Darcey Bussell has opened up about her recent hip surgery and how important it is for her to keep fit. The 46-year-old retired from dancing professionally in 2007 and has been a judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing since 2012. Despite having retired seven years ago, Bussell is still coping with the physical strain ballet placed on her body but her recent hip resurfacing has made a huge difference to her life.

Darcey BussellDarcey Bussell at the photocall of The Car Man in July 2015.

See Pictures Of Darcey Bussell At The Launch Of Strictly Come Dancing 2015 In September 2015.

Bussell became an international sensation when in 1989, at the age of 20, she became the youngest ever principal dancer at the Royal Ballet. She went on to dance with the New York City Ballet, the Kirov Ballet and the Paris Ballet Opera. Throughout the course of her career, Bussell was well aware the havoc dancing could wreck on her body.

Bussell has had a number of operations, including two operations on her ankles and surgeries to repair a torn hamstring and snapped anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. 20 years ago she was told her hip bones were only 50% as strong as they should be for a woman of her age.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Bussell discussed her most recent operation. Last year, Bussell underwent a hip resurfacing and now says she feels “great”. 

“I had the resurfacing because I was too young to have a replacement,” Bussell added. “A lot of retired ballerinas have [hip replacements] but they usually wait until they are in their 60s, not 40s. I just think, look, how lucky are we that we can have titanium put in our bodies and it do wonders.”

However, Bussell was keen to point out that not all ballerinas suffer as many injuries as she had. It’s entirely dependent on an individual’s body. 

“I was incredibly supple and did gymnastics as well,” Bussell continued. “So half of my injuries are because I am over-supple and the joints could always go that little bit further. But I was happy to push and I have no regrets. That is important to say. It’s not a horror show. My body feels great now.”

Bussell also explained how important it was for her to keep fit after retiring from ballet dancing.

“Ever since I’ve given up dancing, every physiotherapist or pilates teacher has said you have to keep moving,” Bussell revealed. “If I don’t I’ll have a hundred times more injuries because you get weak areas on your body. Looking after myself is something I probably have to be much more conscious of than the average person.”

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