For years I have been walking around with two worn-out hips, but while that held me back a few years ago, I am now very active again thanks to a number of simple exercises and iron discipline.
Enthusiastically and intensively practice martial arts and combat sports
Around age 16, I started practicing Taekwon-do and practiced it intensely and with complete dedication for many years. Soon, I was training at least four times a week (at two clubs) at a time when martial arts classes were much less common at regular gyms. I soon started competing and can safely say that my life largely revolved around Taekwon-do (and martial arts in general).
When I started studying, I came into contact with Wado-Ryu Karate and I also made some excursions into Thai boxing and regular boxing, but ITF Taekwon-do was always the common thread for me.
ITF Taekwon-do is a fantastically beautiful and challenging martial art, which is also very well-rounded if you train all its facets (correctly). I've also had the pleasure of meeting many interesting, athletic people you wouldn't normally meet. For example, I took my 3rd and 4th dan exams with Grandmaster Kim Ung Chol, a North Korean who was active in teaching in Bulgaria at the time. Let's face it, how often do you actually encounter a real North Korean and have the opportunity to socialize with them?
Until I was around 31, I competed in ITF Taekwon-do, traveling to countries including France, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland, Finland, England, South Korea, and Japan. I'm guessing I played in a few hundred tournaments, and therefore ultimately hundreds of matches. Ultimately, it took its toll physically, but I have absolutely no regrets.
I also had the pleasure of teaching for over 10 years in South Rotterdam to, let's call it, an interesting, motivated target group 😉
Taekwon-do, like many other (martial) sports, is quite taxing on your body, especially when practiced very intensively. We also didn't always have the professional guidance we have today. However, let me emphasize that eating chips on the couch isn't healthy either, so don't let anything stop you from practicing (or starting to practice) martial arts.
Pain in the groin area due to hip osteoarthritis
Even during my competitive career, I started experiencing pain, particularly in my groin. For a long time, I suspected it was a strain or something similar, but it turned out to be a result of hip problems. In 2018, on the advice of my wonderful physiotherapist, I finally went to the hospital for X-rays, which I described as "treatment-resistant symptoms." In other words, I'd exhausted my options with the physiotherapist.
I'd been walking around in pain for years, and it really hit a mental slump. When you're used to being able to do high, backward jumps, it's quite difficult to accept that you need help to climb a simple flight of stairs.
Hyaluronic acid injections
At some point, I got tired of living like an old man in my early forties (yes, really 😉 ) and visited the renowned Bergman Clinic for advice on a possible hip replacement. Given my young age, they strongly advised against it, and I ended up having several hyaluronic acid injections as pain relief and a lubricant. This helped, but not nearly enough.
Start with targeted fitness exercises to strengthen the hips and the muscles around them
Ultimately, I took a chance at a large fitness center and explained my symptoms, asking if they could help me. The response was a resounding yes, but the support staff quickly fell through. Fortunately, I met a young woman there as a physiotherapist who helped people with all kinds of rehabilitation.
I started working with this woman and trained once a week for months under her guidance. There was also a fantastic young man who helped me on Sundays to monitor my "simple" exercises and improve them where necessary.
Consistency in your workouts and exercises
I've been doing more or less the same (boring) exercises for four years now, which have helped me enormously in my progress and in my ability to function normally in everyday life. Later, I'll describe the exercises I do twice a week and which have given me tremendous results.
I can only write from my own experience, but if I had to take advice from a doctor or someone who's been through the same thing, I'd choose the latter. This isn't a dig at doctors, physiotherapists, or anyone else, because I'm simply incredibly happy with the results I've achieved with these exercises. There are countless other exercises, but when I experience discomfort or haven't been able to go to the gym for a few weeks, I always fall back on these basic exercises.
Find the exercises that work for you
My advice for people in a similar position would be to just try as much as possible (under supervision) and then gradually find out what works best in your case!
Of course, I still experience pain regularly, and I avoid prolonged sitting as much as possible, as it's truly devastating for me. I'll get that new hip someday, but I've been staying active for a few years now, doing (and continuing to do) simple exercises. So I'd urge anyone with similar symptoms to actively explore what works for them!
The diagnosis as it was given to me in 2018:
No dysplastic features. Significant hook formation at the transition from the head to the neck on both sides. Cartilage loss in the hip joint is somewhat greater on the right than on the left, with some sclerosis in the acetabulum, also somewhat greater on the right than on the left. No skeletal focus or post-traumatic bone damage.
Conclusion: moderately severe coxarthrosis on the right more than on the left."
