From Hip Replacement to a Bigger Life: Recovery, Purpose, and What’s Still Possible

Hip replacement recovery, life after hip replacement, mindset after hip replacement surgery, and long-term recovery after hip replacement aren’t just about healing a joint — they’re about reclaiming your life.

In Episode 34 of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky, a double hip replacement patient, author, and endurance athlete, shares a powerful and personal episode that connects physical recovery, long-term mobility, mental resilience, and purpose after hip replacement surgery.

This episode begins with a vivid moment in the pool — cold air, warm water, stillness — a reminder that movement, consistency, and showing up matter, even years after surgery. From there, Chris dives deep into what it really means to live well after hip replacement, not just survive recovery.

If you’re preparing for hip replacement surgery, recovering weeks or months after surgery, or navigating life years after a hip replacement, this episode will resonate.

Chris explains why recovery from hip replacement is not a finish line, but a long-term process that evolves over time. He discusses how setbacks, mindset shifts, daily habits, and purpose all shape long-term hip replacement success. Drawing from his own journey — including writing the book New Steel — he reframes hip replacement not as an ending, but as a catalyst for growth.

This episode also highlights:

• Why identity matters after hip replacement surgery
• How movement and consistency support long-term joint health
• Why mindset is just as important as physical therapy
• How to avoid letting “hip replacement patient” become your permanent label
• What’s still possible after hip replacement surgery — at any age

Chris also announces free live virtual sessions for listeners who want to ask questions, gain clarity, and connect more deeply around recovery, mindset, and life after hip replacement. In addition, he’s offering a limited number of signed copies of New Steel (US shipping only), making this episode especially valuable for listeners looking for guidance beyond traditional medical advice.

If you’re searching for real-world hip replacement recovery advice, honest insight into life after hip replacement surgery, or inspiration from someone who’s lived it — this episode delivers.

Remember that hip replacement surgery isn’t the end of your story — it may be the beginning of something bigger.

Life After Hip Replacement: How to Recover, Rebuild Confidence, and Do More Than You Thought Possible

Hip Replacement Recovery Isn’t the End: How to Build Strength, Purpose, and a Bigger Life After Surgery

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Register to Attend Free Live Sessions or Request a Free copy of NEW STEEL (quantities limited)

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Hip Replacement Recovery: Why “Going Slow” Is the Fastest Way to Heal Right

Hip replacement recovery isn’t a race—and trying to speed up your hip replacement surgery recovery timeline can quietly sabotage your results.

In this episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky breaks down the most overlooked recovery skill: going slow—especially during the first 6 months after hip replacement when your body is rebuilding strength, balance, and confidence.

Chris opens with a story from his MBA years—110 round-trip flights between Houston and Chicago—and a pilot who bragged he could beat the flight computer’s arrival time. In the air, speeding up can make sense. But in recovery from hip replacement, rushing rarely pays off. The “get back to normal fast” mindset fuels bad decisions: doing too much too soon, comparing yourself to people on social media, and letting ego drive your rehab.

If you’re asking, “How long does hip replacement recovery take?”

Chris argues that’s the wrong question—like kids on a road trip asking, “Are we there yet?”

Instead, ask: What can I do to get the best hip replacement recovery possible? Because recovery isn’t linear. Progress comes in waves—good weeks, sore days, plateaus, then breakthroughs—and that’s normal.

This episode tackles the real risks of rushing: lingering pain, swelling that won’t settle, poor movement patterns, compensations, and the dreaded limp after hip replacement that can stick around for months or years. Chris explains why athletes miss entire seasons with injuries and why even baseball pitchers build rest into performance—your body needs time to heal, adapt, and recover.

You’ll also hear practical guidance on physical therapy after hip replacement: form matters, patience matters, and “10 perfect reps beat 50 sloppy reps.” Plus, Chris shares red flags to watch for—sharp pains, ongoing limping, avoiding movements—and why slowing down doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means doing the right things at the right time for long-term success.

Go slow now, so you can go strong later.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Recovering From Setbacks After Hip Replacement | Hip Replacement Recovery

Setbacks after hip replacement surgery can happen days, months, or even years after surgery—and they can be frustrating, scary, and confusing.

In this episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky dives deep into recovering from setbacks after hip replacement and explains why aches, stiffness, and flare-ups don’t mean failure—or that something is wrong with your implant.

Chris is a double hip replacement patient (12+ and 10+ years post-surgery), IRONMAN triathlete, and author of NEW STEEL. Drawing from decades of life after hip replacement, he shares real-world insight into why recovery from hip replacement is not linear, why pain does not always equal damage, and how patients can regain control instead of panic when symptoms return.

