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young woman with metal knee brace sitting on yoga mat while physical therapist lifts leg with brace

The last thing you want to hear after surgery is that you might have to take more time off from participating in the activities you love. But surgery takes a physical toll on your body, so the timelines around your rehabilitation (and effort level) must be followed to avoid future injury.

What most people don’t realize is that rehabilitation after surgery starts immediately. Sometimes it’s just getting up to take a walk around the house; for others, recovery requires visits from in-home physical therapists. 

But the big question people often ask is “When can I start exercising after my surgery?” Here are a couple of ways to ease back into exercise after surgery, so you get back on your feet and out doing the activities you love.

How to Ease Back into Exercise After Surgery

After any surgery, it’s always tempting to push your body further than you should just to see how far you can go. But the truth is, you need to ease yourself back into exercise after surgery to avoid hindering your recovery or, worse yet, injuring yourself badly enough to require surgery again.

On the other hand, too much rest can slow down recovery as well.

To avoid either situation, your physical therapist creates an exercise routine that starts slow and builds up over time — establishing the correct post-surgery exercise routine speeds up your recovery, allowing you to feel younger and more active than ever.

Depending on your type of surgery, there is a limited amount of time available to restore the range of motion in your new joint. Muscles may atrophy, and scar tissue can limit your range of motion. If either occurs, you’ll find yourself overcompensating with other muscles, possibly leading to further bodily harm.

Depending on the type of surgery, your physical therapist works alongside you to develop a pain-free fitness routine to help you get back to full health as soon as possible.

Easing Back into Exercise After Knee Surgery

Recovery from knee surgery looks different for every person as it all depends on the type of surgery, the age of the person, and their fitness levels.

The surgeons at CORE Orthopedics specialize in same-day knee surgery, meaning you’ll spend less time in the hospital and more time recovering at home.

After your surgery, make sure you move, but if you have any hints of pain or discomfort, you should stop what you’re doing immediately to avoid any damage to your surgically repaired knee.

Easing back into exercise after knee surgery allows you to rebuild and strengthen the muscles around your knee at a safe pace.

Common Exercises for Post-Knee Surgery Recovery

Walking

After surgery, you’ll have to worry about blood clots. Going for a walk a couple of times a day (preferably on flat ground) circulates the blood, thus reducing the risk of blood clots.

In addition, walking strengthens the muscles and improves your balance over time. As one of the least strenuous exercises on this list, finding time for a simple walk is essential to ease yourself back into exercise after knee surgery.

Swimming

Another low-impact exercise to consider after knee surgery is swimming. While it might be harder to find a pool, if you have access to an area where swimming is possible, use it to your advantage as it reduces stress on the knee joint.

Plus, swimming is a full-body workout.

*Disclaimer: Remember to get approval from your surgeon before going into any pools or hot tubs. They both have chemicals and bacteria that can cause some disruption during wound healing.

All patients have individualized treatment plans, always consult with your surgeon and physical therapist before starting any exercise plans.

Yoga

One of the best ways to improve flexibility, mobility, and range of motion in your knee after surgery is yoga. This relaxing exercise allows you to move at your own pace (and now, thanks to the internet, from the comfort of your home).

The benefits of yoga, including stretching your body and taking a mental break, is a fantastic recovery tool after surgery.

Stair Climbing

For those who live in homes with stairs, climbing up and down them every once in a while after knee surgery strengthens and stretches the muscles around the knee. At first, you’ll need crutches to climb up and down the stairs, but over time, you’ll relearn how to move up and down without them.

Your in-home physical therapist will help guide you through the process and be present for the first couple of times you’ll walk with crutches.

Easing Back into Exercise After Hip Replacement Surgery

After hip replacement surgery, you will need rehabilitation to regain strength, mobility, and range of motion. On average, it takes around 2-4 weeks to recover from hip replacement surgery, but those numbers might change depending on your age, fitness, and lifestyle.

Immediately after the surgery, you will want to start with gentle exercises that do not strain the hip joint excessively, and this prevents accidental damage to your recently repaired/replaced hip.

It is also vital to perform exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles around the hip joint, such as hip abductor and adductor exercises, and gentle stretches to improve flexibility. Like post-knee surgery, one of the most important things to be mindful of is avoiding blood clots.

