Rehab Walking Tips

Stick Close To Home – When you begin your post hip replacement surgery rehab you will want to set a goal to do as much as you can. You might say something like, “I will walk to the post office and back.” That walk might be a quarter mile there and then a quarter mile back. That is good, but instead of walking in straight line away from your home, here is a better way to plan your walking rehab…

You Got Me Going In Circles – Instead of walking away from your home, then walking back to your home, walk in circles around your home. In this way if you get tired or sore you don’t have a long trek back. You are always close to your house.

Tearing Up The Streets – After a week, my healing was fast-tracking. I was now tearing up the neighborhood with my crutches. I thought I should get those bicycle streamers back out so everyone would know has fast I was trekking. In my mind, thousands would line the streets chanting my name and admiring my progress. Well, actually… a couple of neighbors honked at me and showed me the modified, ‘You are #1’ hand gesture, because I was walking, very slowly, in the center of the road.

Hip Tip – Don’t Hit The Road Jack: When you are performing your rehab, be sure to stay on level ground. Do not walk on anything too soft, too hard, too angled, too rocky, too wet or too dangerous. Ideally, there is a nice, flat, level dirt path that can serve you.

Ideally a nice soft path, as long as it isn’t too muddy, was my rehab trail of choice

A Walk On The Wild Side – At about six weeks after my surgery, I was doing a morning walk of 1.2 miles with two crutches and what used to take 40 minutes had been reduced to 28 minutes. I would take a second walk at noon using just one crutch. I would take a third walk in late afternoon using just walking sticks. I could walk around the house, slowly with a limp, with no crutches and easily get in/out of car.

Let’s See That Play Again In Slow Motion – My walks were so slow I saw nature in moments I hadn’t previously witnessed. I remember coming back from a warm day walk and proclaiming to my wife that she would be surprised at how many ants were crossing the pavement at any given time. She just nodded and said, “Don’t worry, sweetie, you will get faster.”

Your Final Walking Test – When you can do this, you are rehabbed…