Exercises to Improve Your Recovery After Surgery (Phase 2)

Exercises to Improve Your Recovery After Surgery (Phase 2)
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Exercise #1 Lie on your side with hips and knees bent and a pillow between your knees. Keep your feet together. Remember not to twist or use your back muscles. Lift the top knee off the pillow like a clam shell opening. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and slowly lower the knee to the pillow. Repeat. Exercise #2 Tighten your stomach muscles and lift your bent leg, being careful not to bend it more than 90°. Keeping your stomach muscles tig​ht, slowly lower the leg back to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #3 Lie on your stomach. Put a small flat pillow under your stomach. Tighten your buttocks and lift one leg. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and slowly lower your leg. Repeat. Exercise #4 Bend one leg, lifting the heel toward your buttocks. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #5 Lifting your foot, straighten your leg while keeping the other foot on the floor as you stretch the elastic loop. Slowly lower your foot back to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #6 Put one foot on a stool and pull the opposite foot back under the chair, stretching the elastic. Keep the other foot steady as you stretch the elastic. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #7 Pull your legs apart, sliding your feet along the floor to stretch the elastic loop. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and slowly move your legs together to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #8 Hold onto the table for balance and stand straight. Keep your leg straight. Squeeze your bum muscles as you pull your ankle sideways away from the table to stretch the elastic loop. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #9 Hold onto the table for balance and stand straight, facing the table. Keeping your leg straight, pull your ankle back and away from the table to stretch the elastic loop. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and go back to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #10 Put one end of the elastic loop around a table leg and the other end around your ankle. Hold onto the table for balance and stand straight, with your back to the table. Keeping your leg straight, push your ankle forward, away from the table to stretch the elastic loop. Hold for a count of 3 to 5 and slowly go back to the starting position. Repeat. Exercise #11 Place a solid object 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) thick on the floor to use as a step. Hold onto a table or counter for balance, and step forward and up onto the object. Slowly step back down. Repeat. Exercise #12 Place a solid object 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) thick on the floor to use as a step. Holding onto a table or counter for balance, step sideways, and up onto the object. Slowly step back down. Repeat. Exercise #13 Holding onto a table or counter for balance, shift your weight onto your operated leg as you lift the other foot off the floor. Stay level—try to keep your knees apart. Don’t lean or tip to one side as you move. Try to balance on your leg for 30 seconds. Lower your foot to the floor. Repeat 5 times. Exercise #14 Keeping the top leg straight, lift it toward the ceiling making sure not to roll forward or backward. Keep your knee facing forward. Slowly lower the leg. Repeat ​ ​ Original article and pictures take https://myhealth.alberta.ca/alberta/Pages/exercises-after-hip-replacement-surgery.aspx site