Return to normal walking?

[Catrin]

The hip flexor stretch Emily suggested is great and bridging with something to squeeze between your knees is great too. The idea is that whatever you are squeezing keeps your hips in neutral alignment, a yoga block works well. These both help with hip flexor tightness. Here's another, more neutral example of the same stretch.

I've tried to find a video to illustrate an exercise I have my patients do where they walk with a theraband wrapped around their leg all the way up to the waist to facilitate normal gait, but I can't find one. I may have to make a video myself. eeeeek. It's really hard to teach patients in person, I'm not sure it's possible to describe. You take a really long piece of firm (blue or stronger) theraband. Step on the band at the half way point. pull the band tight +++ and cross it in front of the ankle. Pull the band tight +++ and cross it behind the knee. Keep pulling tight and cross it in front of the hip, then tie it around your waist. With the theraband on like this and walking around, it will help you relearn how to coordinate your muscle activation patterns to bend appropriately when you lift your foot to step forward and also to activate the extensors when you're standing on that leg.

Thanks Wahine, I was trying to picture it from your description. I do have a yoga block at home so can add that to my hip bridges. Interesting, yesterday I was back at my gym and I tried the ArcTrainer for 15 minutes at an easy level to see if my knee would tolerate it. That's the only cardio - based machine that my knee has tolerated the most, all other elliptical-type machines are torture. It is just different enough and I noticed for the first time that something about the stride carry-through is stretching my hip flexors. I need to be cautious as not to overdo it but that's hopeful. I just need something for cardio that doesn't involve kettlebells. I can, and do, use them for that but I need to balance it out so I don't really blow my shoulders out.

My coach is meeting me Friday for a lengthy screening to determine exactly what I can do at the gym without impacting my various broken bits. Outside of being a kick-azz kettlebell competition coach (who is still competing at 69), he has also specialized for a long time on the "aging athelete" and how best to work around "stuff" to meet goals. He calls it like he sees it. I just want to stay active and regain some of my lost fitness and strength since my most recent injury. It's frustrating as it seems my range of activities seem to keep shrinking but I won't give up!