Lower Limb Strengthening Exercises (Leg, Hip, Knee, Ankle and Foot)
* All lower limb exercises are to remind our patients at KH Chiropractic & Sports Massage of what was recommended during their visit. All exercises should only be performed within pain free range. Please let us know if any exercises aggravate your complaint and stop immediately.
We do not recommend these to anyone we have not assessed.
1. ITB (Iliotibial Band) Foam Rolling
The ITB crosses two joints (the hip and knee), making it difficult to stretch out. Many people find using a foam roll to ease the tension can be helpful. At first it can be quite sore so use your upper leg to reduce the pressure a little. Remember to avoid rolling on bony prominences as this can cause other problems.
2. PSOAS Stretching for hip tightness
How to effectively psoas stretch to relieve hip tightness at home.
If you are kneeling on a hard floor you may wish to do this on a yoga mat to reduce the pressure on your knee cap (patella). Kneel down and elongate your spin straightening your upper leg, while bending the other (in the proposal position). Lift the foot behind you of the kneeling leg so your toes come up and rest them against the wall or hook them over a stool. Shuffle closer to the wall or stool until you feel a good stretch, without flexing forward. Remember to keep your spine straight, elongating the spine while gently leaning your body into your hip stretch (like a lunge) . You should feel a deep stretch in the front of the hip. Be careful not to twist through the back, the body should remain aligned.
3. Soleus Stretch
Stretching is really important to help us recover quicker and feel less stiff following exercise. However, if you have experienced any trauma or injury to this area we would always recommend you consult a healthcare professional before starting to self diagnose. There’s a chance you will make your situation worse if you don’t know what your injury is.
Stretching can help prevent injury following exertion. Leg stretching such as this Soleus stretch is great for runners, cyclist, team sports, gym goers, walkers and hikers! Chiropractor Karen Habershon will show you here, how to carefully stretch your Soleus muscle. If this doesn’t feel like it’s stretching please check your position, alternatively it may be another muscle which is tight in your legs.
4. Calf Stretch
People often confuse Calf tightness and Soleus tightness. They are two muscles covering a very similar area however if you stretch the wrong one you may be frustrated with the results.
5. Ankle Proprioception Exercise – Wobble Board
This is a useful lower limb strengthening exercise, following ankle injuries such as sprains, strains, dislocation and fractures. It can even be useful for the elderly who have suffered with unsteady walking, tripping and falling. However it’s important you consult a therapist to make sure this is suitable for your stage or rehabilitation before you start, otherwise it can be very dangerous!
This wobble board exercise helps improve ankle proprioception (feedback to the brain from the surface you are stood on). The aim of this exercise is to challenging the ligaments and muscles to help improve the brain-muscle connection.
If you’d like to get a pull through different fibres, reach over with your arm to the left and hold for 15 seconds. Come back to neutral, and then do the same to the right. You will notice pulling in a slightly different plane of the muscle.
6. Ankle Strengthening – Theraband strengthening
This is a great ankle strengthening exercise following an ankle sprain or strain. It’s important you consult your therapist before starting this as your ankle needs to be at the correct stage of healing to tolerate this. The band strength is also important, if it’s too strong you could cause more damage. The red band is the weakest Theraband in the UK but colors can vary from different manufacturer (so be careful). the idea here is to start building up multi-directional strength to provide the ankle with some stability.
These lower limb strengthening exercises are here to remind our patients after they have been taught them in clinic. We recommend you have a full Chiropractic or Sports Massage assessment before starting any of exercises and allow our practitioners to guide you on the most suitable for your individual complaint. To book a Chiropractic or Sports Massage appointment call us on 0203 633 0565 or book online at www.khchiropractic.com
* All exercises are to remind our patients and clients at KH Chiropractic & Sports Massage of what was recommended during their visit. We do not advise anyone who has not been recommended these by a healthcare professional to takes part in them. As will have been explained to you all exercises prescribed should only be done within your pain free range. Please stop an exercises that aggravate your complaint and let us know.