The Hip Replacement Podcast – Episode 7 - Transcript
Welcome to The Hip Replacement Podcast, where recovery meets motivation and healing leads to a whole new lifestyle.
I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m an author, athlete, and double hip replacement patient. I’ve been through the surgeries, the setbacks, and the comebacks — and I’m here to help you do the same.
Each week, I’ll bring you tips, tools, expert advice, and inspiring stories to help you take back your life one step at a time.
Thanks for joining The Hip Replacement Podcast. New hips, new you. Let’s go.
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Welcome back to The Hip Replacement Podcast. I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m about 10 years past one of my hip replacement surgeries and about 12 years past the other. I’ve learned a lot, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned over the last 10 to 12 years.
We’ve got something great today. In this episode, I’m going to share the tools I’ve used throughout recovery — both during the initial recovery (especially the first couple of months after surgery) and the tools I still use today.
I’ve got stuff all around me, and I refer to these as “toys” — recovery toys.
I’m going to describe everything as clearly as I can, but this is also a great opportunity to mention that we now have a YouTube channel. Some of you may already be watching there, but if you’re listening on a podcast platform, you can watch the video and actually see everything I’m talking about.
Either way, I’ll also put links in the show notes so you can check out the items.
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A lot of these things I’ve used for years. Some were essential right after surgery, and others I picked up later. And I want to emphasize this: don’t get overwhelmed.
It’s not like I bought all of this in one day. This is the result of 10 to 12 years of trial and error — building a toolkit to support recovery and keep aches and pains under control.
Also, many of these tools were used on me in the physical therapy clinic. A lot of what I’m sharing came directly from physical therapists, trainers, or other experience I’ve had along the way.
So let’s get into it.
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Stretch #1: Hanging leg hip flexor / quad stretch (using a table, bed, or dresser)
One of the best stretches I learned came straight from physical therapy.
I had the anterior approach for both hip replacements, meaning the surgeon went through the front. I stay active — walking, jogging, cycling, golfing — and the front of my hips gets tight. The front of my legs gets stiff too. I’ve always had strong legs, and I have to stretch that area consistently.
In physical therapy, I would lie on a table on my back, scoot toward the edge, and let one leg hang down. That stretch hits the front of the leg, up through the hip, and even into the abdomen. It’s fantastic.
I still do it almost every day — maybe two minutes on one side, two minutes on the other.
At home, I’ve used my kitchen table for years, but I eventually realized that maybe I shouldn’t keep lying on the kitchen table. I’m about 220 pounds, and I probably did that one too many times.
Now I use a dresser in the bedroom. I sit up on it, rotate, and let one leg hang down.
You can also do a version of this on the side of a bed, but many beds aren’t high enough for the leg to hang all the way down.
And a quick note: don’t do this stretch unless you’re far enough past surgery or you’ve been cleared by a physical therapist. Also, don’t hang too far off the edge — you can fall. I keep maybe 25% of my body off the edge, not half.
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Tool #2: Stretch strap (looped stretching strap)
Some people aren’t comfortable letting the leg drop all the way down, especially early after surgery — and that’s completely valid.
That’s where tool number two comes in: a stretching strap.
Mine is a long strap with loops all along it. I got the idea from physical therapists and then bought one online.
This was one of the most important tools I used early after surgery. You can use it to help lower your leg gently off a bed, table, or dresser for the stretch. More importantly, right after surgery, I used it like a lasso around my foot to help me get in and out of bed by lifting my leg slowly and safely.
For the first six months after surgery, this strap was indispensable. I still use it today occasionally, especially for rotational stretches.
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Tool #3: Tiger Tail roller (handheld rolling pin-style muscle roller)
Next is a tool I used in physical therapy, then bought for home: a handheld roller with handles. In the clinic, physical therapists would press it into my legs and roll out the muscles — like rolling dough with a rolling pin.
At first it hurt, but eventually it felt amazing. It helped with tightness and inflammation.
