This course is appropriate for those waiting for joint replacement surgery or in the recovery phase. As with any exercise program, consult with your health care team before embarking on this journey.
This eleven part video course will carefully lead you to understanding the hips and knees more intelligently and then offer you simple, fairly quick routines to utilize as you build strength and function.
The yoga therapy approach is about small changes in movement patterns repeated frequently. To use this program, plan to spend about 15 minutes a day, maybe two times per day. Focus on each video on its own for awhile, even weeks. You’ll know when you feel your body is ready to progress. Rushing, and doing all the videos at once, is counter productive.
The First Step
To facilitate healing, it is essential that the body feel safe. In yoga therapy, we focus heavily on the breath and relaxation to speak the language of the nervous system. This is the secret to lasting change.
Moving with Less Pain
This video starts to work on balancing the muscle movements that guide hip and knee action.
Learning to Weight Bear without Pain ….
Now we start to work on strengthening the muscles that will help you stand taller and with more confidence. Remember, each video should be practised for about one week (longer if you like) and multiple times per day if possible.
Building Balance
Now we can start working with weight bearing postures. Notice the chair? Keep it handy. This stage focuses on building strength while remembering all you’ve learned about healthy movement patterns.
Getting Up and Down from the Floor
One of the most common after effects of severe joint pain or surgery is the patient’s reluctance to resume their independence getting up and down from the floor. It’s essential that you gain confidence to tackle that skill again. Here’s a step by step method to guide you. Good luck!!!
Strengthening Hips and Knees
You’re ready to start building full function in the joints again. Remember to take things slowly, using a video for several weeks if there is any doubt that you are ready to progress.
The Marriage of Hips and Knees
Of the 11 muscles that move your knee, seven cross the hip joint. We really can’t talk about one without the other. Let’s explore how they interact.
Chair Based Sun Salutations
This classic combination of yoga postures is a great full body engagement. Many of us feel like we’re really back in the “swing” of things when we breathe and move through this meditative sequence.
Your Super Glutes
Welcome to a date with your tooshie! The super mover muscles are typically a little sleepy for those of us in North America. This practice wakes them up and tunes you in to a powerhouse of possibility.
Standing Hip Stretches
To increase range of motion in the hip joint, it is often better to strengthen sleepy muscles to balance hip function. This was covered in previous videos in this series. In this practice, you can stretch hamstrings, calves, adductor muscles and more in a standing sequence.
Putting it All Together
This practice emphasizes the importance of regular therapeutic rest to preserve the gains you’ve made throughout the series.
Thanks so much for trying yoga therapy for your hips and knees. If you would like further information, or a more customized approach, Cheryl would be happy to chat!
