Episode 15 - Blocking or Scheduling Time For Our Health

August 14, 2025

Hip replacement recovery doesn’t limit your health—it can become the reason you get in the best shape of your life.

How to Get in the Best Shape of Your Life After Hip Replacement Surgery | Scheduling Health for Long-Term Recovery

Hip replacement recovery, health after hip replacement, and life after hip replacement surgery don’t end when physical therapy stops—they begin when you intentionally schedule your health.

In this episode of The Hip Replacement Podcast, host Chris Bystriansky, a double hip replacement patient and endurance athlete, breaks down a simple but powerful concept that can completely change your recovery and long-term health: blocking and scheduling time for your health after hip replacement surgery.

Many people believe hip replacement surgery limits what they can do. In reality, it can become the wake-up call that leads to the healthiest, strongest, and most active years of your life—even in your 50s, 60s, or 70s.

Chris shares how he went from hip replacement surgery to becoming healthier than ever by treating his health like a non-negotiable appointment. This episode focuses on practical, realistic strategies for hip replacement patients who want to improve strength, mobility, flexibility, energy, and confidence without overtraining or risking injury.

You’ll learn why waiting for motivation doesn’t work, how action creates momentum, and how even 10–15 minutes a day of intentional movement can transform your recovery and overall well-being. Chris explains how to remove mental friction by deciding ahead of time what your health block looks like—walking, cycling, strength training, stretching, or yoga—so you’re not relying on willpower in the moment.

This episode is especially valuable for anyone struggling with:

Staying consistent with exercise after hip replacement
Fear of movement or “doing too much” after surgery
Using age or joint replacement as an excuse to stop improving health
Low energy, stiffness, or loss of confidence after recovery

Whether you’re weeks, months, or years after hip replacement surgery, this conversation will help you reframe recovery, build sustainable habits, and reclaim control of your health—one scheduled block at a time.

Hip replacement surgery doesn’t define your future. What you do with your time does.

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

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Episode Transcript

Episode 15 – Blocking Time for Our Health

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 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.
________________________________________
Welcome back to the Hip Replacement Podcast. I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m a two-time hip replacement patient—one surgery more than 10 years ago and the other more than 12 years ago—and I’m here to share my experiences with you.

Today’s topic is incredibly important because it has everything to do with our health. Let me start with a simple question:

What if you could be in the best shape of your life?

And I don’t mean the best shape of your life after hip replacement surgery. I mean the best shape of your life—ever—despite having a hip replacement. And yes, that is absolutely possible.
I’ve seen people go from barely being able to walk after hip replacement surgery to dramatically improving their health. I don’t want to pat myself on the back too much, but I’ve done things after hip replacement surgery that I never thought I’d be able to do—or even want to do. Despite the surgery, you and I can go on to live incredibly healthy lives, even healthier than before surgery.

You can be lighter, stronger, and more flexible in your 50s, 60s, or 70s than you ever were earlier in life. It takes time and effort, but it is completely possible.

So here’s the next question: If you can be in the best shape of your life, what’s stopping you?
Is it fear of doing the work? Are we using age as an excuse? Are we using hip replacement surgery as an excuse—telling ourselves, “This is just how it is now”?

Or are we using our age, our surgery, or our challenges as fuel—as motivation to strengthen, stretch, exercise, and take care of ourselves?

Maybe hip replacement surgery isn’t a curse. Maybe it’s a wake-up call—a reminder to finally prioritize our health in a way we should have been doing all along.

I’ll be honest—I’m guilty. I’ve eaten things I shouldn’t have eaten and drank things I shouldn’t have drunk. But hip replacement surgery motivated me to take my health seriously. I don’t know how long my hips, heart, lungs, or bones will last, so I choose to invest in them now.
In many ways, I’ve used my hip replacements as a “get out of jail free” card.

Sorry, I’m not going to the bar—I’m working out.
Sorry, I can’t sit all day—I need to go for a walk or ride my bike.

You can do the same.
People who seem disciplined and healthy aren’t special—they work at it. They schedule it. They prioritize it. And hip replacement patients can do the exact same thing.
You don’t need to train for hours a day. What you do need is consistency.

Here’s what has worked for me:

First—schedule it.
Put your health on your calendar. Treat it like a doctor’s appointment. If it’s scheduled, you’ll show up.

Second—be specific.
Don’t just schedule “exercise.” Decide ahead of time: walking, biking, weights, yoga, stretching—whatever it is.

Third—just start.
Ugly is okay. My yoga looks terrible. It always has. But I show up. Perfection doesn’t matter—starting does.

Fourth—start small.
Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. Starting is the key to finishing.

Fifth—be consistent.
Even on bad days, do something. Consistency builds confidence.

And here’s the big mindset shift: Don’t wait for motivation.
Action comes first. Motivation follows.

If you act today—even for 10 minutes—you’re more likely to act tomorrow. Momentum builds. Success feeds success.

When we block time for our health—on our calendar and in our mind—we give ourselves permission to prioritize what matters most. Not just our hips, but our entire body and our future quality of life.

I want the energy to spend time with my kids, my wife, my friends. I want to travel, golf, move, and enjoy life at a high level. That requires taking care of my health.

So block the time. Give yourself grace. Show up—even when it’s messy.

Thanks so much for tuning in to The Hip Replacement Podcast. Until next time, I wish you the best recovery possible.

Take care.

Episode 15 - Blocking or Scheduling Time For Our Health

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