At home, it works well because you can control the pressure. Over time, though, I needed something that could dig deeper, and that’s when I moved to foam rollers.
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Tool #4: Foam rollers (multiple types)
I’ve used several foam rollers over the years.
The first was a basic smooth foam roller. It’s good, but I bought one that was way too long — 36 inches. Around 24 inches is usually plenty.
I use foam rollers for the front of the legs, IT bands, back of the legs, and other muscle groups — not joints. Never roll directly on the hip joint, knee, or ankle. These are for muscles only.
As my flexibility improved and my muscles needed deeper pressure, I upgraded to a spiked roller — a rumble roller. It has knobs that dig in deeper and provide a much faster stretch. It’s painful at first, but once you get used to it, it feels incredibly effective.
I also have a smaller travel version that fits in a suitcase.
So in total, I use:
• A smooth foam roller
• A spiked rumble roller (extra firm)
• A small travel rumble roller
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Tool #5: Garmin watch (tracking distance + heart rate)
This next one surprised me. I’m not a huge tech guy, and I didn’t think I needed a smart watch.
A coach suggested I get a Garmin when I trained for my first IRONMAN. I resisted because I had an old Timex that worked fine.
But once I started using the Garmin, I was blown away by how helpful it was — distance, location, heart rate, tracking workouts, seeing progress over time. It made me more motivated because I could actually see what I was doing.
Another reason I like Garmin: their customer service was phenomenal.
During an IRONMAN swim, I hit a wall and cracked the watch glass. Garmin replaced it for a small fee and got it to me quickly before my next race. Years later, when a small band loop tore, they shipped replacements for free.
You don’t have to train for an endurance event to benefit from tracking your walking distance, heart rate, and activity progress.
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Tool #6: Vibrating foam roller (Hyperice Vyper)
Now we get into the bigger tools.
One of my favorites is a short, hard roller that you can turn on — and it vibrates. The vibration helps loosen muscles and go after knots in the quadriceps, IT bands, and calves.
This is the Hyperice Vyper (mine is 2.0 — newer versions likely exist).
Again, muscles only — keep it away from joints. But the vibration in the muscles can feel incredible.
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Tool #7: Percussion massager (Hyperice Hypervolt)
Next is a percussion massager — it looks like a cordless drill. It comes with multiple attachments and allows you to target sore areas precisely.
I use this almost every day for a couple minutes:
• IT bands
• quadriceps
• calves
• lower legs
Mine is a Hyperice Hypervolt Plus. I chose it for power and battery life, and it’s been fantastic. I’ve taken it to endurance events and love having it on hand.
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Tool #8: Normatec compression boots
The biggest tool I use at home is a set of Normatec compression boots.
I first saw these at an endurance event called 29029 (a mountain climbing event). They had a recovery room where people used these boots to refresh their legs.
The boots have air pockets that inflate and compress the legs. After 10–20 minutes, my legs felt noticeably better — more circulation, less heaviness, and in my experience, reduced soreness.
I liked them so much that I bought a set for home. I use them about once a week, usually while sitting in a recliner watching TV with my family.
You can adjust the pressure and duration, and they’re incredibly comfortable.
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So those are the tools I’ve used:
• A table/bed/dresser for the hanging leg stretch
• A stretching strap
• A Tiger Tail roller
• Multiple foam rollers (smooth + spiked + travel)
• A Garmin watch
• A vibrating roller (Hyperice Vyper)
• A percussion massager (Hyperice Hypervolt)
• Normatec compression boots
Many of these are also eligible for HSA or FSA funds, depending on your plan.
I’ll include links in the show notes. Some may be affiliate links — meaning there’s no extra cost to you, but it supports the podcast. I bought and paid for all of these products myself and have used them for years, which is why I’m sharing them. They work.
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I know this was a longer episode, but I hope it gave you some useful ideas and helped you build your own recovery toolkit over time.
Thanks again for listening to The Hip Replacement Podcast. We’re on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube — links are in the show notes.
Until next time, I wish you the best recovery possible.
Take care.