This episode covers some of the most commonly searched concerns related to hip replacement recovery and hip surgery recovery, including:

• Why setbacks are normal—even long after hip replacement surgery
• Common triggers like standing too long, slow walking, travel, stress, and changes in routine
• How to identify what caused a setback instead of guessing or blaming the weather
• Muscle-related pain vs. implant problems after hip replacement
• IT band pain, stiffness, numbness, and leg discomfort after hip surgery
• Why stopping all activity after a setback can slow recovery
• How to safely keep moving while dialing back intensity
• Returning to foundational exercises, mobility, and physical therapy basics
• Using ice, heat, rest, stretching, and recovery tools wisely
• Managing fear, anxiety, and the mental side of hip replacement recovery
• How to rebuild strength and confidence gradually after a flare-up or setback
• When to seek help from a doctor or physical therapist

Chris also explains why living with a hip replacement means accepting recovery as a lifelong process—not something that ends at three months or one year. The goal isn’t to avoid setbacks, but to respond to them calmly, intelligently, and confidently so they don’t become your new normal.

This episode is for anyone:

• Recovering from hip replacement surgery
• Experiencing pain or stiffness after hip replacement
• Worried they “overdid it” after hip surgery
• Living an active life years after hip replacement
• Looking for perspective, reassurance, and practical guidance

This podcast does not provide medical advice. Instead, it offers experience-based insight, recovery strategies, and inspiration to help you move forward with confidence and live your best life.

If you’re searching for answers about hip replacement recovery, setbacks after hip surgery, or life after hip replacement, this episode will help you understand what’s happening—and what to do next.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Upper Body Strength After Hip Replacement: Safer Mobility, Fewer Falls, Faster Hip Replacement Recovery

The Hip Replacement Podcast – Upper Body Strength After Hip Replacement (Walker, Cane, Crutches & Fall Prevention)

The Hip Replacement Podcast – Hip Replacement Recovery: Upper Body Strength for Mobility, Confidence, and Safer Movement

Hip replacement recovery isn’t only about your hip.

In Episode 31 of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky explains why upper body strength is one of the most overlooked parts of hip replacement rehab—and how it can make total hip replacement recovery safer, smoother, and more confident.

If you’ve had hip replacement surgery (or you’re preparing for it), you already know the daily “reps” add up: sitting to standing, getting in and out of cars, using a walker, cane, or crutches, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, pushing doors, and staying steady when balance is shaky.

Chris breaks down how stronger arms, shoulders, back, core, and grip strength help you:
• Get up and down more safely (chairs, beds, toilets, cars)
• Reduce fall risk by stabilizing your torso and grabbing support quickly
• Use walking assistance devices with less fatigue and more control
• Improve posture and alignment so your hips, back, and knees take less stress
• Build independence and confidence so you stay active long-term

You’ll also get a simple definition of upper body strength, the muscle groups that matter most for hip replacement patients (arms, shoulders, chest, upper/mid-back, core stabilizers, forearms and grip), and easy, beginner-friendly ways to build strength without turning it into a complicated “gym thing.”

Chris shares practical options like no-weight movements, resistance bands, light dumbbells (or household items), plus simple grip tools to improve hand and forearm strength.

Bonus: If you want visuals for the bands, grip tools, and example movements (like wall push-ups, seated rows, shoulder work, and seated core bracing), check the YouTube version linked in the show notes.

Quick takeaway checklist for hip replacement rehabilitation:
• Prioritize grip strength: if your hands fatigue on a cane or walker, your whole system suffers.
• Train “push” and “pull” patterns: pushing up from chairs/bed and pulling yourself steady are everyday skills.
• Keep it consistent: 10 minutes, 2–4x per week beats one long workout that leaves you sore.
• Start where you are: before surgery, 6 weeks after surgery, 6 months after surgery—upper body strength still matters.
• Build for life after hip replacement: the goal isn’t just to “heal,” it’s to stay active, travel, play, and live without fear.

If you’ve been stuck thinking only about hip pain, hip stiffness, and hip range of motion, this episode will widen the lens and give you a practical strength-training approach that supports hip surgery recovery for the long haul.

This episode is motivational, practical, and focused on real life after hip replacement: protect your implant, move with confidence, and keep building a stronger body for the years ahead.

(This podcast shares education and personal experience, not medical advice—always follow your surgeon or physical therapist’s guidance.)

