the advice of “No pain. No gain.” Please consider an alternative concept toward an exercise workout with this quote of “Let your body let you know, how far you can go.” If there’s too much pain, it might be advisable to stop.

Okay, with your legs straight, drawn together and flat on the bed, you slide one of the out to the side without lifting it up, as far as you are able. Breathe in while sliding it out, counting down from the unusual number. When you stop, hold your breath for a few short counts (again counting downward from a strange number) and then slide your leg back in while exhaling through your mouth (forming an “o” peanut size shape) and counting down. When your ankles touch together, stop and rest for a split second before you continue on with the next repetition.

Try to do at least nine more repetitions after completing the first rep. Breathing and counting down with each one. Focus on achieving the goals of breathing, counting and finishing each repetition with a sense of accomplishment that you are one more “step” movement toward living a quality life without hip pains.

In order to maintain a balance between the strength of both legs, do the same amount of repetitions by using the other leg. These leg abduction exercises if performed regularly and along with the other sets of exercises will greatly aid you in your quest for a smooth and rapid hip replacement recovery.

After a total hip replacement surgery, if you are like most people, a walking exercise for a smooth hip replacement recovery is one important part of the primary goal in your recovery and rehabilitation process. That objective is to get strong enough fast so you can get around on your own. It was at the top of my list, and if you’re on the same level as most eager individuals wanting a smooth and somewhat painless recovery, being able to sustain your independence is extremely important. Being dependent on someone else is almost as bad as reverting to early childhood days. So this walking exercise for a smooth hip replacement recovery has a direct correlation to a happy rehabilitation.

Is the walking exercise just so simple as you might think as going out for a walk? Well, not really, it is not. It is smart to even get prepared with the right shoes and socks, even to the point of putting on the proper clothing. In another post, we discussed “How to Dress for Success for a Smooth and Rapid Hip Replacement Recovery” so you might want to make a quick reference read of that information <<< (link to the post provided).

Often, after first arriving at home from the hospital, you might find like a lot of other patients that you may have trouble putting on socks and shoes. The reach all the way down there may be painfully long. That’s why having someone around to help you at crucial times is essential to your rapid and less painful rehabilitation.

Walking Exercise with Walker

Off to a walk you go. It might be best at first to simply do your walking exercise around your house or in the immediate neighborhood. Check to make sure that there are no objects which could result in an accident. One of the worst things that might occur is for you to fall. Prior precautions will greatly assist in a smooth recovery.

If you use a walker, check first that it is snapped to an open “locked” position. Most walkers fold up so verify to see if it’s completely open and safe for you to use. Next, confirm that the walker is at the correct comfortable height for you. There are adjustments on each leg and set them so you can walk without slouching over or having it set too high.

Begin your walking exercise. Push yourself somewhat, but remember the recommendation often given that you should listen to what your body tells you. Pain is not always a bad thing. Some pain that is. My favorite line is, “Let your body let you know, how far you can go.”

Of course if you have a particular physical concern about your walking exercise, talk to your physician about it.

Basically, start out at a reasonably short distance. Then, add to it every day until you feel the distance is right. Possibly even consider doing your walking exercises twice a day. Anyway, breathe deep and enjoy your walking exercise for a smooth hip replacement recovery.

When you are full of pain after your hip replacement surgery and you are collapsed in bed, what do you think about? You might dwell totally on the pain, of course. You might ask the question of what other choice is there? If it’s the pain that dominates your entire world and universe, it does not have to be that way. Let’s focus on breathing and counting down while doing ankle lift & swirl hip strengthening exercises as the 2nd exercise in the series of ten of hip replacement surgery recovery and rehabilitation. Utilizing this ankle swirl exercises, it is completely under your control to feel “joy” if you want.

How is that possible? Joy, you ask? There is no guarantee that you will experience absolute rapture, but an escape from the depths of anguish and pain can be yours, and even ascending to a contented joy is quite within your reach while doing this exercise. Let’s begin and escape from the ever present throb of pain coming from your hip area.

In case you are not already flat on your back, lie down. Lift one of your legs, if you can, just a little off the surface of the bed and take a deep breath while counting down from six and one-eighth (beginning with a weird number forces the mind to fully concentrate on doing that task).

