I have had no instructions given by anyone regarding walking for miles every day. It surprises me to read it has been treated as essential by some people in the discussion group.
I have had a lot of physiotherapy and posture, strengthening of the various muscle groups, balance, relaxation and return to a full normal life have been the main emphasis.
I am 8 weeks post op and am walking without sticks and coping with normal living,
Am I missing something here?.
Am bit worried reading bout ppl walking miles, am 4wks post op and still using one crutch outside, cant walk very far unaided. My physio told me to slowly build up walking, do my exercises n also to rest.
Olive
I really find myself relating to this. Thank you for raising the issue.
I was given only 'bed exercises' on leaving hospital.
This having been my 4th THR, I've learned/decided to go with the flow. I refuse to torture my body just to prove some, nebulous, point to myself and/or others.
I'm totally relaxed and comfortable with moving the parameters of my recovery gradually over a sensible time frame.
Maybe age has something to do with it. I find myself v concerned, however, about those who cannot match the supposed extraordinary progress that a minority seem to manage.
Let's hope that the majority on here realise that they're not required to try to match them.
Elaine
dear olive ... i am not sure what you mean ... do you mind to explain it to me a little more? walking is very important if not essential, however not miles every day right away - every one is different and set their own goals - for me it might be 500 meters, increasing with 100 meters -
It seems that you are doing very well - What do you consider a lot of physiotherapy and what exercises were you doing - I am asking this because Physical Therapy has made me go worse - i am 12 weeks post-op and back to the walker now ... back feels locked and I can barely do stretches which came to me easy before - thig muscles feel shortened and so tight that it hurst - i am considering stopping with PT and go for walks -- I am really interested in your experience - maybe I am doing it all wrong .... thanks - warm hug
Renee
I'd advise having a really good, honest talk with your Ohio and being v assertive.
No way should these practices be making you feel worse.
Elaine
Dear Olive and Elaine
Good point.
I don't think there is any competing .....Some folk can walk miles and/or are encouraged to walk miles....others will focus on other areas of recovery. Yes age and pre op fitness play a big part too.
Forgive those of us who proclaim success in just once a week or so hitting the nhs/government's advise of taking 10,000 steps in day. It says to me at nearly 4 months I'm healing well and strengtheng well.
All at their own pace...but as long as the graph is onwards and upwards be happy!
Mic
X
Oh boy, minority reporting in...
As I stated in my milestone post, I do not wish to make anyone think they are doing badly. Each and everyone of us has their own pace of recovery and the difference in age plays a part as well.
Add to that all the various excercises people are given and it's a nice bug mix of things that might become confusing.
As for the walking in my case, before my hips started to die on me due to AVN, I was walking a LOT with the dog. Once the decay set in, that died down to maybe taking her on two short 10 minute walks to tie her over until my wife could do a longer walk.
And I resented myself for that. So now, being able to walk more than I could before, I take advantage of it. And see how well I can do. But that is by no means a norm. Cycling I still don't do. I will once I've had my checkup in two weeks, but for now, I walk.
we all need to do what feels right, what we need.
Yes, I hear that, Mic. However, in some of these 'high achievement 'posts, there seems to be v little acknowledgement of those in situations who can't begin to match these achievements.
As much as I admire this site, I won't apologise for thinking that, at best, this sort of thing smacks of a lack of insight and sensitivity: at worst, a smug sense of superiority.
Well aware that I'm probably going to be making myself a target, but damned if I won't try to include those who struggle more than others in crucial situations.
Physio, sorry.
My point actually is, are we supposed to be walking miles every day, so soon after surgery and if so, why have none of the professionals told me this?.
As fas as government guidelines is concerned, the "government" is someone behind a desk, making another sweeping statement, telling us all the latest thinking on a subject. One day, we are told not to eat more than 2 eggs a week, then we are told to eat as many as we want. Another case is eating factory made muck to put on your bread instead of butter, changed eventually to be told we are better off eating butter, because it has fewer chemicals, the list goes on.... The guy who was telling everyone how great jogging was, drops dead in .Central Park, yes, jogging.....
i am simply asking, who said , if anyone, that we should be walking for miles on hard surfaced roads, regardless of whether we want to or not.
