I'm just home from the hospital after having a total knee replacement. The home health nurse suggested I wear a pedometer for a few weeks to see how much walking I'm doing everyday. Right now the days seem so long, a week seems like forever. Wouldn't one day be enough to tell?
Studies show that at least four days are needed to record enough activity level to be equal to a week's worth of data. Since you're just starting out after surgery you should find that activities and movement get easier with every new day.
Your pedometer will show you how many steps you are taking each day. During rehab that information can help in two ways. First it will encourage you to walk more tomorrow than you did today. And second it will help you see over time how much more you're doing that you couldn't do the first week.
Most people find it's a lot of fun to keep track of their steps. Some folks even put up a map of their city, state, or country and chart an imaginary course based on how much they've walked each week. Imagine knowing you walked the equivalent of a hike from coast to coast over a five-year period of time!
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