Pilates after hip replacement

I am 51 and have always been active. I just want to do all I can and pilates looks like it would help without putting stress on the joints. I just wanted to see if others have tried it. I walk alot . I'm just worried I might do it too much and need to find another form of exercise. I would like to lose the limp.

At 51 you are still very eager to exercise, so was I and didn't stop my gym workouts until 60's,,,,hip replacement at 72...

I'm just so amazed at so many young folks doing these replacements. Theory for my mind, these should be last resort, very last. and I guess it was for me and I'm dealing with a lot of complications.

You could still lose the limp, how about any leg discrepancy? This issue is huge for so MANY....including me. I wear a 3/4" lift in my right shoe.

I did have a leg discrepancy at first but it has gotten better. i don;t limp all the time just when I first get up. I went about a year with just being able to get through my day at work and nothing else my pain was so bad. I started driving with both feet because it hurt so much to drive at all. So I feel I needed the surgery. But i do agree more people are having to have this done at a younger age.

I've had a theory since I came here and I'm in the US and no govt paid insurance until a person hits 65 and we get Medicare....which we paid into all our working years and even those who never worked get a smaller medicare plan, I believe...not sure on that....I worked over 40 yrs and paid into this health system.

So with UK govt insurance and I gather you are in the UK, perhaps it pushes many to do these as they are paid for by the govt....Personally, I don't think this is good thinking....

All my life and I'm now 76, I dreaded any kind of surgery and only had 2 in my life, hysterectomy and this hip. And I ended up with complications from both -- sciatic nerve damage from hysterectomy and all the complications I deal with from the hip.

And plenty here deal with complications from their surgries.

I just have a no surgery mindset..

I have a lot of older friends and can only think of 3 who have replacements. 2 are in their 90's now. One other one is my age and she's had a shoulder replacement and knee replacement, but she and I think so oppositive on healing.

Anyway, life goes on with and without struggles.....

When I look at the difference between my Mom and I at the same age (I'm 52) the amount of intense and high impact exercise I've done compared to her/her generation is huge. I ski black diamonds/trees, dirt bike Single track trail and also Baja style riding, I downhil/X-Country Mountain bike. I'm also small so all these things have probably been harder on me then a larger, theoretically stronger person. 

I think my generation has just been the more active generation and we selfishly want to continue that way, rather than dialing back and just being happy to walk, etc... We hope this surgery will let us keep going at a higher level. A little selfish perhaps but  I can't imagine life without my sports so I've taken a risk on this hip letting me continue. Definitely not there yet so am still at the worried about my future point.

So true, even myself and I'm 76 now worked out like a fool all my life....my parentws not so, they were happy bowling and walking and some softball dad did...

We've done this to our joints....and I was never a runner, thank goodness.

I ran Sprints/Hurdles at a Jr International level so tick that one off on the body abuse checklist too. I also ran backcountry in the mountains when I lived in Banff Alberta. Gave up running years ago as it just stopped feeling right - now I know why- my hips were all out of alignment. I wish I had looked into why that was more as maybe I could have made a few changes to keep me going a few more years. So- do I think I've had a great go of it? Maybe by many people's activity standards but I was so looking forward to semi-retirement so I could hit it harder. That's what I mean by the selfish generation- others just want to be able to function but I want to go skiing and still manage to get through a day of work. 

The route of the LA Marathon goes past my apt bldg, the first year this took place in my area I would go out and watch some of it, the stragglers coming in, falling down, sitting the grass to rest, no one laughing for sure....

I can't watch it anymore...all I think about is the ruination of their bodies.

Joy, I am also in the US and have insurance through work. I have had to pay over $7000 of my operation cost and missed 10 weeks of work. It was not an easy decision to make but I couldn't do anything. I was to the point that I wasn't going to be able to keep working and at home I just sat . A year before I could do anything. I have heard of many people in my area having this surgery. I am in Vermont.

Ouch...I had some copays as I have Medicare, what a goodsend....greatest reason to hit age 65 in the US....

I have a cousin back in PA, I'm in CA and I haven't seen her in years but know she has had many replacements and she is proabaly 5 yrs older than me. When someone moves to CA, all your friends and relatives in the East think you moved to another country, so lose contact with so many...

Just thinkng about living in cold climates, probably doesn't help joints one bit.

I don't recall if you said you did a lot of exercising in your life.

Thinking about this amount you had to pay on top of private insurance....my surgeon billed Medicare $21,000 for his work on the anterior procedure, and Medicare approved and paid $1,222..

So these surgeons have to make the brunt of their money off private insurance patients...so even if a person really feels they need this replacement and have no insurance, they can't do them.

I have worked out at a gym since my early twenties and done aerobics and spinning classes. Over  the past twenty years I have been an avid walker. Usually walking 5 to 6 miles afew times a week and as much as 41 miles at a Relay for life event. Both my mother and grandfather had hip replacement surgery and I work in retail walking most of my day at work. But I always thought being healthy and not over weight was the way to go. I guess you never know.

Those spinning classes to me are joint damage in waiting....everytime my grandgirl says she is going spinning with her gf, I cringe....

She and her brother are tournament tennis and vollyball players and get tons of workouts....more and more is obsessive as I see it.....they will end up with their damage done, I won't be around to see it all most likely. I often wish they had taken to the musical instruments they were given chances to take on.... Too much obsessive stuff today in everything.... j

I don't think spinning classes are bad. It's like riding a bike which they say is good for you after hip replacement. There are much worse forms of exercise for your joints. 

I've seen those spinners and TO ME it looks pretty extreme...I use a recumbent bike in my living room and use it on a light resistance....my years of intense exercise is behind me....trying to save what's left.

Terri, I have a daughter who is 51 and we agree on some things, and many we don't....it's generational.