good morning,
i am almost 4 months into my post op period, I am desperate to gain my fitness level back, anyone with advice please.!😏
having read so many with dislocated hips I am frightened, in case the same happens to me🙇 Maybe it's the grey skies and my stiffness making me feel defeated.
good luck to all out there. X
hi freya,
I can relate to the grey skies - it is also cold outside (I am in Holland) and it has an effect on my hardware in both hips and thighs ... I feel cold, and stiff -
What do you mean by "getting back to fitness ?"
I am many moons post-op from 2 THR surgeries and still have not gotten my energy back --- I tire easily - this has nothing to do with fear of dislocation though ...
A lot of the recovery takes place in the first two months, however complete return to normal takes longer. Bone is growing around the metal parts and keep changing and remodeling for 1 to 2 years after surgery
That is probably why you can feel stiff and achy and are more sensitive when weather changes -
Oh, and don't forget that this journey is a roller coaster ride, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually ...
just accept that you feel this way ... this too shall pass ...
big warm hug
renee
Hi Freya
Yu do not give details of your age and level fitness before, but suffice to say, you are way past the six week danger point and now in the 6months still take it easy section when it comes to dislocation. You would have to go some to dislocate it now IF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR THE HIP. If you have not, then go to Youtube and seek out THR rehab exercises and start with those, usually 10 times each x 3 times, rest in between, the 10 and once completed at least six of them for strengthening, repeat three times a day. That will get you going on the fitness side. However, if you are strong in the hip and did all these exercises, then you can go to a gym and use very very light weights, no more than 1kg to 5kg initially. If it strains or hurts do not do it. you can go on the bike with a raised saddle and treadmill, possibly, at about 3 mph. The real point here is start off small, do as much as you can, but if the pain or strain kicks in then stop! Also do not go mad on your first day, gently try a few things, then go home and see how you feel the next day, if you feel great, then go back and do a bit more and repeat the exercise of going home to ensure the next day you are not rolling around in agony!! Hope this helps. Also if a good gym, speak to the guys/gals in attendance, try to find the oldest one there, but again IF IT HURTS OR STRAINS do not do it. It is your body and slowly slowly is the best. After six months, there are very few restrictions, my physio demonstrated a movement that looked like Ernie and Wise coming in on their programme, hand behind his head and hip twisted outwards to the left, parallel with his hip. She said even with a normal hip this is not a good movement! Some people cross their legs after 12months THR but again be very careful and if it hurts DON'T DO IT.
Regards Dot
Hi I am 56 and was in quite good shape and had both sides replaced 15 months ago and I have had to run in the rain twice now, and after both little trots had to deal with pains in the left side, my once stonger side,
I am still using the odd Tramadol to relieve pain generaly too to avoid a poor gait or poor walking tecnique, yes, it is a problem of the mind to hope to get back what we once had... but you have to face that things will be different now, and pick up the pieces and embrace the changes... and be pleased to have been able to have the surgery, as the alternative is a wheelchair, and a life of aggressive debilitating pain, taking pain killers every few hours round the clock wearing out your kidneys, from the inside out .
I said in my past post it is odd that what put us here in the first place, well those of us that did not have accidents,is what is good for us now, I feel that I was daft as a brush... and wore out my hips with stupid weight training and Karate training, running, stressing my legs... doing the splits, and carrying on as if I was indrustable... and wore both sides out,
But the future is brighter fo all of us here as we will never be an old pavement shuffler in our 60s and 70s but facing replacement then if they wear out, which they possibly will in that short time in our lives, just 15 years the surgeon said,
Dislocation is possible, but rare, but it does, and can happen, so please be careful and I would use a cross trainer for a few hours a week first to see how it goes, but not longer than 30 mins at a time, as your back muscles are also regrowing after a period of inactivity, so be careful and not in too much of a hurry, and slowely accept that you will never be the same person that you once were.
Keep in touch here and I hope my POV helps...Ian.
Hi I have been doing plenty of research for local classes for people with needs.
I have found a physio who does exercise classes at one of the local swimming pools... registered my name with her just have to wait for the list to go down... spoke to her in great length explaining that I need to do something and this seemed the safest method of exercise for me. Hope to join in about 3 weeks time when she will be looking at moving others up a class.
If you search for Physio exercise classes in swimming pools for your area you may find something.
TOday is doing me no good.. cold is attaching or the bits and my knees which are in need of replacing. Just hope our winter does not get too cold...
Good luck and stay positive.
Hi Freya
I so empathise with what you are saying. I am 54 and prior to this year I ran twice a week, gym twice a week, personal trainer once a week and circuit training once a week. I was fit, strong and felt pretty good for my age.
Then the dreaded OA started causing problems (not that I realised it was OA early on) and I went from being fit and strong etc to a shuffling wreck, in constant agony in a pretty short space of time. I had my first THR in June of this year and though the op went well I have had some complications in that I contracted cellulitis which I have only just managed to get rid of.
I am only now at nearly 6 months po, just beginning to feel like exercising in earnest but I find that my hip doesn't like (and in no particular order) wet weather, cold weather, damp weather - pretty much any weather than warm in fact. Even when we have warm days, my hip still finds waking up at the same time that I do a bit of a trial (no rushing around for me first thing in the morning).
I also have found it frustrating in that there doesn't seem to be any fitness advise on the internet (Youtube you've let me down) that is suitable for a gym user. The only exercises that I have found are so gentle as to not be worth doing (for me that is).
I also have the added frustration as my surgeon has asked me not to run anymore, in an effort to try to preserve my new hip for as long as possible. So, I have got to find other ways of keeping fit.
Lots of people have suggested cycling - unfortunately I live in a hilly part of the country - so that's not really feasible, though I suppose I could cycle in the gym. The other suggestion being swimming - well I don't like swimming (I never have). I like to try to mix and match my exercises so that I don't get bored with doing just the one thing.
So, if you'll excuse the somewhat long winded response, I understand where you're coming from.
There is some pretty good advise on this forum and to sum it up - patience, go slowly, listen to your body and a bit more patience.
(I just hope that I will pay attention......)