| When doing post-surgery hip replacement exercises, | | | | one step at a time. You should always lead up the |
| patients typically progress pretty quickly from lying | | | | stairs with the good leg and down the stairs with the |
| down to sitting to standing to walking. For walking, | | | | “bad” (or thinking cup-half-full, improving) leg. |
| some will require a walker or crutches initially to help | | | | It might be a good idea to have someone to assist |
| with balance. | | | | you with stair-climbing until your strength and mobility |
| When using a walker or crutches, you should stand | | | | have returned, but don’t let that stipulation deter |
| up straight and as comfortably as possible with your | | | | you from stair-climbing, because it’s a great |
| weight balanced evenly on the device. Move the | | | | exercise for strength and endurance. However, |
| walker or crutches forward a short distance, then | | | | avoid steps that are higher than the standard seven |
| move yourself forward by lifting your operated leg in | | | | inches, and always use the handrail! |
| such a way that your heel will end up touching the | | | | A full recovery from hip replacement surgery will |
| floor first. As the step progresses, your knee and | | | | take many months. Your hip muscles were |
| ankle will bend until your whole foot is resting evenly | | | | weakened first by pain of a deteriorated joint and |
| on the ground. | | | | then by pain (but a healing pain, hopefully) and |
| Let your toe lift off of the floor as you complete the | | | | swelling caused by the body’s natural defensive |
| step. Move the walker or crutches again, and your | | | | reaction to surgery. |
| knee and hip will move automatically into the next | | | | You may have noticed that strength is a common |
| step. The more you practice walking and the more | | | | theme when talking about hip replacement |
| you’re able to walk, the more weight you’ll | | | | recovery: less strength, more strength, regaining |
| be able to put on your operated leg. | | | | strength, returning strength, building strength. How |
| If you start off using a walker or crutches, you’ll | | | | do you strengthen your muscles? By exercise – |
| eventually graduate to one crutch or a cane. | | | | it’s the only true way. |
| You’re ready to be promoted when you’re | | | | Your doctor will give you continuing strengthening |
| able to stand without support, with your weight | | | | exercises to do once you’ve progressed through |
| placed completely on both of your feet, without | | | | the official physical therapy exercises. These might |
| having to lean on your hands on the walker or | | | | include working with elastic tubes, exercycling, and, of |
| crutches at all. The single crutch or cane should be | | | | course, walking. There are other strengthening and |
| held in the hand opposite of the operated hip. | | | | endurance exercise routines available to you as well. |
| Stair-climbing is another milestone in hip replacement | | | | Just stick with it, and remember: there is a pot of |
| physical therapy. This is an activity that demands | | | | gold at the end of this rainbow—a fully functioning |
| strength and flexibility. To begin with, you’ll | | | | and pain-free hip. |
| require a handrail, and you’ll only be able to go | | | | |