Hip strengthening and stretching..

[T40ORA]

The physiotherapist isn't interested in me anymore, 7 months after the hip replacement. All is well but as expected (or I think as expected) there is still a slight weakness in the hip and small amounts of discomfort.

I think that both these are as much due to the limited strength/flexibility that I had experienced over the previous years, despite training and running as usual.

I am going skiing in just under three weeks time, so I am looking at balancing my 'new' hip with the other one. I am using the cross trainer, just started using the treadmill (forefoot striking/minimalist style) and have been squatting/deadlifting.

But I am after some specific hip stretches and exercises just for the operated upon hip to iron out the little niggles.

Any of you physio type people out there suggest some specific things to do, or links to specific YouTube videos?

BTW my Consultant did say that it would be OK for me to ski again towards the end of the season, hence my trip.

TIA.

[goldblum]

Most,but not all, of the major leg muscles have their origin attachment on the pelvic girdle somewhere so any normal quad/hamstring stretch will also loosen the hip.

Don't forget glutes.

[T40ORA]

OK, thanks.

I always have trouble with Glut stretches though, as it never feels like I'm working the muscle in question. Always feels like lower back or hamstrings.

[goldblum]

Anything involving a deep squat-like movement or lunge.Hold for at least 30 secs.

And this:

[T40ORA]

Thanks.

[Cheib]

Presumably you've been shown the hip flexor stretch by the physio ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKFJOTk-cUE

You can also do it with front foot up on some stairs which can get deeper.

You also need to stretch your quads, hamststrings and IT bands.

The best stretch for quads I have come across is this and probably will be tight to start with....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfcmBh-2nH4

For IT band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw

That IT band on a roller can be very,very sore....but it does get better you can eventually work up so that your entire weight is taken on your IT band. You can either get a polystryrene roller or a rubber one...if you haven't done it before the rubber one will be too hard.

[T40ORA]

Cheib said:

Presumably you've been shown the hip flexor stretch by the physio ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKFJOTk-cUE

You can also do it with front foot up on some stairs which can get deeper.

You also need to stretch your quads, hamststrings and IT bands.

The best stretch for quads I have come across is this and probably will be tight to start with....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfcmBh-2nH4

For IT band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw

That IT band on a roller can be very,very sore....but it does get better you can eventually work up so that your entire weight is taken on your IT band. You can either get a polystryrene roller or a rubber one...if you haven't done it before the rubber one will be too hard.

Thanks for these. I may hold off on the one with the rubber roller; I have one, but my consultant told me to avoid deep muscle massage until the year is up and I'm not sure how much pressure that exercise will put on the scar tissue.

I also have to be careful for the next 5 months about stretching/stressing my left leg/hip across the central boy line to the right as apparently this can cause dislocation.

TBH I doubt that I run much risk of that now, but better to be safe than sorry.

I will definitely use those in the first two clips - off to the gym for a leg workout shortly, so today is a good time to start.

As I am preparing for skiing the weight that I am shifting is low and the reps are higher, and I am favouring deadlifts (albeit with a Smith machine as there are no bars) to squats to work the core and back more.

[Cheib]

This is a great exercise for skiing....really gets you ready for the thigh burn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFGxEIyQ-Sw

Obviously you need to do it much slower than that but it give you the idea. Once you get down hold yourself in that position for 20 seconds or so with weight equally distributed between both legs. After 20 seconds or so start moving your weight left and right as you would when skiing.....best thing I have found for replicating the thigh burn.

Obviously no idea whether that works with your rehab programme.

[Hoofy]

Are deadlifts wise if you're still recovering from an operation? I would have thought something like yoga or pilates might be a safer bet.

Oh, you can try dumbbell deadlifts and squats if you really want the extra weight.

[LordGrover]

Bill!

[T40ORA]

Cheib said:

This is a great exercise for skiing....really gets you ready for the thigh burn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFGxEIyQ-Sw

Obviously you need to do it much slower than that but it give you the idea. Once you get down hold yourself in that position for 20 seconds or so with weight equally distributed between both legs. After 20 seconds or so start moving your weight left and right as you would when skiing.....best thing I have found for replicating the thigh burn.

Obviously no idea whether that works with your rehab programme.