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

Watch episodes on YouTube here

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Hip replacement recovery during the holidays doesn’t have to set you back — if you know what to watch for.

Hip Replacement Recovery During the Holidays: 12 Must-Know Tips to Avoid Setbacks

Life After Hip Replacement: How to Protect Your New Hip During the Holiday Season

If you’re recovering from a hip replacement over the holidays, preparing for life after hip replacement surgery, or trying to protect your new hip during the holiday season, this episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast is essential listening.

The holidays are joyful — but they can also be exhausting, unpredictable, and risky for anyone navigating hip replacement recovery. Extra walking, standing, travel, unfamiliar seating, disrupted sleep, cold weather, slippery surfaces, and pressure to “do it all” can quietly derail your progress if you’re not careful.

In this episode, Chris Bystriansky — double hip replacement patient, endurance athlete, and host of The Hip Replacement Podcast — shares 12 practical, hip-friendly reminders (plus a bonus tip) to help you protect your new hip, avoid setbacks, and continue healing while still enjoying the holidays and get togethers, dinners or other events with family or friends.

Whether you are days, weeks, months, or years after hip replacement surgery, these reminders apply. Recovery doesn’t end when the surgeon signs off — especially during high-stress seasons like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and holiday travel.

You’ll learn how to:

• Put hip recovery first without guilt
• Manage standing, sitting, walking, and step count
• Navigate holiday travel and airports after hip replacement
• Reduce fall risk from snow, ice, wet floors, and cluttered homes
• Protect sleep, energy, and inflammation during recovery
• Handle emotional ups and downs after hip replacement surgery
• Ask for and accept help without feeling weak
• Avoid common holiday mistakes that cause pain weeks later

This episode is not about fear — it’s about smart recovery, long-term joint protection, and ensuring this holiday season doesn’t steal progress from your future mobility.

If you want to stay active, confident, and moving forward after hip replacement surgery, this episode gives you a clear, realistic framework to get through the holidays safely — and come out stronger on the other side.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Pool Therapy After Hip Replacement: Low-Impact Water Exercises for Faster Recovery, Strength, Mobility & Confidence

The Hip Replacement Podcast: Pool Therapy After Hip Replacement (Water Exercises for Mobility, Strength & Low-Impact Recovery)

The Hip Replacement Podcast: Aquatic Therapy for Hip Replacement Recovery (Swim, Walk, Stretch—Without Joint Pain)

Hip replacement recovery doesn’t end when the incision heals—it evolves into long-term strength, mobility, and confidence. In The Hip Replacement Podcast, Chris Bystriansky breaks down exactly why pool therapy after hip replacement can be one of the most effective (and underrated) tools for hip replacement rehab, pain-free movement, and rebuilding your active life.

If the idea of a pool makes you nervous—because you’re “not a swimmer,” you don’t like the water, or you feel self-conscious in a swimsuit—this episode is for you.

Chris explains how you can use water or aquatic therapy, water exercise, and simple pool-based movements to improve range of motion, increase hip mobility, build endurance, and reduce joint pounding.

The key advantage: the pool lets you move through a wider range of motion with less body weight on your joints, making it ideal for hip replacement recovery and ongoing joint-friendly fitness.

Chris shares why swimming (or even basic pool movement) can leave your body feeling better than almost anything else—better than a sauna, hot tub, massage, or cold plunge—because it combines cardio, strength, stretching, and mobility in one low-impact session.

You’ll also get practical safety notes for post-op hip replacement patients: when it’s safe to get in the water (incision healing), how to avoid slipping on the pool deck, and how to modify swimming so you can reduce strain (including gear that functions like “training wheels,” such as a pull buoy to reduce kicking).

Whether you’re using a pool for physical therapy, gentle water walking, aqua aerobics, or lap swimming, this episode gives you a realistic plan to get started—without needing to be “good at swimming.” If your goal is better hip replacement rehabilitation, less stiffness, improved hip mobility, and a more active lifestyle, the pool might be your secret weapon.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

Links to Pool toys*

• Goggles
• Swim Pull Buoy
• Kick Board
• Fins

*These are referral links. If you click these links and make a purchase, there is no additional cost to you but the seller may provide the podcast a small commission which supports the podcast. I have used each of these products for years and wouldn't recommend them if they did not work and provide real benefit.

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Hip replacement recovery, life after hip replacement, long-term hip replacement recovery, active life after hip replacement, and mindset after hip replacement surgery are at the heart of this powerful episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast.

