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My View and Personal Experience of using the OneStep App.
Written by Philip Carrol
I use OneStep every single day.
Sometimes to do exercises, and report my progress, other days just to measure how I am walking. It has really helped me improve my walking following two serious hip operations, and provided helpful personal support over the last year or so. Some Background about me and my problem.
In May 2018, despite a bit of arthritis in my knees, I was fairly fit for my age. I went to the gym 2 or 3 times a week, spending an hour or so exercising, and finishing off with a 30-minute swim. Eighteen months later, I had undergone two urgent hip replacements and was struggling to walk, and then I found OneStep online.
My first hip replacement was in September 2018, because I had developed Avascular Necrosis (AVN) in my right hip, which basically means your femur dies from the head downwards. As part of my recovery, I did all the recommended exercises, but I was struggling, mainly because the surgeon told me he had not been able to replace my hip flexor muscle in the correct place. It went from bad to worse when I developed AVN in my left hip about 6 months later, and consequently, I was unable to exercise at all.
Following my second hip replacement in September 2019 I did a lot of walking to try and build up my muscles. I walked 5km every day, at first on crutches, and later with a stick. The result of this was I was able to develop my muscles on my left hip, but not my right hip, because of the misplaced hip flexor. I continued to see a physio, but that all stopped in March 2020, because of Covid.
I continued walking, but I felt I wasn’t making progress, and then I found OneStep. Initially, I downloaded it to use as an indicator of whether I was walking properly. At this stage, I was still having to use a stick, and limping on my right leg and my left leg was the strongest, even though I’d had a hip operation a year after the right.
My use of OneStep.
After a few weeks of using OneStep, Hila, the VP of Physical Therapy contacted me, and I sent her an email, explaining the details of my problems. We arranged a Zoom meeting, which is so easy to do, and we were able to chat face to face, which is better because it’s more personal. Following this meeting, Hila set up some exercises for me. These appear on the app, and are so easy to follow, AND are not as daunting as you might think because they are for very short bursts of 30-60 seconds. In general, each session takes between 10-15 minutes to complete. The exercises cover ten sessions, and you can do them every day, or every other day, or whatever suits you. Having said that, the only way to get better is to exercise, so it is key that you do them. In the early days, I did a session every day, but now sometimes I do them every other day, sometimes every day for a week, and then have a rest for a couple of days.
In addition to reviewing my results, I had monthly Zoom calls with Hila, where we discussed my progress, following which she reset the exercises I was doing. One thing I found very helpful was she was able to watch me demonstrate exercises I was struggling with, and make sure I was doing them properly. I enjoyed the Zoom calls because she helped my motivation, and she would change the exercises, so they didn’t become a boring repetition.
The OneStep App.
The app had developed quite a lot over the time I have been using it, but every exercise now includes a verbal explanation, and video demonstration, and the ability for you to record a video you doing the exercise, which you can send to your PT. In addition you can say how you found each exercise, and provide an overall summary. The Walk analysis has developed enormously and you can now see a detailed analysis of seven different components, ranging from your Step rate, Asymmetry, Stride Length, Hip Range, Speed, Consistency, and Double Support, with an explanation of what these are.
I realized early on that providing I continue to exercise, even though my hip flexor is not in its proper place, I can continue to improve, but it will take time and focus. Consequently, I continue to use the app every day to monitor my progress towards my goal.
If you're inspired by Philip's story, check out the OneStep app here