Swing your leg out as far as you can reasonably tolerate the pain. Don’t believe in the saying of “No pain, no gain.”  Allow your body to tell you how far you can go. Do the leg-ankle-swirl about while holding your breath for another countdown (try starting from seven and one-fifth) for as long as you can, and letting your eyelids become so heavy until they fall shut from the weight. Bring in all the pain that you feel you can muster together and throw it into the path of the air going out as you… swirl your ankle in and about,  and relax it on the bed while exhaling slowly. Make sure you do another countdown and imagine all the pain that you had gathered together… as leaving your body. Replace pain with joy.

Leg Abduction Exercise

Go on and do the second repetition. Lift your leg and swirl ankle about and trying to release the ankle pain while taking another deep breath, and go through the entire rep of this ankle swirl exercise completing all three countdowns. Return to the rest position after finishing repetition number two – lift – swirl – breathe and countdown – return swirl – rest and feel joy.

Proceed to repetitions three through ten of the one leg. Focus on breathing out the pain until you reach the plateau of a feeling good. Be grateful that you were able to make it to that height.

Go on to the next leg. Go through the same stages of leg lift, ankle swirl, breathe in, countdown, hold breath, swirl about, countdown, relax leg and let pain pass out of your body while you exhale. Last, feel joy. Go through all ten repetitions of this ankle lift and swirl exercise in this focused manner. Let pain go and allow joy to grow as part of your hip strengthening exercises in your hip replacement surgery recovery and rehab program.

Click here  >>>To join our Smooth Hip Replacement Recovery Club on Facebook<<<

Are you just doing some advance preparation of breathing exercise for your hip replacement surgery recovery or are you lying in bed after getting home from the hospital? Are you in pain with every step and looking forward to your surgery (even though you know that the surgery itself will also be painful)? Or are you looking forward to the great days ahead after you’ve gone through the hip replacement recovery time period and have diligently performed all the breathing and rehab exercises?

Whatever be your situation, we have compiled for you a series of our favorite ten exercises to help you with a smooth and rapid hip replacement surgery recovery. There are many more than just ten hip exercises for strengthening around the joint, but for you to have less complications, we thought we would limit our program to a chosen ten most people have preferred using.

The first exercise, and most important exercise which is the opinion of many who have gone through this rehab process, is the mental and spiritual preparation of deep breathing to get the body ready to do the calm and thorough healing course.

Wouldn’t you agree if you get the mind and spirit in the right ultimate state that healing would occur the smoothest and fastest? That is what you should do right from the start. You should prepare the mind and spirit and body to work in maximum significant unison. Yes, they are all one, but not always do they perform in total harmony. You know what I am talking about.

Breathing Exercise#1 Hip Replacement Recovery

So if you’re not lying down in bed, get into that supine position with the head unsupported (no pillow). To calm your mind, slowly close your eyes and while counting backwards from eight and one-half (strange numbers and counting backwards force the mind to concentrate on doing the task and NOT on the pain you are feeling) inhale a long deep breath. Form the words, but do not speak them…eight…seven…six….

At zero, hold your breath as you again count down from seventeen and one-third (think about the numbers so you forget feeling pain). Focus on each number and feel the air stimulate your lungs. Rejoice in being alive and whisper a silent statement of gratitude for a successful hip replacement surgery.

When you reach the hold-breath zero, instantly gather all the pain sensations coming from the surgery area. Form an oval shape with your lips and begin letting the air out slowly (again count down from sixteen and two-thirds) and feed ALL that pain you gathered up into the stream of breath air flowing forth from your lips. If you hear a barely audible s-s-s-s-s-s mixed in with the words sixteen…fifteen…fourteen…as you count down, give a sincere thanks that you are hearing your own breath of life.

Repeat this breathing procedure at least nine more times. If you are able to do a few more without losing your mental focus, then do so. Upon completion of this first exercise of ten exercises, you should realize that you had forgotten your pain for a while and you are prepared to do the other nine exercises. This initial step should get you going very well on a smooth hip replacement recovery and rehab.