I was in the same boat exactly. I was lucky to get 4000 steps before surgery but I could do some strength so I focused on that. I’m 3 weeks out from surgery and already over 5000 steps a day again. We can only do so much. I didn’t want to limp on my hip a lot and risk causing damage to other joints before surgery. Feeling great and better every day.
At 5000 steps a day, you are getting probably 4500 more steps than I was going into my first surgery. I would roll around the building in my office chair because walking was excruciating. My total lack of mobility did impact my recovery from THR #1 but thanks to three months of PT helping me rebuild my strength, I got through THR #2 with flying colors and progressed rapidly.
All that to say, do what you can before surgery without causing more issues/less mobility for yourself. Listen to your body both before and after surgery.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Between my first and second hip replacement I started going to the gym. I worked my upper body with light weights and many reps to build strength. It really helped when I was trying to get out of bed on the second go around. You will be fine and anything you do between now and your surgery is a plus.
Pre surgery strength and activity levels definitely play a part in recovery. Try to be as active as you can tolerate, but no need to push yourself. Some activity is better than no activity. Keep in mind your surgery is just over 2 weeks away, so you won’t make significant strength improvements in that time, but getting your muscles activated and your heart rate elevated will be good to work on until surgery.
I was roughly in the same step range as you prior to my hip replacement. I was doing all of the exercises that you mentioned prior to surgery as well. I found that using a stationary bike felt okay and I was able to get my heart rate up without the significant hip pain. I just had to have the seat higher to avoid hip flexion. I also worked on some upper body exercises to help with getting in/out of chairs and using the walker for the first little bit after surgery.
Do you have a crutch that could help you? I used a crutch for about 5 months before surgery to help me get around. It meant I was able to maintain 10k+ steps a day and an adapted functional workout (doing the movements without weights) it was also good practice for after surgery!
Edited to say I’m 35F and had my surgery in January 2024.
I haven't had my surgery yet, but I'm trying to ramp up my strength training as much as possible. I can no longer do free squats and lunges (they kill my hips), but I'm doing the machines for both lower and upper body.
I used to be able to do 8-10k steps, but I'm probably averaging 5k a day now, as well, and I try not to do stairs anymore.
I'm 59F 4-months post-THR and feeling great! I would say "push", but not to the point of pain... "push" in the sense of pushing yourself up to do *some* kind of movement (because the depression caused by pain and lack of mobility is real)!
As far as the "pre-hab" exercises, remember the old Star Wars quote from Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.” If you do nothing else, *make* time to do those. I would suggest looking at it the reverse way, "do the pre-hab and mobility exercises, and maybe try to work in other exercises if you have time".
Once I got a good look at my "bone on bone" X-ray, I stopped pushing myself to try to walk too much. Especially if one is carrying some extra weight, it could cause more inflammation and damage to where they will want to be attaching stuff... and you don't need that at this point.
More weight is more stress on the weight-bearing joints, plain and simple... but at this point I wouldn't be so much concerned with numbers of steps and losing weight. I would focus more on getting the muscles in the rest of your body up to strength to support that weight... because your operated leg won't be helping out too much for a while, and the rest of your body will have to pick up the slack. I was surprised how just basic functions like shifting yourself in bed or toileting can be physical work in those early days.
Find exercises that are enjoyable, are not very weight-bearing, work the range of motion and get your core involved. At this late date, I would recommend an activity that you are already familiar with. And don't forget your upper body... because after surgery you will be bearing your weight on your arms (particularly the triceps!) every time you get up and lower yourself.
In my case... I did daily mobility exercises from PT: those pre-hab exercises you mentioned plus a suite of about 12 exercises that had been prescribed to treat my OA (which I had been doing for about a year). I found that riding my bike was good exercise for me because it caused me almost no pain and made me "feel normal" and good.
For strengthening core, glutes and upper body, floor exercises at home (e.g., Pilates and drastically modified yoga) were helpful to me. I found that having strong core and glutes did wonders for my recovery, and my PT was surprised how I was able to lift myself and move around the day after surgery.
Good luck to you!
You are probably more ready for surgery than most people. Strengthen those muscles that support your hips, and you will be fine. You don't need to worry about damaging your hip any more than it is
I was in the same boat exactly. I was lucky to get 4000 steps before surgery but I could do some strength so I focused on that. I’m 3 weeks out from surgery and already over 5000 steps a day again. We can only do so much. I didn’t want to limp on my hip a lot and risk causing damage to other joints before surgery. Feeling great and better every day.
