How far can I walk?

Hey,
I wasn't very active before surgery as far as "exercise" goes. I am a nursing assistant in long term care which is a very physical job to say the least. I have worked up to several little walks a day with my dogs and a 1 mile walk in the evening. I live in the country and have to walk the road. Take someone with you for a while or have cell. Mine won't work at home- we live between two mountains.
Nina- we're not super women. Everyone heals and adjusts differently. Some of the posts I have read the women have done really well at first then had problems develop. Some have slow steady recoveries, some have problems from the get go, and a few lucky ones breeze through it. Physically, I have done pretty good. I feel better than I did before surgery- back pain almost completely gone. I fight the depression- I miss work, well not work, I miss my residents. I miss working in the yard, I miss wrestling with my dogs. I can't wait to be able to mow the yard. I like not having to do everything, but when I'm not busy I tend to get depressed and not want to do anything.
So don't get discouraged. All of us will heal differently. Don't push yourself too hard. Listen to your body and your doctor.

My doctor said that walking was about the best thing I could do for my body right now. I'm almost 5 weeks post-op and I was very inactive before, but I'm doing 1 to 1 1/2 miles a day. The only caution from Doc was to remember to turn around before I'm totally tired. I was very cautious as I started building up, but I'm confident now.

The physio at the hosp. said I had to start walking straight away - 10 minutes a day for that first week to build up to 60 minutes at a puff at the 6th week. I found it a strain at first but once I got going, I was ok.
Good luck, Sue

I was either using my NordicTrack or cycling or walking 2+ miles regularly before my right knee became extremely painful last February to March, which finally ended in my having right knee arthroscopic surgery June 6. There was a recovery period from that, so I wasn't up to speed cardiovascularly (is that a word?) when I went in for TAH Aug 25. Now I'm trying to get more walking in day by day (13 days post-op). I wear a pedometer, so know I haven't really gotten much beyond 2 miles total in a day. Usually 1.5 miles to 2. But it's gotten so hot and humid here in Kansas again, I don't want to walk outside much. Has anyone used a NordicTrack ski machine safely during recovery? Seems like on low resistance that wouldn't be any more stressful than walking, plus I could just get off the thing, like a treadmill, when my body tells me "Enough!" I don't have to use the arms to use the NordicTrack. I may need to post this question separately....

I did four miles every single day of the year but with a few off and even most days (wear a pedometer!) got in another two or three with all I did.
But I get tired in between even before surgery, because of other problems. I was told I could do ONE HALF MILE in about one week when I got home. Just walk around the house and yard till then. So since the berries were blooming- that was my walk. To go gather them into a bowl for an hour and then walk back home. I kept that up for about a full week before I went more or could go more just walking.
I am almost three months, and back up to four miles since four weeks postop. But it was a LONG HARD road and I was VERY SLOW and even now am not as fast as I was because I still have internal stitches and am still healing. I keep checking in with my Dr during appts for how far I am going or if it is too much. So check with yours to make sure they know how far you are going and when postop. He may not want you to do as much or as fast. Mine told me how fast I could go and how far and when.

GA,
The key is to be gradual.

My doctor kept stressing that I should walk 'more' and she didn't say how much so I did too much.

At 3 weeks I tried walking 3 miles, and it was too much. I cut back, and started more gradually, and at 5 weeks I again tried walking 3 miles and it was again too much, and I really paid for it. My mistake was that if I felt well I tried to go 5 minutes farther each day -- but then if you add 5 minutes home, I was actually adding an increment of half a mile per day. This was a mistake!

finally at 6 weeks I instead tried ramping up more gradually, going the same distance at least 2 days in a row before increasing, and then increasing in increments of 1/4 mile (5 minutes). I finally got up to 3 miles comfortably at 8 weeks, just before I went back to work and didn't have time to walk anymore! how ironic.

But to repeat my advice, the key word is GRADUAL. Go for it!

Hi GA!
I'll give you a laugh. I mis-read my "instructions" when I came out of hospital on walking, and started walking the day I got home. 5 days post op.

I walked 5 minutes the first day, 5 minutes times 3 times a day for the first week. On the second week, I walked 15 minutes twice a day for the week, third week, I walked 20/25 minutes twice a day. Then I read the instructions which said, REST FOR 2 WEEKS POST OP, THEN START WALKING 5 MINUTES A DAY TWICE A DAY FOR THE FIRST WEEK, (3 WEEKS POST OP), BUILDING UP AN EXTRA 5 MINUTES EACH WEEK UNTIL 20 MINUTES AT 6 WEEKS POST OP. By 5 weeks post-op I had progressed to a 5 mile walk around our town and felt so well I was back at work at 6.

Do what your body says>