Keeping your hips flexible after surgery

As we age, our joints become less elastic. Arthritis and surgery can place limits our flexibility. After my mother had surgery to repair a broken hip, she couldn’t reach to tie her shoes. With physical therapy and repeated stretching exercises she was able to improve her range of motion significantly.

Exercise and stretching help to keep us mobile and improve balance. Once we stop exercising we lose muscle mass and joints stiffen even more.

The Arthritis Foundation has an exercise program designed to help people with arthritis keep moving.

On page 42 of “Arthritis Today,” there are six simple stretching exercises on how to keep flexibility in the hips – especially after surgery.  

Planning a time in the day to exercise is important. Without a plan, chances are the exercise routine will take a back seat to other activities.

Stretching cold muscles is not recommended.  It's important to warm up ahead of time with a walk. A heating pad also helps warm muscles and improves flexibility, but does not take the place of exercise.

 Maine Warmers extra large Back Warmer covers a large area and may be just right to help warm the hips before stretching. A Whale Warmer is also quite large and a fun way to warm muscles. Check out Maine Warmers’ Web site for a variety of shapes and sizes.

Play Keeps Us Young

I am not a scientist, but I know I feel great after playing with my grandchildren or with relatives and friends. Play keeps us young. I think this statement must be backed up by scientific data somewhere. I often hear that laughter and physical activity are the best medicine.

The old adage,” All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” most people will agree is true as well.

For about three years, I spent every day, including weekends, working. I love my work and made that my excuse. Then one day, I realized I no longer had time to spend with friends, and was amazed that other people didn’t work on weekends. Once I realized I was missing out on a lot of fun, I began to take more time off, enjoy the company of others, and find activities that made me feel great. Every year now, my New Year's resolution is to HAVE MORE FUN.

Children and animals are great at playing. Animals never seem to lose their ability to play. Finding a healthy balance between work and play is just part of a healthy lifestyle.

Sometimes, when we play too hard we develop sore muscles – especially as we age.

Maine Warmers has a line of comforting creatures that will help you relax those muscles regain flexibility. These unique animal shaped microwave heating pads are available online and in a variety of gift stores. Check out Maine Warmers’ Hot Dog and Cozy Sheep as playful gifts for children and adults.

Helping an elderly relative

Helping an elderly relative may mean letting them do more for themselves. Yes, you might be able to help do a chore faster, and your intentions are purely to lend a hand, but if it is something the person can safely do for him or herself it might be better to back off. The more one can do for oneself, the more independent one feels. Confidence in elderly people diminishes as activities become more limited.

Being physically active (as is reasonable) can help circulation, flexibility, and balance. Exercise classes for the elderly help to keep muscle mass and provide some social interaction, which can be a challenge as age increases and mobility decreases.

The biggest help is to provide positive human interaction, to make sure the elderly person has fun and laughs as much as possible in the right situations. Encouraging conversation and storytelling, by asking questions about experiences with travel, school, and noteworthy events can help. Keep it light and fun – steering the conversation away from sadness if it creeps in.

Sometimes elderly people feel cold even when the inside temperature is 75 to 80 degrees because blood circulation may not be as vigorous as it once was. A microwave heating pad can provide comforting warmth and help stimulate circulation and flexibility. A gift of a Cozy Sheep, sometime referred to as a Cuddle Ewe, brings comforting warmth and companionship – perfect for an elderly person. It’s reusable, washable, durable, and safe. You can check out a variety of comforting creatures, including a Cozy Cat or Dachshund Neck Warmer for just the right one to bring a smile.