Leg, Back and Core Exercises
Standing Balance Exercises
One Leg Stand – Stand with legs shoulder width apart, look straight ahead, lift your one leg off the ground. Hold 30 secs. Alternate legs. Increase difficulty by holding leg in front or behind body.
Chair Pose – From a standing position, lift your arms to the sky. Slowly bring your hips back, as if you’re sitting in an imaginary chair. Hold 10 secs.
Tree Pose – Start in a standing position. Ground down through your left foot. Bend your right knee and bring your right foot as high up your left leg as possible. Stretch your arms up to the sky. Breath and hold 15-30 seconds.
Crescent Lunge (Hip Flexors)
Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, and eyes focused on a point straight ahead. Lunge forward with one leg while the back leg flexes down and rests on the floor. Raise your arms above you head and with a slight back extension push your pelvis forward until you feel a stretch in your front thigh and abdomen. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on opposite side.
Lunge and Twist
Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, arms extended in front and eyes focused on a point straight ahead. Lunge forward with one leg while the back leg flexes down but does not touch the floor. Twist body with arms extended to the lunging leg side and return. Step front leg back to standing position. Alternate legs and repeat 10 times.
Quad Wall Slide
Lean back against a wall with feet shoulder width apart and heels 30 cm from the wall. Slowly slide your back down the wall until legs are at 120 degrees. Hold for 30 secs. To increase difficulty, slide down to 90 deg.
Supine Bicycle
Lie on your back with hands cupping ears and legs flexed to 90 degrees. Move legs in an alternating cycling motion while the opposite elbow meets the knee as it is fully flexed. Repeat 10-50 times.
Plank
Get into a “push-up” position with elbows locked. Hold your tummy tight and maintain a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Hold 15-60 secs. Alternatively, rest on forearms instead of hands.
Back Extensions
i-Lie face down with arms stretched out overhead. Lift chest off the floor and hold for 5 secs.
ii-Lie face down and lift legs off the floor and hold.
iii-Lie face down and lift right arm and left leg off the ground. Hold for 5 sec. Alternate arm and leg.
iv-Superman – Lift both legs and arms off the floor and hold. Repeat each position 5-6 times.
Straight Leg Raise — resisted
Lying on your back loop a belt or exercise tubing around the arch of right foot. The left leg is straight out and resting while lifting the right leg straight and as high in the air as possible. Press the raised leg down towards the floor while holding onto the belt or tubing creating resistance. Repeat 5-6 times each side. 2 sets.
Leg Press
Same set up as above. Bend right leg so that it is flexed 90 degrees. Press your leg using resistance. Extend it out to almost straight. Repeat 5-6 times each side. 2 sets.
Foot Flexion/Extension
Same set up as above exercise except belt loop should be at the ball of your foot. Lift right leg in the air as straight as possible. Creating resistance with the belt/band, point your toes to the ceiling and then point them towards your head. Repeat 5-6 times each side. 2 sets.
