At least three of my current clients have hip replacements of one or both hips. For those who have hip or knee replacements, it is very important to stay active, maintain flexibility, and continue to stimulate blood circulation in the hip after surgery. Today, more and more people are living longer and more have had a hip replacement. Hip replacement isn’t just for the elderly; but people in their forties and fifties are getting hip replacements. Some of my clients who have survived horrific car accidents have been advised to have a hip replacement.
Modified yoga consists of lunges and gentle poses that help stretch the hip joint and keep the ligaments and cartilage flexible. This is one of the most important elements for the postoperative period of hip surgery; blood flow and stretches that continue to help flexibility. When the hip becomes tense; The hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and back can become very tight.
Poses like downward-facing dog, also called an inverted “V,” stretch the hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. Standing lunges help the hip ligaments, and the warrior is another pose that lengthens and stretches the hamstring all the way to the hip. Another great stretch for the hips is to open your legs into a super wide stance and lower your hands, between your legs, to a center point on the floor. Move slowly from side to side, toward each foot. This makes it easier to open the hips. If you can, you can go a little further in the stretch, but only if you can do it without pain. Place our hands down in the center, and place one elbow down, and slowly move to one side for about ten seconds, and then to the other side. To do this, if you lower your left elbow, you will move to the right for ten seconds or more, and if you lower your right elbow, you will move to the left for the same amount of time.
You can also stretch in a modified CHAIR yoga class. It doesn’t have to be a mat class if you can’t get on and off. A great chair stretch is to rotate your hips along with your legs to the left while sitting and then stretch your right leg to the right, as if you’re lunging to the left. Bring your right palm to your right heel, and then bring your right arm under your chin, past your body, to the left side of the chair arm. Stretch your arm out to the left, and then turn it toward your right heel once more. After a break, in the same position, you can have both hands on the left arm of the chair and stretch your right arm towards the ceiling.
If you can stand with your back to the wall, bend one knee and draw it in toward your chest. This stretches the hip in a gentle and effective way. Lower the chin to the knee. Release and return your foot to the ground safely. Do the other side. If you are sitting, you can put one foot up on the chair, knee up in front of your chest, and lower your head so that it meets your knee. Release and switch sides. Put your other foot on the chair and lift your knee up, bringing your chin down so it meets your knee.
The best thing about modified yoga classes is that you will find many gentle stretches that you can do to stretch your hips and legs. The modified poses mean you can use a strap when you’re less flexible, and when you’re recovering from a hip replacement, at some point you can’t do much, so a strap is helpful to prevent strain. You don’t have to do all the exercises and poses. You can do whatever feels best for your body. It’s okay to rest while you recover.
Many clients with hip replacements do not have the same resistance. At first, whatever you do will feel like an effort. You have to be patient with yourself. Do not rush, your recovery. Do what you can, stretch in a modified yoga class, and little by little your body will recover after surgery, feeling stronger and more agile than before your hip replacement. That’s right, many people are afraid of having a hip replacement and it takes a couple of months to fully recover, but after doing it, many people say they are pain free and can move better than ever.