One topic that will typically be covered before you undergo knee or hip replacement surgery is the importance of working towards or to maintain an ideal weight after the procedure. You’re going to be physically limited for a number of weeks after your procedure, which means it’ll be easier to gain weight if you’re not careful. Adding extra pounds will only increase the amount of stress on the new joint during a crucial period of recovery, which could slow down healing and increase your risk of a possible setback with your rehab program.
We want you to be able to ace your rehab after knee or hip replacement, and that means you’ll want to work towards a healthy weight or try to maintain an ideal weight.
How To Keep Weight Off During Your Joint Replacement Recovery
Here are some surgeon-approved tips for keeping weight off or possibly even losing some weight during your recovery from knee or hip replacement surgery.
- Strive For Activity – Being active throughout your recovery from joint replacement surgery is important for a number of reasons. For starters, early movement and weight bearing has been linked to faster recovery, so don’t just expect to lay in bed for weeks at a time after surgery. Make it a point to pursue activities that are within your limits. Even if that just involves going for a few short walks each day, every step helps to burn calories. Stay active in order to promote ideal weight management and to aid the recovery process.
- Low Impact Exercises Are Best – No impact or low impact exercises will likely be the most comfortable forms of exercise even after your recovery is complete, but they can be especially helpful while you’re still navigating discomfort from the surgery and recovery process. Any exercise that places an abrupt shock or stress on the knee can lead to problems if your knee is still weakened from the trauma of surgery. Stay active and keep extra weight off through the pursuit of no or low impact exercises like walking, cycling or swimming.
- Nutrition Is Key – As we talked about in the introduction, you will not be able to be as mobile as you once were during the initial stages of your recovery. This means that your body won’t be able to naturally burn as many calories, so if you continue to consume the same amount of calories but are burning less, you may end up gaining weight. Make it a point to consume a variety of healthy options during your recovery period, as this will help to keep extra weight off and it will provide your body with essential nutrients that aid in the healing process.
- Get Restful Sleep – If you’re sleeping, you’re not eating, but there’s more to weight control than that. Studies have found that a lack of quality sleep has been linked to increased levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin, which can leave you feeling hungry. Excessive ghrelin can also contribute to overeating during mealtime, so it’s important to help normalize these hormones by regularly striving for adequate amounts of sleep.
- Attend Physical Therapy – Finally, make sure that you are attending all of your in-clinic physical therapy sessions after your joint replacement procedure. Your PT will be another helpful resource when it comes to diet and exercise, and they can help you overcome some individual challenges you are facing with any aspect of your recovery. They will be an easier resource to connect with than your surgical team if you are running into any exercise or nutritional issues during your rehab period, so don’t feel like you need to go through this process alone. Lean on professional resources for diet and exercise assistance.
Avoiding weight gain and working towards an ideal weight can help make your rehabilitation period a little easier, and it may even speed up the process. To learn more about how you can work towards a healthier weight before or after your joint replacement procedure, reach out to Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 558-4444.