I'm working away next week, no access to a gym, so I will be doing some of these. Along with Hindu squats and kick squats (kick on rising from squat), and Bulgarian squats without weights. I've just identified a weakness in the muscle in the front/top of the left thigh (soas??) which I need to work on too.

Hoofy said:

Are deadlifts wise if you're still recovering from an operation? I would have thought something like yoga or pilates might be a safer bet.

Oh, you can try dumbbell deadlifts and squats if you really want the extra weight.

The Consultant told me months ago I would be OK to do these, and the physio was qui0te happy. I'm only loading on 75kg (I weigh between 68kg and 74kg depending on how naughty I have been.

LordGrover said:

Bill!

Just looked the profile, and yes please Bill! Happy to cross your palm with silver if you think I need a proper session...

[Hoofy]

Fair enough! They know you're using 75kg, right?

Re bulgarian squats, why not use dbs, too?

[T40ORA]

Hoofy said:

Fair enough! They know you're using 75kg, right?

Re bulgarian squats, why not use dbs, too?

I told them body weight and there was no issue. At least I think that I did.

I was fit to start with, and the recovery was very quick......

I use 10kg dumbs for the Bulgarian squats. After the deadlifts and leg curls,that amount of weight works very well!

[Hoofy]

Well, hope it helps with your skiing.

[T40ORA]

Hoofy said:

Well, hope it helps with your skiing.

Think I will need a miracle for this, or failing that a shed load of lesson

[The_Doc]

goldblum said:

Anything involving a deep squat-like movement or lunge.Hold for at least 30 secs.

And this:

DON'T DO THIS ONE WITH YOUR HIP REPLACEMENT.

You risk dislocation in deep flexion.

I'm sure you were told to banish deep sofa's and very low chairs from the house to eliminate the knee going above the hip.



You don't have to be quite this strict, but that picture of the hip flexed at 130degrees is not advised

Edited by The_Doc on Friday 10th February 11:12

[T40ORA]

The_Doc said:

Helpful stuff.

For how long? My Consultant indicated 12 months before I can perform real deep stretches, but my physio said that that type of stretch shown there is OK but taking the knee across the centre of the body is dangerous..... Do you recommend different?

[goldblum]

The_Doc said:

goldblum said:

Anything involving a deep squat-like movement or lunge.Hold for at least 30 secs.

And this:

DON'T DO THIS ONE WITH YOUR HIP REPLACEMENT.

You risk dislocation in deep flexion.

I'm sure you were told to banish deep sofa's and very low chairs from the house to eliminate the knee going above the hip.



You don't have to be quite this strict, but that picture of the hip flexed at 130degrees is not advised

Edited by The_Doc on Friday 10th February 11:12

Lol I was wondering when some sanity of a medical nature would creep into the discussion.

My father had an HR and was warned not to do ANY stretching for quite a while!

[T40ORA]

goldblum said:

Lol I was wondering when some sanity of a medical nature would creep into the discussion.

My father had an HR and was warned not to do ANY stretching for quite a while!

Well it is 7 months now, so quite a while already. But it seems that the one year mark is the magic place to get to, but it seems just an arbitrary benchmark.

It's interesting; I want medical advice, but it does seem to be a bit variable in content. I would rather err on the side of caution so will steer clear of the possibly dangerous stretches. But for how long?

Also, the height of seats thing - I was told that I would have to worry about that only for the first 3 months. I even had to use a bloody extension thing to raise the seat of the toilet!

[goldblum]

T40ORA said:

goldblum said:

Lol I was wondering when some sanity of a medical nature would creep into the discussion.

My father had an HR and was warned not to do ANY stretching for quite a while!

Well it is 7 months now, so quite a while already. But it seems that the one year mark is the magic place to get to, but it seems just an arbitrary benchmark.

It's interesting; I want medical advice, but it does seem to be a bit variable in content. I would rather err on the side of caution so will steer clear of the possibly dangerous stretches. But for how long?

Also, the height of seats thing - I was told that I would have to worry about that only for the first 3 months. I even had to use a bloody extension thing to raise the seat of the toilet!

If you're in anyway competitive,as you obviously are,it can be very frustrating after injury/op taking time to get back to fitness..

and of course certain people progress more quickly than others,a factor you average doc ignores in favour,quite rightly,of caution.