Hip-Exercises in water Level 1 - www.rememberyourbody.com

All photos taken courtesy of Herongate Leisure centre Hungerford

Exercise programs written by Victoria Kerr Davies

Photography Cayford Media

Early Pool exercises following Total hip Replacement or other Hip surgery

WARM UP:

Walk forwards, backwards and sideways across the pool with even size steps x 2 in each direction

Do not use your hands.

Then standing facing the side of the pool, place your hands on the side to aid balance.

Gradually reduce the support as your strength and confidence builds over the next 2-4 weeks.

Stand tall with your weight evenly distributed.

Perform each exercise smoothly and slowly ten times.

Marching on the spot

Bring alternate knee to chest and down, allowing the water to aid upward movement.

Make sure you stand up tall do not dip.

Move alternate straight leg out to the side keeping toes pointing forward ( lead with the heel) and keep pelvis pointing straight to the wall.

Hip Extension

Stretch alternate straight leg out behind. Do not lean forward.

Knee bends

Bend alternate knee backwards keeping the thigh still to bring your heel towards your bottom.

In the same position as the exercise above

With the knee held bent behind you with toes pointing to bottom of pool, push back to feel stretch in front of thigh. Do not lean forward.

Squats

Stand feet slightly apart with them flat on the floor and weight evenly placed.

Squat down and slowly up.

Tiptoes

Squeeze buttocks and go up onto tiptoes and down.

Sideways lunges

Place feet wide apart. Keep facing the wall. Stretch sideways by allowing the side you are going towards to bend and keeping the other leg straight. (Going to right, right knee will bend, left leg remains straight) You should feel the stretch on the inside of the thigh of the straight leg.

Now stand sideways with one hand on the pool side to aid balance. Gradually reduce support as your strengthened confidence improves.

Keep standing up tall at all times

Repeat all these exercises facing both ways working with the leg furthest from the pool wall.

Perform each exercise x 10 smoothly and slowly.

Leg swings

Stretch straight leg out behind and swing leg forward and backward, keeping upper body still.

Cycling

Cycling action with leg keeping the upper body still.

Knee extension

Bring your hip up towards a right angle and bend knee to 90 degrees. Keeping the hip bent now straighten and bend your knee.

Place one foot forward, as in taking a step, keeping upper body still, transfer weight forward, keeping knee straight and foot flat on floor, knee of back leg should bend and heel come off the floor (your weight at this point should be on the front leg)

Now transfer weight back by straightening the bent knee and putting heel onto the floor, the toes of the front leg with lift up.

Take a long step forward, lunge onto front leg allowing the knee to bend and keeping back leg straight

The next set of exercises only to be done if you are a swimmer or confident in water.

Float with the support of water aids or float out from the pool steps.

Lying on your back

Alternately push your straight leg down towards the bottom of the pool and back up.

With straight legs push them apart, keeping toes pointing to the ceiling, then pull straight legs together to bring inside of feet to touch.

Bicycling legs

Do not go further than 90 degrees hip bend

Lying on your front

Alternate straight leg down and up keeping body level and do not rock.

Lying on your front push straight legs apart keeping toes pointing to bottom of the pool then bring the straight legs together to bring heels and feet to touch.

Then Bicycling legs on your front