I can assure you it was incredibly painful, because essentially, your cartilage is gone, and certain movements are incredibly painful. However, I can now move freely and can even box and (very carefully) kick again.
My enormous progress with worn-out hips
My basic schedule is about 45 minutes to an hour.
I start with a simple warm-up in the same place I remember from my martial arts days: I begin by loosening my neck and shoulders, then slowly work my way down. This works for me, but you can really do anything you like.
Then I spend 10 minutes on a treadmill, which is a deal-breaker for me in any gym. It's a curved treadmill, which you move under your own power. Because of the curve in the belt, the impact on my hips while running is much less than with a regular treadmill.
1. Hip lifts
Next, I stand in front of a mirror and do an exercise I call "hip lifts." I loosen my pelvis/hips a bit and then stand up straight in front of the mirror, where I can find support nearby.
Feet straight ahead, hips straight, and knees pushed outward. This is called "activating" the glutes/pelvis. Make sure your feet form a "tripod," meaning that the forefoot and heel are both in good contact with the ground.
Now, I simply pull one of my feet up in a very controlled manner, with minimal support, keeping my leg straight. I do this slowly and controlled 10 times on the right, then 10 times on the left, and then again. For the second (or third) set, I use a stepper to extend the range of motion. Believe it or not, this was initially one of the toughest exercises for me. This is because all my weight rests on one hip. This strengthens your glutes and the surrounding area.
Then I gather all my toys and spend the next 30 minutes doing nothing but exercises on a simple mat. I use a yoga mat, foam roller, elastic resistance band, weight plate of about 20 kilograms and a large yoga ball.
I'm going to use the foam roller to loosen up my vertebrae a bit by rolling slowly over it. Before I begin, I place the foam roller vertically under my body to tilt my pelvis and hips back and forth again.
2. Lying hip raises
Next, I place the elastic band between my knees and do very controlled "hip-rest" exercises. This is an exercise many women do to get a firm, shapely buttocks.
I pay attention to tilting my hips, keeping my core engaged, and pushing my knees outward (that's where the resistance band comes in handy). I also do this exercise 2 x 10 reps with rest in between (and believe me, you'll need it).
3. Side-lying leg lifts
After the hip raises, I lie on my side, making sure I'm straight. I use the foam roller as a gauge to ensure my entire body and legs are in a straight line.
I set the weight to 20kg (but it can be anything you feel comfortable with) and then do 10 x “side leg raises”.
I do this twice on the right and then turn to my other side, doing the same with my other leg. I do this with my core engaged and the movements very controlled.
4. Glute medius exercises
Next, I do a similar exercise, but without weight, 20 times. This is a side-leg raise, but with a slight curve. I've been told it's good for the glute medius.
I find it really helps me, so I incorporate it into my routine. This exercise does require some initial help and correction from a third party to get it right.
Final exercises for back and core: Cat-camel, superman and planking
I often do box sits as well, but first I finish the round on my mat. Since you've already worked your hips and glutes, I then do some back/ab exercises to keep things balanced.
5. Deadbug
I start with a series of 2 x 20 "deadbugs." This is a very challenging and good exercise for the abs and core. You hold the yoga ball between your hands and knees and simultaneously lower the opposite leg and arm in a controlled manner, keeping your neck and shoulders slightly off the floor.
I always look at a fixed point on the ball. A handy tip: push against the ball as much as possible. This engages your core even more and keeps your lower back in good contact with the ground, further improving your technique.
6. Cat-camel
Next, I move on to loosening my back and two more fundamental exercises. I get on my hands and knees and loosen my back with cat-camel exercises. Then I immediately move on to alternating superman (we used to call them doggies) and planks.
This is my simple round, but if done well, I'll be sweating and feel quite accomplished. Sometimes I also add box sits (a simple controlled sit-and-stand routine on a gym box or chair), or use the machines with adductors and abductors.
7. Box sits
When I perform box sits, I do it as slowly as possible and don't sit down at all (just skin-to-skin contact with the box), so I stay constantly engaged. This makes the exercise much more challenging, and as you practice, you'll gradually increase the intensity.
Conclusions
I often finish with a few rounds of bag punching, because working out has to be fun to keep going. If I only did those exercises, it's enough, but after five years of the same thing, you want to keep it fun .
I've made tremendous progress with these exercises, and I would highly recommend anyone with hip problems, worn-out hips, or any other issues in this area to give them a try (for a while)!
Have lots of fun exercising and keep stomping!
Robin
IV Dan ITF Taekwon-do
