Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I have signed up for a yoga class (starting next week) in an effort to start the long haul to being reasonably fit. I had a hip replacement last year (nine months ago). Is there any reason why I shouldn't try yoga? All the literature I got from the hospital suggests that moderate exercise now should be fine, but I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had hip problems and whether yoga has helped (not that I have problems since the op, but I am a little paranoid about damaging my new hip).

I have found that yoga is good for most problems. However the most important thing is to talk about it with your yoga teacher before the class. Most good teachers ask if any one has any medical issues & will adapt exercises appropriately for your particular need. I hope you enjoy your new class. Let us know how it goes.

Haven't had a replacement myself (I'm a kinesiologist), but I think you should be totally fine. You're well past the three-month period of movement restrictions and yoga isn't particularly high-impact.

Thanks both. I will have a chat with the teacher before the class. I am really looking forward to it!

Hey jogirl, I know yogis who have had hip replacements, and also some of my students have had them. there are in fact some kinds of yoga that are fairly high impact (with jumping and lunging and such), and if you are just starting yoga, I think that would be really inappropriate. I would look for an Iyengar yoga class - certified Iyengar teachers tend to be be well trained in various special needs - or at least a gentle yoga class to get started. I would look for a teacher who has experience working with hip replacements, or at the very least, who seems totally comfortable with the idea. Good luck, and keep us posted!

While I don't have a full hip replacement, I had hip surgery several years ago and have a pin in my hip. Yoga has been absolutely fantastic for it. It was getting achey again due to lack of exercise after I stopped physical therapy, and yoga just worked wonders. There are some gentle hip opener exercises that stretch the muscles around my hip exactly the way it needs.

The real key is finding a good instructor. You want an instructor who asks if you have any medical issues and is more interested in tailoring the exercise to work for your needs rather than making sure all your poses look perfect. A beginner or gentle yoga class would be ideal, and should still give you a nice workout.

Stay far away from any teacher who pushes you to do things you're not comfortable with or that make you hurt. My teacher usually includes a few more advanced exercises here and there but always adds: "If you have -insert injury here- or are inexperienced or don't feel comfortable doing this, do this variation instead."

yes, this. good luck and have fun!

Quick update: I have been to five classes so far and I am loving it! The instructor asked before the first class if I had any medical issues, and has been very specific all the way through about what I shouldn't do and what I can attempt if I want to. Like seashells said, she quite often suggests variations for me to do instead. It's a small class which means she can give us a lot of individual attention, which is great.
Thanks for all the input.

Great to hear you're enjoying your yoga & you've got a good teacher.

Jogirl so glad you are enjoying it. My one hesitation when reading this thread was about frog pose but it sounds like you've got a great teacher. So glad you are recovering well from surgery. Also poster above I hope your friend gets her metal levels checked frequently! (Sorry but metal-on-metal hips was the litigation I handled! Eeek!)