Your surgeon may recommend that you do some regular pre-operative exercises. These are aimed mainly at strengthening your arms and shoulders to help you cope with crutches or a walker after surgery. Other exercises are designed to help you maintain the strength of your leg muscles and to ensure that you’re breathing properly.
Many people find it helpful to know what they will—and won’t—be able to do in the first days and weeks after ankle replacement surgery. While your Care Team at the hospital will educate you after your operation, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these rules (see How to protect your new ankle joint).