Is a Stationary Bike Good for Pre-Surgery?

Before you have knee replacement surgery, there are certain things you need to do in order to prepare for your procedure. Remember that the more you do in advance, the more smoothly your recovery will go. According to the Vancouver Health Education Center, “If you exercise before surgery, you can have a faster, easier recovery.” That means taking the time to exercise in advance of the procedure.

Of course, before you do anything, you should always get clearance from your surgeon. You need to discuss your current physical condition and what type of exercise will ensure you are in the best shape possible for your surgery.

The Exercise Bike

You may consider an exercise bike or recumbent bike for your pre-operative routine. Whether you have read this online as an option or your doctor suggests it, you may be wondering if this is a safe option and if it will help.

As long as you follow your doctor”s orders, then using an exercise bike should be safe. Because you are not walking or squatting, you don”t have to worry about putting undue pressure on the joint. This means you don”t have to worry about doing any damage to the joint in advance of your surgery.

Improving Strength

To begin with, an exercise bike can be very helpful because it will improve strength in the rest of your leg. During your recovery, other joints and muscles will have to compensate as your knee heals. That means you need to strengthen them in preparation. Since the exercise bike won”t damage your knee further, this can be a good way to focus on strength training.

Improving Range of Motion

If you need knee replacement surgery, then you likely have very poor range of motion right now. That means your knee joint will be stiff and painful. The more you can improve range of motion before your operation, the less you will have to worry about the same issues after the operation. Always make sure your surgeon says that it is okay to exercise, though, especially if your knee is extremely stiff or painful.

Building up Endurance

Another thing to consider about the stationary bike is the endurance it can help you build up. After your operation, you will have to go through extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation, which can be very taxing and painful. You need to prepare for this so that you can endure the rehab more easily. By riding a stationary bike, you will easily be able to build more endurance, which will certainly come in handy after your surgery.

Helping to Ease Arthritis

If you suffer from arthritis, then regular activity can help to ease the effects of it. However, after surgery, you won”t be able to do much at all until you have exercise clearance. When you ride the exercise bike before your procedure, you can help to ease the effects of arthritis and make your recovery less painful and easier.

Preparing for your knee or hip replacement surgery will be important to how well you endure the procedure itself and how smoothly your recovery will go. Exercise is actually very important to your procedure, but you need to work out in the proper manner. You should never do anything that will put undue stress or pressure on the affected joint because this can make the injury or damage even worse.

Always get clearance from your surgeon before you do anything as well. An exercise or recumbent bike can actually be very useful at preparing your joints and leg for the procedure itself and the recovery.

Resources:

Web MD, http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/surgery-knee-replacement

Vancouver Coastal Health, http://vch.eduhealth.ca/PDFs/EE/FB.873.Ex.372.pdf

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