Does anyone know any really effective hip strengthening pool exercises please? Or links to anything online?
Thanks,
Josh
Josh-
Almost any pool related exercise will be beneficial and low impact. As soon as I was released to fully submerge in the pool I began with walking laps. The resistance of the water helped strengthen the front leg muscles esp. the quads/sartorius [which had been problematic] and THR. Walking backwards seemed to work the glutes. I didn't yet have the stability in the joint to flutter kick effectively but found using swim fins both slowed my kick down while assisting velocity but esp. provided an added resistance I found very beneficial for strength and recovery.
Outside the pool, a tip from a member here gave me possibly the most help: The Bosu ball. Doing squats starting with a stick/pole for balance and working up from there to single leg partial squats probably did more to re-establish balance, strength and recovery of the hips and legs than anything else.
I'm sure there's something you can google, or you can ask your physical therapist. What I did, in addition to swimming, were various exercises that can be done out of the water, but are much easier in the water, especially in the early stages of recovery. I did things like the three way hip, heel raises, calf stretching, etc. Definitely helpful for strengthening. I also walked laps in the pool as my pool has a walking channel.