Your hip replacement and your running style
When your hip specialist advises you to give up high-impact activities, listen. That may not mean giving up running but it may mean changing the way you run. If you've been a heel-striker until now or if your running has jarred your hip then you’ll need to develop a running style that puts less repetitive stress on your implant.What running style is best for a hip replacement?
A smooth, fluid style that uses the natural suspension of your legs and feet. Running this way will avoid the harmful impact that many surgeons associate with running. I'll talk more about low-impact running in depth in a later post.
Transitioning
Changing
your running style from heel-strike to a mid-sole can take quite some time. A hip-friendlier mid-sole grounding
requires increased ankle flexibility and calf strength. The earlier you begin the
quicker you’ll be able to start running after your hip replacement, the less frustrated
you’ll become and the more enjoyable exercising will be.Tinhip tip: To avoid overuse injuries ramp up slowly. After your hip replacement you’ll be starting very slowly any way so you may as well see it as an opportunity to improve your running gait.
Exercises that help
If pain allows you to put weight on your hip then these exercises will help you prepare for a transition to hip-friendly running.Step raises
This is a strength and dexterity exercise you can do until you tire. Stand facing a set of stairs or something similar. With the front of one foot resting on the edge of a step raise yourself high and lower yourself down.Heel walking
Try this heel walking exercise. Keep your toes off the ground and walk forward on your heels.Once your hip replacement is in place and you've been sewn up you're probably going to ask, "How long before I can start running?".
