Eating healthy is something you should do before and after a hip replacement. Here are some foods you should eat to maintain a balanced diet:
- Omega-3s – These include salmon and walnuts
- Ginger – Ginger is good for musculoskeletal issues. It also has anti-inflammation and anti-cancer properties
- Magnesium – Leafy green vegetables are high in magnesium, which is a pain reliever and muscle relaxer
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin – These help in building and maintaining cartilage, important for your hip replacement. Get these from vitamin supplements
- Heart-Healthy Foods – Eating smart means also taking care of your heart. Limit your fat and eat more of the following:
- Skinless poultry
- Fish
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Egg whites
- Lean meats
Your doctor may recommend a specific diet for you. Follow all doctor recommendations. You want to maximize your chances for a quick recovery after hip replacement, and diet is one of the most important pieces of this puzzle.
Making Your Household Accessible
Before you go into your hip replacement surgery, make sure your house is prepared for your return. You will have limited mobility when you get home, so it’s vital that you are able to move around successfully and have help with housework and cooking.
Here are some tips to help prepare your home and yourself for after surgery:
- Have furniture moved, so you have plenty of room to walk with crutches or a walker
- Prepare a low bed so you can get in and out without much strain
- Have a comfortable sitting area picked out
- Move everything you will need to within a small radius around your sitting area
- Ensure you have caretakers to provide food for at least two weeks
- Put a chair in the bathtub for bathing
- Have someone available to run errands
- Have transportation available for future doctor visits
After your surgery, you will need help coming home from the hospital and helping with simple tasks. You will not be able to handle all the tasks on your own, so family or friends will be very important at this stage.
Is Gardening Possible After Hip Replacement Surgery?
Hip replacement surgery is something that begins to limit your daily activities, including gardening. It is a very impactful process that causes internal and external trauma to the body. This makes everyday life just a little bit more challenging.
It is possible to garden after hip replacement surgery. But an immediate return to growing your garden might be on hold until you are fully functional again. The complete recovery process takes a minimum of 6 months and can possibly take up to a year.
With today’s rehabilitation process, it is more practicable to get you and your garden back up and running in an efficient amount of time. Read on to learn why hip replacements are limiting and why gardening must be temporarily set aside, You’ll learn to know when you are ready to get back in the yard, and how gardening is actually a very beneficial hobby.
Why is a Hip Replacement Such a Big Deal?
Hip replacements are no joke, in fact, they are one of the most common surgeries in the geriatric community. However, it is not unheard of to have a hip replacement at a younger age. Some cases require you to stay in the hospital for a few days following, others allow you to be cleared for outpatient surgery. Regardless, the recovery process can be challenging for most due to all of the anatomical trauma that occurs during the operation.
There is a difference between immediate recovery and long-term, full recovery. Typically, the rehab process can take anywhere from four weeks to one year. This will depend on how quickly your body adapts and cooperates. The rehab process will most likely be enforced by your doctor for 4-6 weeks in order to establish a routine and guarantee a solid recovery back to normal.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to return to moderate or strenuous exercises or activities until as early as three months. In fact, it could be closer to six months for some patients. As gardening is considered a strenuous activity, your pots may not be filled until you are mobile again. To ensure you are on the right track to a full recovery, stay in frequent contact with your therapist. Have quarterly check-ups with your surgeon to monitor your progress appropriately.
Physical Activity is the Root of Gardening
As your ligaments and muscles are still proliferating and maturing, it will take some extra patience before feeling 100%. Once you have been cleared to return back to sports and exercise, you will begin growing and planting in no time. Unlike other traumatic procedures, this is a surgery that will allow you to return to physical activity.
People don’t tend to think of gardening as a strenuous activity. In fact, some people don’t even consider it to be exhausting at all. Don’t let gardening fool you, it is actually rated on the same charts as bicycling or walking.
Beginning a project to plant and grow your own beds requires high physical function for several reasons:
- It works for all major muscle groups. It is an activity that requires both the lower and upper body, nearly 600 muscles. Gardening will demand strength and flexibility, among other types of exercises. There are actions like lifting up heavy pots or bending over to pick up pounds of soil. These actions will require a majority of the muscles to be engaged and ready for action.
- It burns calories. Gardening is an exercise that requires a fair bit of movement, and any form of movement causes loss of calories. Consider all of the calories you will lose if it’s a hot summer day but remember to stay hydrated!
- It demands abnormal maneuvers and stretches. Digging holes, moving wheel barrels, pulling weeds, and kneeling on all fours will guarantee a fair bit of soreness for the next several days.
Gardening can seem like a light activity for the mind and body. However, it is a very strategic and time-consuming exercise that causes more physical movement than one might realize. It is an activity that needs to be placed on hold until the body is ready. You must be mentally and physically recovered from your hip replacement surgery.
How to Know When it’s Time for You to Return to Your Garden
As anxious as you will be to get back out in the soil, it is always good to make sure you are physically and mentally ready for activity. If you have been continuing with your hip rehab then you should be able to:
- Drive
- Get on and off the toilet
- Dress yourself
If you are capable of performing these tasks, then you will feel as if you are ready to begin gardening again. If you are not able to manage these actions on your own, you might want to wait another week or two before getting back out there.
