VI
1. General Guidelines
1.1 Regular exercise before surgery:
– Can help your recovery. Keep the movement in your hip. Make your muscles strong
– Control your pain. Reduce your body weight. Improve your sleep
– Build your knowledge of how to exercise after surgery
1.2 Do activities that put less stress on your hip:
– Swimming, water walking, water aerobics.Upright stationary cycling
– Walking with or without poles. Strengthening or stretching exercises.
1.3 Warm up before doing strengthening or stretching exercises:
– Walk for 5 – 10 minutes
– Use an upright stationary bike for 5 – 10 minutes
– Apply moist heat to tight or stiff muscles for 5 – 10 minutes
1.4 To keep pain under control:
– Rest your joint for short, frequent times in the day
– Pace yourself. Use a walking aid such as a cane, walking poles or walker
– Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about pain medicine
1.5 Learn to Turn On Your Core Muscles:
Core muscles are deep muscles that support your spine and pelvis. They provide stability, control and good posture when you move. When your hip hurts too much to stand or walk, these muscles become weak and don’t work well. This can lead to back pain, stiff back, stiff hips, and poor balance. With practice, they will turn on without you thinking about it.
2. Exercise Before Surgery:
2.4 Do the following exercises from this guide:
– Turn on core muscles
– Range of motion exercises: Leg slide out; Hip stretches
– Strengthening exercises: Knee straightening; Hip lift (bridge) -Stretching exercises: Hamstring stretch; Calf stretch; Thigh stretch on belly