Morning hippies and hippies to be!
just a quick question... How is everyone learning to walk again? I'm 5 weeks today and yesterday I managed to walk up and down my stairs without crutches "normal" taking proper steps, a little hard coming up but never the less! But my problem now is how do you shake this blinking penguin walk or should I say waddle?
It's driving me insane!
happy Tuesday everybody
linzi x
Hi Linzi
It's a good feeling isn't it?? My physio had me taking steps up and down last week and so now I am up and down stairs as 'normal'.
But re your walk/waddle - is it the operated leg that you're going lower/over on? And is that because it's actually a leg length thing, or is it that you're not feeling so confident on that leg, do you think?
Worth finding out whether it might be not a leg thing really.... again talking to my physio, he said that pre-op I had been 'walking with my back' rather than my bad hipped leg - using the back to swing the leg round... and that I would have to 'learn to walk again' using the leg/hip properly....
Hi I am six days in and have walked up and down with sticks and a body builder!!! 6'2" 
. It was HARD!
Hi there,
i had had the penguin waddle. My physio and arthroplasty nurse at six week check suggested an exercise bike to strengthen everything. I invested in one (a little sceptically). Five days in from using it the waddle was gone. I am 5 months now and use it every day. I feel powerful lol. I started with a very low resistance and for about three minutes and built up from there.
Good luck with your recovery
catrin
I've just posted a question on walking too. I'm 4 weeks post op and can only do a few steps without crutches and even those are where I can hold on if I want too. This is where it would have been great to have weekly physio input. I asked for it through gp nearly two weeks ago but nothing yet.
I havent tried stairs without normally yet. If been doing them the after op way for weeks pre op so have a lot of learning to do.
Good advise there.My daughter has one that she doesn't use so it may have to come to my house.
!
18 days post op walking 3-4 km most days with just a walking stick, also having to try and learn how to walk again after a couple of years of penquin waddle, have a full length mirror at end of hallway and it allows me to check my gait
Good morning Linz,
It does depend on many factors but you need to build up the muscles in your operated hip before you will be able to walk "normally" for more than a few steps.
Exercises I found helped were walking sideways across the kitchen in both directions, start by doing it along the work surface and gradully doing it without putting your hands down.
Next stand sideways to the work surface with operater leg to the outside and hand of good hip on surface to give you support, stand up stright like you have a string pulling your spine up and keep your hips level and still, now lift your unoperated leg forward a step and through to a backward step, do in reps of 10. As you feel more confident progress to fingertips and eventually not holding on.
If you have had long term problems with your hip you will need new shoes/slippers as your old ones will be worn down and not encourage correct posture.
When to walk unaided imagine that same string attached to the top of your head pulling you up, put your shoulders back and put the heal of your foot down first for each step.
When you are tired its difficult so use one stick, correct posture is more importand than rushing to be rid of the stick vs walking properly.
Hope that helps, 5 weeks is early days in the greater scheme of things so take your time and pat yourself on the back for the progress you have made, best wishes, Dot.
Great advice thanks from a 4 week hippie.
Hi neil
not sure about the length thing, I actually think my legs are the same length now, I'm thinking maybe scared to walk on it, not sure really! (Not much help am I?)
im not in pain so wondering if I just need to learn to walk again....
linzi
Hi catrin
i borrowed a exercise bike before my op ready for post op, as a cyclist I want to be back riding within 3 months, but I was waiting to get all clear from consultant next week to start exercising on the static bike...
Linzi x
Hi
i couldn't walk at 4 weeks only a few steps, it's kinda come over night this walking!
I walked out to my yard this morning without crutches, I've had no physio either....
What, the body builder lol?
xx
All good advise from Dot - putting the heel down first and following through with ball of foot really helps and walking tall, string to sky as well
Pelvis has to realign itself after all that pre op dodgy gait. Some days, I just walk off without thinking and then I walk really well.
Early days!
Linda xx
Happy Tuesday Linz!
Good for you! Don't forget heel first then toe, that helped me with the 'waddle'.
Tee hee - my daughter's boyfriend -- he does a lot of keep fit and lifted me up yesterday when I was stuck!
4 weeks post op. Can walk around house and up and downstairs without crutches. Even carried my carvery lunch in the pub today without.
However if do too much leg muscles do hurt so I still take one crutch when out walking just to take strain off.
Each day seems to get better. Physio exercises which seemed so hard last week are becoming much easier.
I guess we'll all get the the same place in the end. X
Linzi, I am also walking the penguin way that is until I slow right down and do everything in slow motion. Going through the walking motion really slowly has seemed to re-train my brain into walking properly. If I forget I rock like a weeble!
You really do have to go slow and think about what you are doing. The brain does have to be re trained from all that pre op dodgy walking it was used to
Linda xx