Hips

To remove interference by Youtube videos, find the red line at the bottom of the swim video, drag it to the left, click ‘more videos’ or the two vertical bars on the left and then click x at the top right of the interference.

Hips are the joints between your spine and your legs. So you should not be surprised if you find exercises for your spine and your legs are included in this selection. Some problems with hips are caused by long term overweight. So pay attention to this as long as you can to stop it becoming a problem.

If you want to learn about the hip joint you will exercise, click here and then scroll down until you reach the section on Hips.

1 Warm up by walking gently

Warming up exercises: Walking forwards, swinging arms (opposite arms and leg like marching. Walking sideways with straight knees. Walking backwards with straight knees. 

2 Walking on the spot

Stand up with your back straight. Then walk swinging your arms a long way as if you were marching briskly.

3 Lower back stretch

This is also a warm up exercise to get your hips moving and develop balance.

4 Side step warm up

The sideways step is to warm up and improve a sense of balance.

5 Lunges

Place your weaker leg or hip in front. Lunge forward and bend the front leg as much as possible. Then stretch the front leg pushing your weight in to the rear leg. This will stretch your hamstring muscles. The water will give you support.

6 Sideways walk with high leg action

Falling over and breaking your bones can be an unhappy turning point for the elderly. A high leg action reduces the chance of tripping over something. Practise lifting your leg high when moving from side to side. Turn round and practise the other leg. Greater strength and higher lift can be learned when flippers or some other resistance is practised

7 Sit to stand

Getting up from an armchair many elderly find difficult. It is easier to develop with the buoyancy of the water. Lean forward and then push with your knees. Practise this motion 10 times and it will be easier at home.

8 Leg swing for hip strength

Swinging from the bottom step is easiest, but you can only swing in one direction. Although this makes the hip work, try to feel the rest of your leg feel relaxed and free, not rigid.

9 Weak leg step up

Step up with your weaker leg to the second step from the bottom if you can; otherwise be content with the bottom step. Step down to the floor again with your stronger leg or knee first. The water buoys you up and the handrail can give you confidence that you won’t fall over.

10 Leg swing with resistance

It is clear that swinging your leg in any direction will exercise your hip. Make sure you don’t graze your foot on the bottom. Wearing a flipper demands more strength and balance. So hold the bar as necessary. Although this requires strength in the hip, it is good if the rest of your leg can be flexible and relaxed.

11 Step up with resistance

From the floor of the pool step up, with your weaker leg, to the bottom but one step. If that is too far, content yourself with the bottom step. When your step back, lead with your stronger leg. Greater strength is demanded if you wear flippers. Make sure you feel your feet firmly placed on the step. Don’t slip off.

12 Hip mobility with Floats

Walk forwards with heels first touching the floor. Walking backwards land on your toes. Then sideways and come back with your foot crossing over the other. All the time balance is preserved with the help of floats.

13 Strengthen legs with noodle

This exercise for strengthen in the knee is also good for your hip. Hold the two ends of a noodle. Try to entrap the middle of the noodle between your foot and the floor. This is tricky when your hands are busy; so why not ask someone to help? To trap it firmly pull the Noodle ends upwards. Then raise your knee to a right angle and push the noodle to the floor again. Repeat 10 times or as many appropriate.

14 Develop hip and leg flexibility

Lift your knee as high as you can. The stretch your leg. Hold it as long as you can. Then lower your stretched leg and toes pointing upward, slowly lower your leg until its heel strikes the floor of the pool. If you wear a flipper, this is a tough exercise.

15 Hip mobility and low back pain relief

Place one, two or three noodles under your bottom or upper thighs; and swing from side to side. A variation is to place one foot above the other or further in that direction so as gently to twist your hips and lower spine. If twisting to one side causes any pain, do this the other side and it may release that pain by un-pinching a nerve in your lower spine.

16 Lateral spine flexibility

Stand up straight. Keep that posture and twist as vigorously as you like, but do nothing to cause pain. A good variation of this exercise is gradually bend forwards swinging gently from side to side.

17 Hip, knee, power leg kicks

Place noodle under your upper thigh. Kick both legs together from the knee.

18 Knee strength, agility

Jog and jump not only for agility, but to cause some vibration up the leg when you land. In time this will give strength to your bones.

19 High Knee stretch

Lift your leg sideways as high as you comfortably can. Hold on to the side of the pool. Then slowly with control, turn your body to face your knee. In this example, the leg is raised so high, it is on the pool side ! You don’t have to go to that extreme !

20 Lateral Leg kicks for Hips

Grasp a bar and swing both legs, one after the other, backwards and forwards. Stand on a plinth or rectangular float for height to clear the bottom of the pool. To gain strength, tie something to your ankle.

21 Body twist

Stand up straight. Stretch forward linking your hands. Swing gently as far as you can go, first to one side, then to the other. For strength, hold a vertical float pushing the wave as you go.

22 Side Bend

Stand up straight with your shoulders well back. Slide your hands down your side until your shoulder in under the water. Bends the knees if necessary. For extra resistance, push a float down.

23 Walking with resistance to test balance

Stand up straight. Walk forwards, backwards and sideways slowly lifting your knee more than seems natural. This will work your hip and thigh muscles. Use floats to maintain balance