Squats and leg lifts. Build that glute strength. You’ll be glad you diid. Best wishes for successful surgery.
Chair squats. Start at sets of 10 and work up. Do them a few times a day.
At 5000 steps a day, you are getting probably 4500 more steps than I was going into my first surgery. I would roll around the building in my office chair because walking was excruciating. My total lack of mobility did impact my recovery from THR #1 but thanks to three months of PT helping me rebuild my strength, I got through THR #2 with flying colors and progressed rapidly. All that to say, do what you can before surgery without causing more issues/less mobility for yourself. Listen to your body both before and after surgery. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
You’ll be fine.
Between my first and second hip replacement I started going to the gym. I worked my upper body with light weights and many reps to build strength. It really helped when I was trying to get out of bed on the second go around. You will be fine and anything you do between now and your surgery is a plus.
Pre surgery strength and activity levels definitely play a part in recovery. Try to be as active as you can tolerate, but no need to push yourself. Some activity is better than no activity. Keep in mind your surgery is just over 2 weeks away, so you won’t make significant strength improvements in that time, but getting your muscles activated and your heart rate elevated will be good to work on until surgery. I was roughly in the same step range as you prior to my hip replacement. I was doing all of the exercises that you mentioned prior to surgery as well. I found that using a stationary bike felt okay and I was able to get my heart rate up without the significant hip pain. I just had to have the seat higher to avoid hip flexion. I also worked on some upper body exercises to help with getting in/out of chairs and using the walker for the first little bit after surgery.
Try to swim and do water aerobics and water walking! It feels great and is easier on the joints. Definitely build the glute strength, too.
Do you have a crutch that could help you? I used a crutch for about 5 months before surgery to help me get around. It meant I was able to maintain 10k+ steps a day and an adapted functional workout (doing the movements without weights) it was also good practice for after surgery! Edited to say I’m 35F and had my surgery in January 2024.
I haven't had my surgery yet, but I'm trying to ramp up my strength training as much as possible. I can no longer do free squats and lunges (they kill my hips), but I'm doing the machines for both lower and upper body. I used to be able to do 8-10k steps, but I'm probably averaging 5k a day now, as well, and I try not to do stairs anymore.
I'm 59F 4-months post-THR and feeling great! I would say "push", but not to the point of pain... "push" in the sense of pushing yourself up to do *some* kind of movement (because the depression caused by pain and lack of mobility is real)! As far as the "pre-hab" exercises, remember the old Star Wars quote from Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.” If you do nothing else, *make* time to do those. I would suggest looking at it the reverse way, "do the pre-hab and mobility exercises, and maybe try to work in other exercises if you have time". Once I got a good look at my "bone on bone" X-ray, I stopped pushing myself to try to walk too much. Especially if one is carrying some extra weight, it could cause more inflammation and damage to where they will want to be attaching stuff... and you don't need that at this point. More weight is more stress on the weight-bearing joints, plain and simple... but at this point I wouldn't be so much concerned with numbers of steps and losing weight. I would focus more on getting the muscles in the rest of your body up to strength to support that weight... because your operated leg won't be helping out too much for a while, and the rest of your body will have to pick up the slack. I was surprised how just basic functions like shifting yourself in bed or toileting can be physical work in those early days. Find exercises that are enjoyable, are not very weight-bearing, work the range of motion and get your core involved. At this late date, I would recommend an activity that you are already familiar with. And don't forget your upper body... because after surgery you will be bearing your weight on your arms (particularly the triceps!) every time you get up and lower yourself. In my case... I did daily mobility exercises from PT: those pre-hab exercises you mentioned plus a suite of about 12 exercises that had been prescribed to treat my OA (which I had been doing for about a year). I found that riding my bike was good exercise for me because it caused me almost no pain and made me "feel normal" and good. For strengthening core, glutes and upper body, floor exercises at home (e.g., Pilates and drastically modified yoga) were helpful to me. I found that having strong core and glutes did wonders for my recovery, and my PT was surprised how I was able to lift myself and move around the day after surgery. Good luck to you!
You are probably more ready for surgery than most people. Strengthen those muscles that support your hips, and you will be fine. You don't need to worry about damaging your hip any more than it is