Life After Hip Replacement: How to Achieve a Transcendent Recovery

Hip Replacement Recovery Reimagined: From Surgery to an Active, Fulfilled Life

In Episode 28, host Chris Bystriansky, double hip replacement patient, endurance athlete, and IRONMAN triathlete, challenges the most dangerous belief many patients carry after surgery:

• That recovery ends when physical therapy ends.

This episode is not about exercises alone. It’s about reclaiming confidence, identity, and momentum after hip replacement surgery — and refusing to let surgery define the rest of your life.

Many people heal physically after a hip replacement but remain mentally stuck. They shrink their lives out of fear, uncertainty, or low expectations. They stop traveling. They stop being active. They quietly accept a smaller version of life. In this episode, Chris explains why that happens — and how to break free from the patient mindset to experience what he calls a transcendent recovery.

A transcendent recovery goes beyond “back to normal.”

It’s about becoming stronger, more active, more confident, and more engaged in life than before surgery.

Chris shares his own journey from uncertainty and low expectations to completing IRONMAN triathlons, traveling confidently, staying active, and building a life that would have seemed impossible during early recovery.

You’ll learn why surgeons and physical therapists are experts in initial recovery, but not long-term life performance — and why what you do after you’re “signed off” matters most.

Chris outlines the four pillars of a transcendent recovery, including mentorship, environment, fundamentals, and intentional challenge — the same framework he used to rebuild his life.

This episode also introduces The New Hip Recovery Challenge, a structured experience designed for people who are healed but not fulfilled — those who know there’s more life to live after hip replacement surgery and want guidance, accountability, and a clear path forward.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Is this really as good as it gets?”
• “Can I still live an active, meaningful life after hip replacement?”
• “How do I rebuild confidence after surgery?”

This episode is for you.

Hip replacement surgery doesn’t mark the end of your story. It can become the moment everything changed — for the better.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

Learn more about the New Hip Recovery Challenge here.

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.

Cold plunges, hip replacement recovery, and staying active after surgery—what really works to reduce aches, pain, and inflammation

Cold Plunges After Hip Replacement: Reducing Pain, Inflammation, and Muscle Soreness

Cold Plunge Therapy for Hip Replacement Recovery, Joint Pain, and Staying Active

Hip replacement recovery, joint pain relief, and reducing aches and inflammation after surgery are common concerns for people living with a new hip—or even years after a hip replacement.

In this episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky, a double hip replacement patient more than a decade post-surgery, breaks down one powerful recovery tool that has helped him stay active, mobile, and pain-reduced: cold plunges.

If you’re dealing with hip replacement aches and pains, lingering soreness, stiffness, inflammation, or fatigue, this episode explores whether cold plunge therapy can support long-term hip replacement recovery and an active lifestyle.

Chris explains what a cold plunge is, how it works, and why cold exposure has become increasingly popular for joint recovery, muscle soreness, inflammation reduction, and overall physical resilience.

Rather than hype or theory, this episode focuses on real-world experience. Chris shares how consistent cold plunge use has helped reduce muscle soreness, improve energy, sharpen focus, elevate mood, and support recovery after walking, cycling, golf, and other low-impact activities that are common for hip replacement patients. He also explains how cold plunges may help reinforce mental toughness and recovery confidence—an often overlooked part of life after hip replacement surgery.

You’ll learn:

• What a cold plunge actually is and how cold plunge therapy works
• Potential benefits for hip replacement recovery, joint pain, and muscle soreness
• How cold exposure may reduce inflammation and speed recovery
• How to safely try cold plunges at home, in a hotel, or with simple DIY options
• Why consistent, low-impact recovery habits matter more than extreme workouts

This episode is especially helpful if you’re searching for:
hip replacement recovery tips, cold plunge benefits, reducing inflammation after surgery, joint pain relief, muscle soreness recovery, or staying active after a hip replacement.

Whether you’re early in recovery or many years post-surgery, this conversation encourages you to explore smart, sustainable tools that support long-term movement, energy, and confidence.

Cold plunges aren’t required—but for many people, they can be a valuable part of a bigger recovery and wellness strategy.

New hips. New you. Let’s go.

Thanks for joining THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST.

-Chris

LINKS & RESOURCES

Download my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients here

Get my book, NEW STEEL here - available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audio versions

For more information, or to send a question or comment, visit The Hip Replacement Podcast website

My Cold Plunge is the Long Pod and Pro Chiller from The Pod Company.

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If you liked this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us reach more hip replacement patients who need these insights and inspiration. Thanks for tuning into THE HIP REPLACEMENT PODCAST! See you next time.