Swimming

With me there was a stretching of new growth in the upper thigh but nothing serious.  On my way for an hour an hour swim now.

I didn’t have any problem  getting in and out but make sure you have someone with you at first in case you need help. Perhaps take your walking stick and footwear in case you encounter slippy floors. I had been swimming regularly pre op so knew the pool and changing rooms but a friend came with me to begin with. It really feels fantastic to exercise in the pool. Good luck and have fun

Ann 

Thanks Ann

I used to go to Aquafit classes twice a week prior to my op so I’m going to try going back to them, rather than swimming, first. The pool is at our local gym and the staff know me fairly well so I’ll ask them to keep an eye on me going in & out. I thought I’d try just half an hour rather than an hour to start with then see how I get on.

If all goes well I’ll see if I can get a friend to come swimming with me later in the week. I’ll report back. So looking forward to it!

Hi Melody, I couldn’t manage aquafit until about 14  weeks. I walked and exercised ie leg raises squats etc in the pool from week 5. I used to tie a pool noodle round my operated leg to increase resistance.  Aqua fit is quite fast moving and my stamina was not good enough even for a shortened session. It’s surprising but aquafit is not an easy option. Even now I’m careful because it’s very easy to strain your hip when you leap about in the water. It’s quite deceiving in that because it’s easier to move you can overdo things. I was doing aquafit prior to my op too. Anyway take it steady and start small. Listen to your body and rebuild your strength. And be very careful when it comes to the classes. With Pilates I went to a clinical Pilates class run by the physio at the hospital. I started that at week 6 for 6 weeks and then returned to my normal Pilates class. So I would do a 55 min class followed by 30 mins in the pool. Pilates is easier to do at your own pace and rest when you need to. I started yoga again at about week 15 just once a week. I was quite strong by then but have to take it steady and there are some moves I don’t do as they are too extreme. But all is good if you are sensible. I definitely feel much better for the exercise. Sleep better, feel happier and have less stiffness. Good luck

Ann

Thanks for the warning about aquafit, Ann. Maybe I will start just going into the pool for a swim and to do my exercises to see how I get on and leave the aquafit for another week. I can imagine it would be easy to overdo it.

My pool has a regular stair that leads into the water.  I had to hold on to the handicapped bars and railing going down and up.  Due more to cramped back muscles than hip pain.  Steps are more difficult but you will mostly be using your arms to pull up.  Should be fine.

Thanks. The nearest pool, which is the one I used before my op, only has ladders to get in, but there is another one a few miles away that has shallow steps leading into it at one end. I’ll try the local one but keep the other as a reserve in case I find it difficult.

My consultant said ok to breastroke; my physio said no. I read an article about this recently in which they stated most surgeons have no issue with patients doing breastroke and there are no recorded cases of dislocations from swimming breaststroke. However most physiotherapists advise against it. So there is definitely a difference of opinion.

What my consultant did say was that it might be painful and, if that was the case, I shouldn’t continue.

There is a comprehensive article here - https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/swimming-breaststroke-after-total-hip-replacement-are-we-sending-thecorrect-message-2167-7921-1000147.pdf

I only do breaststroke but it took until about week 10 for my hip to feel strong enough to do a few lengths then built up slowly. Just be careful and take it steady. Also do all your hip strengthening exercises every day. 

Ann

I was told no side hip movement for at least 4-6 weeks.  

I was hoping less.  

Will use kickboard and kick only.  

I avoid it

My consultant is absolutely fine with breaststroke. I didn’t do the leg kick though until I was about 4 months post op. Now I swim 1 km a couple of times a week, and it feels v comfortable. Good luck, Judith 

Thanks for the link Melody. It’s very interesting. My personal experience was that my hip muscles felt loose to begin with when I tried a few strokes at about week 8. I describe it as feeling like I had a loose plastic bag inside my hip holding the bones. There is an effect of the current you create in the water that can feel really strong and make your hip wobble. Same with aqua fit. By week 10 I was a lot stronger as I was doing very regular hip strengthening routines in the pool and gym and weekly Pilates classes. I just kept testing by doing a few strokes until the current wasn’t an issue and my hip felt firm. Once that happened I was able to build up quite fast to get back to normal. I don’t swim very fast anyway but it is a good strengthening movement I’ve found. 

Ann

At about 16 weeks, I have no issues with freestyle, 

 Thank you for posting  the article. I find it very interesting that the orthopaedic surgeons are very much in favour of breaststroke swimming, whereas the health care professionals aren’t. Certainly when I asked my surgeon, he was very happy with me swimming breaststroke.

Yes by 16 weeks I had no problems either. 

Ann

I swam flutter, frog, and dolphin kick 6 weeks after my anterior THR - although slowly, low mileage.  Now almost four months from surgery I am doing normal swim practice with all four strokes.