It is as important to prepare physically as it is to prepare mentally for your surgery. The time you invest before, will improve your recovery. The stronger, more flexible and more active you are before surgery, the more reserve you will have to draw upon when you are forced to be inactive because of surgical recovery. All laying down exercises can be done on the floor or on the bed. Use a chair without arms for exercises in the sitting position. Walking should be done with comfortable shoes and clothing.
Learn and practice diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation. Start doing a little extra walking before your date of surgery. Try all the exercises indicated for your particular surgery. It is important to see what you can do pre-surgery, since returning to that same level is your post-surgery goal. You might find some of the exercises aren't as easy as they look. It is not unusual for you to have lost some motion in your shoulders as you age, but remember you can improve with practice.
|
WALKING:
Speed is not important. In the hospital, start with walking to the bathroom, then out into the hall and gradually one lap of the floor. The goal is to walk one floor lap 5 times a day before being discharged. At home, start with a 10-minute walk a day outside, and then increase by 1 minute until doing 30 minutes. If you can, start walking on flat ground and then progress to hills.
|
|
|
RELAXATION:
There are a number of techniques available to learn and to practice relaxation. Listed in the appendix are suggestions that can help with body awareness, pain and stress. The techniques where a muscle is tightened before being relaxed don't work as well after surgery. Find a tape that directs your breathing, imagery, and body awareness and does it with pleasant music and vocal directions.
Start by just listening to the tape to get familiar with it, then put yourself in the most comfortable position. Tell your family not to disturb you. Use the tape as a road map to learn to take care of your body. This will not be easy at first, but that is normal. It may be hard to quiet yourself at first, but practice will make it easier. Practice at least once a day.
|
|
|
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING:
Begin by lying down on your bed or the floor and progress to sitting in a chair. Place one hand on the diaphragm and the other on upper chest. Breathe in feeling the lower hand rise and the upper hand staying still. Exhale and feel the lower hand go down. Breathe in through your nose for a 4 count and out through your mouth for a 4 count. Do not hold your breath. Repeat for one song on the radio or a relaxation tape.
|
|
|
PELVIC CLOCK: 
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Picture your lower back and buttock on a face of a clock. 12 o'clock is up toward the belly button, 6 o'clock is toward the tail bone, 3 o'clock is under the left buttock muscle, and 9 o'clock is under the right buttock. Start by rocking slowly and continually across the clock from 12 to 6. Then, try rocking from 3 to 9. Try doing a full circle. Play with the movement, but do not repeat any that create pain. Do not hold any position. Feel all the ways you can move your pelvis. Practice for 1 song on the radio or relaxation tape.
|
|
|
FOOT SLIDE - LOWER ABDOMINAL:  Start with the posterior pelvic tilt but with your legs straight. Alternate sliding one foot to bend leg. Return to start position. Repeat with your other leg. Your back needs to remain flat. Progress to 2-foot slide. Repeat 5-10 times.
|
|
|
STOMACH CRUNCHES: 
Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross your hands behind your head. Slowly raise your trunk, leading with your chest, until your shoulder blades clear the floor. Do not pull on your head or neck. Hold for 5 count and repeat 5-10 times.
|
|
|
DIAGONAL CRUNCHES:
Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest. Slowly raise your trunk with your right shoulder aimed towards your left knee. Hold 5 count and repeat on opposite side. Repeat 5 times on both sides.
|
|
|
BICEP ARM CURLS:
Sit in a kitchen chair with your arm hanging down. Slowly bend your elbow until your hand is close to touching your shoulder. Return your hand to your side. Repeat 10 times each side.
|
|
|
TRICEP ELBOW STRAIGHTENING: 
Hold your arm near your side and lean over the side of the table with your non-surgical side lightly supporting your trunk. Slowly bend and straighten and bend your elbow, but do not allow your shoulder move. Repeat 10 times.
|
|
|
FLIES: 
Lie with your arms at 90 degrees from your side. Bring your hand up above your chest and then across towards your other shoulder. Start with no weight. You can do both arms at once. Repeat 10 times.
|
|
|
OVERHEAD PULL DOWNS:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and with your arms reached up over head. Bring your arms up over your head, towards your side, keeping your arms close to your ears. Bring your arms down towards your stomach, and then return them to above your head. Start with no weight. If needed, use a telephone book to keep the weight from going into an uncomfortable range over your head. Repeat 10 times.
|