Well said, Olive.
All the more reason to going with our own instincts.
E
Like I said my physio told me to slowly built up walking, you have to strengthen muscle, bone etc. Remember ur new hip is a foreign body n needs time to settle
Sounds v sensible to me and so my approach to it.
Gently, gently…
Elaine
God morning Olive --- it is confusing, isn't it? I am still flopping around at 12 weeks post op ... did the walking at some point (40 minutes) with great pleasure and hardly any pain - but ... apparently I overdid it and was told to just walk up and down the drive way and do more exercises - which I did ... now i can barely walk as the exercises ( with weigts) probably were too streneous - grrrr .... starting all over ... well, not helpfull that other hip needs surgery (didn;t see that one coming) and hindering my progress - anyway, I will listen more to my body and start increasing my walking, as it just felt good - will lay off the weight training - Just follow what feels best to you at that moment ... we all share our stories here and no one is out to make feel anybody bad - no smugness either - just little victories that noone else can understand when not in the same position - who really cares that you made the toilet in time or did a little walk without a stick .. goes for all the down moments too ...
be kind to your self - it is alright .... warm hug
of course it is : Good Morning ...
Good morning Olive,
my OS and the PT in the hospiital have both told me that low impact excercises are good. Walking, swimming, cycling. In another thread I've already said that cycling I still need to do, but am waiting with that one until 6 week checkup, swimming I need to find a pool with reasonable hours. So I walk at the moment.
As it was explained to me, walking has a low impact. Running has a higher impact because you 'thump' your weight on your hip, whereas walking is gradual weight placement.
I've come to realize hough that the camps are quite divided as to the advices given.
so are we supposed to walk? According to my OS and PT, yes. The distance thoguh, is up to anyone's discretion and like Elaine said, gently gently. Listen to your body and domwhat you can, not what you feel you must or should.
The physio and to do sheet that I was given on leaving hospital, suggested walking as a major exercise towards recovery. It suggested starting off with 2 five minute walks a day, using whatever aids necessary and building up to around 30 minutes over time. I interpreted this rightly or wrongly as a goal to achieve before my post op check at 6 weeks. Obviously when I went to one crutch, then stick, then nothing I sort of started again. When I can walk to church, 20 mins uphill, and back unaided and without limping I will feel fully recovered. Everyone,s advice is different, different surgeons etc, but it seems to be that besides the exercises a certain amount of walking is required if at all possible. Obviously age, fitness, lifestyle and the presence or absence of other conditions will affect this. Yes some can walk a long way quite quickly, others cannot and one of the resounding messages on this forum is to listen to your body, it will recover at its own rate. I do not call that a competitive stance.
Hey Olive,
i'm a health worker, and sensible advice on eating, drinking and somking truly isn't just by a pen pusher, but well researched advice. Were folk to follow it more, we'd get far fewer A and E admissions on a Friday night. as it is, smoking practice changes make for happy smoke free pubs, restaurants and trains!
where I agree with you is the total lack of consensus in advice given by individual physios and surgeons to us hippies! I was told to walk, do any swim stroke, and TED elastic stocking were silly but to take 2 junior asprin a day, a nicer option which I took! I again was told bath at 6 weeks was fine; someone else said 3 months!
so, good luck in the quagmire! and follow your instincts for your individual body -and have a lovely day!
Mic
x
Here Here, Elaine. I flatly refused to torture myself with something the Physiotherapist wanted me to do, and went along at my own pace. Result was consultant very pleased with progress and discharged back to my own Doctors care. Now I am 77 so maybe age does have something to do with it........grumpy old woman?.......but I have no intention of trying to keep up with someone forty years younger than I am. It isn't a competition, we are all different, have different pain thresholds and healing rates. One size does not fit all. When I first read the posts about people walking miles I did worry for roughly two minutes, then thought don't be so daft woman! I hope others are able to see it in the same light.
You, Olive, are a woman after my own heart.
Margaret