Common Exercises for Post-Hip Surgery Recovery

Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise

Swimming, walking, and yoga are great in-home ways to ease yourself back into exercise after hip replacement surgery. Each activity provides a low-impact way to get your blood moving to avoid clots while stretching your muscles to prevent post-surgery damage to your hip.

Straight Leg Raises

It’s imperative to strengthen the muscles in the hip and thigh area after hip replacement surgery, particularly the quadriceps muscle. This muscle is crucial in supporting the hip joint and can weaken due to surgery and immobility. 

  1. Lie on your back with your leg extended
  2. Lift one leg off of the ground while keeping it straight
  3. Lower your leg slowly and lift the opposite leg
  4. Repeat each set of 10 2-3 times

Standing Hip Abduction

After hip replacement surgery, you will want to fit in some exercises that target the hip abductor muscles. These muscles help with your stability significantly if they’ve been weakened following surgery or inactivity.

  1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Extend one leg out to the side while keeping your knee straight
  3. Return your leg back to the starting position
  4. Repeat each set of 10 2-3 times

Standing Hip Extension

Standing hip extension exercises help to target the hip extensor muscles, which are essential for supporting the hip joint, particularly during weight-bearing activities.

Strengthening these muscles can also improve balance and reduce the risk of falls, which can be particularly important for older adults.

  1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart while using a chair or another sturdy object to balance yourself
  2. Extend one leg backward while keeping your knee straight
  3. Return your leg back to the starting position
  4. Repeat each set of 10 2-3 times

Easing Back into Exercise After Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Carpal tunnel surgery is a procedure that aims to relieve the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, such as pain, tingling, and numbness in the hands and fingers. In the days and weeks after surgery, the hands and wrists need time to heal before resuming any exercise routine.

Stretching exercises, such as flexing and extending the wrists and fingers, help improve flexibility and reduce stiffness in the hand and wrist area. Gradually increasing the range of motion improves circulation and prevents the development of scar tissue.

When easing yourself back into exercise after carpal tunnel surgery, you will want to focus on exercises that strengthen the muscles of the hand and wrist.

Common Exercises for Post-Carpal Tunnel Surgery Recovery

Wrist Flexion and Stretch

Avoiding stiffness and weakness in the wrist is key to your recovery, which is why we recommend flexion and stretch exercises to help improve flexibility, strength, and range of motion.

Flexion and stretch exercises also reduce swelling and inflammation, allowing you to ease yourself back into training after carpal tunnel surgery safely and healthily.

  1. Hold your arm straight out with your palm facing down
  2. Use your other hand to bend your wrist downward toward the floor gently. 
  3. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then release. 
  4. Repeat for 3-5 repetitions.

Range of Motion

After carpal tunnel surgery, scar tissue may form around the surgical site, leading to stiffness and limited wrist mobility. A variety of range-of-motion exercises improves flexibility and prevents the formation of adhesions or scar tissue.

In addition to improving physical function, wrist range of motion exercises can help reduce pain and discomfort associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tendon Glide Exercises

Tendon glide exercises prevent scar tissue from forming by healing and restoring normal tendon function. Tendon glides also limit the reappearance of carpal tunnel syndrome by improving wrist and hand strength and flexibility.

  1. Hold your hand with your fingers straight up in the air
  2. Move your fingers forward to create a 90° angle between your fingers and hand
  3. Then move your fingers into a fist
  4. Slowly open your fingers so your hand is in the shape of the letter E in sign language
  5. Return your fingers into a standing position
  6. Repeat for 3-5 repetitions

Ready to be Pain-Free? CORE Orthopedics is Here to Help.

Easing yourself back into exercise after surgery requires hard work and determination. Working alongside you, the doctors at CORE Orthopedics and your physical therapists develop a routine best for your recovery.

If you or a loved one are experiencing hip, shoulder, knee, or wrist pain, reach out to one of the experts at CORE Orthopedics and we will provide you with the safest and most effective options to live a pain-free life.

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2380 Lakewood Blvd. Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192 (847) 690-1776

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Physician and Orthopedic Surgeon in Geneva
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Alexian Brothers Medical Center

800 Biesterfield Rd.

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

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