Feel strength and stamina lacking. How to overcome it
Posted , 7 users are following.
Had a left hip replacement on 30th January this year ?so approaching 6 months post op. Progress has been good, I am pain free and can walk well and keep up with the rest of my family. Problem is, I have an allotment which I don't want to give up but I run out of steam so quickly. How can I regain my muscle power and stamina enough to dig and hoe etc or am I just being too impatient
1 like, 12 replies
Sn0wflakes Madnana43
Posted
I was told that it doesn't take long for the muscles to become weak and it takes a very long time to get them back. Plus as we age we lose 10% of our muscles a year. Fine strength building exercised you enjoy doing. I am not faithful about exercising every day but I do try to at least 3 times a week. Sometimes it's just a matter of going up and down the stairs. I find it takes great effort now since I have not been hanging on to the railing. I feel the muscles in the back that go along to the side are weak. The more I do thus the stronger they will become. It all takes time. Don't give up.
Madnana43 Sn0wflakes
Posted
Thanks SnOflakes. You are right,, my muscles have weakened a lot. I really needed my op 18 months ago but I delayed because of other health problems in the family. Perhaps not my best decision ever! I'm 74 and it will take a bit of work to get my muscles and my posture back to what they were.
I can do it though and release the 34 year old who, I know, is trapped in this body. Thanks for your support, I wish I had found this forum months ago.
Sn0wflakes Madnana43
Posted
By all means Madanana43, release that 34 year old!!! Check for exercises to do on the internet. I prefer to find them on YouTube because you get a better visual of how they are to be done. Easies back one to start is to just sit (Love that sitting stuff LOL) and "exercise" good posture. Hold it as long as you can. I am in awe at little kids (toddlers) when they sit, their backs are so straight. I long for those days when I had good posture. Begin with that. Find exercises you will like and want to do. Even though there are some very effective ones out there, begin with what you want and work your way to those more difficult ones. If you start with the difficult ones, you will lose interest. Exercising should be fun and something you want to do. I have a game on my phone that I dearly love. I just sit in a chair and play it. Now I have decided I can not play my game unless I am on my recumbent bicycle. So I bike and play my game. I forget about the miles or the time. When I'm done playing my game I've usually clocked in up to 6 miles without even knowing it. Sometimes it's less because my game didn't need that much attention at the time. So I'm having fun with my game and doing something I don't mind doing. We will have to work at our muscles for the rest of our lives. Find things you like and want to do. You may have to check with your dr. to see if they are okay to do. I hope that 34 year old is realeased soon!! The fun you will have and the places you will go!! Keep up the good work and stay positive!! Hugs to you!
linda81469 Madnana43
Posted
Evening Madnana....sounds like you are doing quite well!! How was your situation before surgery? I know that before surgery if your hip and thigh muscles were weak and not being used properly, that it will take time for them to recover and to get use to moving properly again. Best thing is to keep up your exercises for your hip, thigh and total leg with walking, exercises for inner and outer thigh and squats but not too far down to help butt muscles. Doing butt sqeezes while in bed helps too. Keep both legs in shape!! Just remember be careful, be patient and rest when you need to. This was a major surgery. But honestly you sound like your doing good!! Stamina and strength will follow!! Hugs 🤗 LINDA
Madnana43 linda81469
Posted
Hi Linda81469 and thank you for that encouraging reply. I'm 74 and waited for my husband to recover from surgery before really pressing for my own. Looking back now, I probably should have just ploughed ahead there and then. I was finding walking more and more difficult, ending up buying a walking stick. I was in a lot of pain and my left leg would simply buckle under me unexpectedly. My posture has suffered and I have been trying to be aware of that and correct it
Thanks so much for your tips about exercises. I hadn't thought about squats but they would help strengthen my thighs, which sorely need it. I like too the idea of butt squeezes before even getting out of bed!
Hugs and thanks again.
renee01952 Madnana43
Posted
dear mad nana,
warm welcome to this hippies forum -
you are really doing great - I understand however how disappointed you must feel that you are not yet back to your old self, being the self way before any sign of OA (if that is why you needed THR)- I was in denial for a long time, mobility decreased, pain increased -
Of course you don't want to give up your allotment ... perhaps adjust your expectations and accept that this is the best you can do right now - rest and then do a little bit more, or the next day and the next moment ---- nobody is judging you, right ...be proud for each accomplishement instead of being harsh to yourself because you could not do more ....
The 74 year old can teach the 34 year old to be patient
( I am not doing well with this whole age thing .... and find this all so confrontational)
big warm hug and please keep in touch
renee
Madnana43 renee01952
Posted
Thanks Renee.
It feels good to have the support of people who know at first hand what I'm going through. I am trying hard to curb my normal desire to do everything at once.
The 74 year old will have to speak louder and the 34 year old will have to learn to listen.
big hug back to you
judith12644 Madnana43
Posted
Hi Madnana, You sound as though you are doing well. Definitely don't give up your allotment. Take it steadily, would someone else help you with a bit of digging or hoeing? Don't overdo it, there's always next year.
All the best, Judith
Madnana43 judith12644
Posted
Thanks Judith, you're right. It is frustrating but this year I just have to content myself with damage limitation and plan for next Spring. My husband is helping, bless him, but has to be gently reminded at times which greenery is actually a vegetable!
margaret47400 Madnana43
Posted
Good morning Madnana what a coincidence, I had my LHR on 30th January as well after a fall on the 29th. it hit me hard as I had nothing wrong with my hips or any bones apart from having the usual bad back.
I am 75 and it isn't easy to cope with but I am doing ok and driving after six weeks. post op.
Some days I feel are better than others but I do ache in the morning when I get up. I still lie on my back to sleep and hardly move so that could be a reason I ache.
I can't even lie on my operated side, it is still painful, mainly around the incision, I feel it is quite numb just below it. It healed well after having staples out and wasn't infected so I can't see why I find it difficult to sleep on my left side.
i think we would all love to be 34 again....... You take care and hope you manage to get that allotment sorted.
at least we are all here to tell the tale. Regards Margaret.
judith12644 Madnana43
Posted
Happy growing!
Rocketman_SG6UK Madnana43
Posted
It does take time, a lot of it.
Ithas taken me over a year to regain my cycling strength to do more than a couple of miles. At 21 months, I'm now going faster than my wife by some considerable margin - I put it down to the physio I had after the THR.