Strenghten My Legs for Walking

Walk every day. Start out slow. Walk around the house, then go outside and walk a block, then go to two etc. just takes some time

i'm very hesitant to offer advice for something like this. following the advice of people who aren't familiar with your circumstances could result in further injury.
the obvious thing is simply to do it. walking begets increasing muscle tone and endurance, and in turn allows you to do more. but suggesting other exercises doesn't take into account what's going on in your abdomen that could be exacerbated by various core strength exercises.
call your doctor and tell her what's happening. just because they didn't offer PT doesn't mean they don't want you to have it. you must be your own advocate.
khairete
S.

Did you have a kidney infection? I had one about a year and a half ago (kidney stone that got infected) and was in the hospital for 5 days (I think). Wow did that kick my butt!!! After leaving the hospital I slept for 3 days, and after that it took a week or more to really get my strength back.

I would be inclined to try just walking a little bit each day or even a couple of times a day. If you start to get tired, stop. Just do what you can, and over time it really should get easier.

If you are concerned though, I would ask your doctor. You'll never go wrong asking your doctor first! Sometimes doctors don't answer all your questions before you are discharged, and sometimes you think of questions later. they are used to it, so don't be afraid to call.

We don't know why you are so weak and we can't suggest specific exercises for you because we don't know your medical history.

You should consult with your Dr and if you need PT, ask for it. If you go 2-3 times, you can learn specific exercises tailored just for you.

I had ankle surgery and I started out slowly with my walking. It takes TIME to get up to speed and have strength. Be patient.

I walk a lot about 5 miles or so when I head out to walk with my friends. At home I'm walking a lot. I keep track of my steps with the health app on my phone.

Hey C., When I had my first baby I had been in the hospital on complete bed rest for 5 weeks. My legs were very weak as was the rest of me! I had been very sick. I found the best way to get my strength back was to walk daily a little more each day without exhausting myself. My muscles started to tone back up and gain strength. Do not over do it or you will not feel stronger you can actually make yourself worse. So do just a little more each day and you will get better! Soon you will be walking miles and miles! And then if you are a person who likes to work out in the gym go for it! But for now, walking is really your best friend!

Try standing.
Seriously.
Stand for an hour, then two, then longer.
You can certainly walk around.
Put your computer on a counter where you can stand to use it.
Stand to watch a tv show or movie.

I started working in the school cafeteria - I stand for 4 1/2 hrs a day 5 days a week.
There's walking to get pans and food, and preping, and then serving - which is a lot of standing in more or less one space.
But my legs (calves, thighs, and even behind) are much more muscular than they were last August.
Actually working in that kitchen is a great workout.
The lifting (stock room, walk in fridges, freezer, dry storage, and getting things in and out of the ovens), the mopping (really works out my arms and back), the wiping tables at the end of the day and sweeping - I work up a sweat each and every day!

Once you've got some muscle tone, go for short walks and gradually increase the distance.
Once you've got a bit more muscle tone - throw in a flight of stairs - up, and down - and increase reps as it gets easier.
If you have any bleachers at a school near you - try going up and down those stairs.

You don't need any fancy routines or gyms or equipment.
A good pair of shoes IS a good idea.
Just gradually reduce how much you sit and you will see improvement.

You don't even mention what you were in the hospital for, we can't advise you, only your doctor can. For now if you are very weak then just walking and moving when you are tired is enough.

After what you added that doesn't sound like you need physical therapy, it sounds like you need to recover. Give your body time to recover. I have had five knee surgeries, one major, even then my knees felt sore, abused, I couldn't move them well, that was why I had physical therapy. They weren't weak, they were abused, ya know. What your issue sounds like is your body is wiped out and I don't think exercise will help that, time will.

I am recovering from leg surgery I had in September. My orthopedic doc tells me that I can increase my steps by about 10% a day. Therefore, if I walk 100 steps the first day I can walk 110 the next day. I remember telling my doctor the problem was I could only walk 2 steps (without crutches) the first day. I am now up to about 1500 steps on my elliptical but I was in tears by the time I left the mall yesterday (only a few hundreds steps according to my Fitbit) Gaining back strength is not easy.

My physical therapist now only wants to see me 1x per week to work on range of motion issues I have as a direct result of my surgery. (I was in a full leg immobilizer for 6 weeks post op). He said strength training is entirely up to me and I must do those exercises every other day although I ride my exercise bike and go on my elliptical machine daily.

You can google physical therapy exercises for X/whatever your issue is. Hopefully this will give you a starting point. Good luck!

So sorry about your kidney stone! Hope you continue to improve and get more healthy.

Please give your doctor a call and ask for a script to see a physical therapist. I'm sure your doctor will be happy to do that. Honestly, the doctor needs to know how weak you are. If he or she is really surprised, some follow-up bloodwork may be in order.

You don't know unless you communicate with the doctor.

C., please talk to your doctor about what sort of exercise would be helpful. It would be remiss for any of us to suggest exercises without a. knowing your medical history and b. being a doctor or physical therapist ourselves. Make an appointment-- they would want to know if you are facing challenges-- and request physical therapy. I have never been 'offered' physical therapy, I've had to advocate for myself for it. So go ahead, be assertive and ask for what you are needing.

The key to exercise is to do it properly - that means with proper instruction so that you protect your body from injury. That's even more important if you are starting from a position of weakness. I'm really surprised that you weren't given any help in the hospital or anything in your discharge instructions, as they wouldn't let you go home until you could walk securely and be able to care for yourself. While you don't have to disclose the reasons for your hospitalization, the type, amount and frequency of exercises is totally relevant to whether you had, say, heart trouble or a hip replacement or abdominal surgery or a back problem. I agree that you should call your physician (whoever supervised your hospitalization) and ask for a referral for PT with someone who accepts your insurance. A skilled therapist will develop a program for you, tell you how to do them effectively at home, and then check you for progress to determine when you can increase them. After you are cleared, you can also get instruction at a good gym that has rehabilitation trainers. But if you don't belong to a gym, the PT can teach you how to use common house hold objects as exercise accessories - lifting 2 1-liter bottles as hand weights, for example, or using a closed umbrella to work on shoulder extensions and rotator cuff flexibility. So it doesn't have to be expensive. But you absolutely must do them properly and learn to avoid injury. Good luck!

Sorry to hear that. I have a whole set of exercises my physiotherapist gave me - any chance you could go see one and have them come up with a routine for you?

I do very basic ones that would apply to just about anyone. Better to get assistance so you have the right form otherwise you could do more harm than good. This is one of those cases where I'd be concerned to advise you specifically as we're not sure which of your muscles are weak. When I wrecked my knee as a kid I had a totally different set of exercises than I do now just for my mobility issues.

Even one session could be very helpful with a therapist. They generally go over it all and give you a print out to work on at home. You can see improvements within weeks. Good luck :)

When I did physical therapy I sat on the side of a table or counter or even a chair. Then I had an old purse with a brick in it. I did leg lifts. I also figured out how to do them on my stomach too. I had to strengthen my knee so I was working that joint with each lift.