After an injury or just a lazy winter, reintroducing physical activity can be difficult & stressful. By doing routine exercises and Physical Therapy, you can improve performance & get back to improving your health!
When taking time off from physical activity, your body is likely to lose tone, condition, and flexibility. Letting yourself ease back into a fitness routine allows your body to get back into a rhythm of working out. Lowering weight, decreasing duration, using proper technique, drinking lots of water, and eating healthy are all important for starting your training. When rushing back into active routines, injuries are more likely to arise.
The Lower Extremity
Foot & Ankle
The foot and ankle are complex structures that absorb a large amount of force with every step. Following injuries, or with age, ligaments and other structures in the foot can change, resulting in poor or aggravated forces on the foot and ankle. Pain can occur from poor stability, lack of mobility, or lack of strength in the stabilizing muscles.
Hip & Knee
When you walk, run and move, your hip and knee work together to allow you to move fluidly and accurately. When one of these joints and the associated muscle groups that make them move are not working properly, pain can occur in different parts of the leg. Hip pain can leave you with very limited movement and make walking painful. This pain may radiate to the groin, buttock or thigh.
Treatments & Exercises for Lower Extremity
Single Leg Balance
The foot and ankle are complex structures that absorb a large amount of force with every step. Following injuries, or with age, ligaments and other structures in the foot can change, resulting in poor or aggravated forces on the foot and ankle. Pain can occur from poor stability, lack of mobility, or lack of strength in the stabilizing muscles.
BOSU Ball
Originally, the “BOSU” in BOSU ball was an acronym for “Both Sides Up.” Meaning that they can be used either ball side up or platform side up. BOSU balls are used for a variety of exercises, allowing you to modify your stretching as well as strength training. Adding variety to your workout is a great way to incorporate different benefits, in addition to keeping you entertained and interested in your workout!
“BOSU balls are very versatile and can be used for a variety of exercises on a wide range of patients. They are used to increase your balance, strengthen lower or upper extremity, stabilize and develop core muscles, and much more!” – Ashton Hanson
Hip Thrust
Another good exercise for lower extremity are hip thrusts. The hip thrust is a glute exercise designed to improve your strength and flexibility by using optimal hip extension. A lot of knee and hip problems can be solved by performing hip thrusts. This exercise also targets different areas of the low extremity: glutes, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, and lower back muscles.
Get the Right Pair of Shoes!
Choosing the proper workout shoes is crucial when getting back into a healthy routine. Getting the right pair of shoes help protect against common injuries, as well as providing arch support. Appropriate cushioning can also help alleviate or prevent knee, hip and back pain, as it improves body mechanics. Wearing good workout shoes can also improve your running!
At Teton Therapy, our physical therapy staff have years of training in evaluating the movement of your foot, ankle and legs. We perform an analysis of your foot and ankle joints as well as the muscles in your legs. Additionally, we analyze your walking and running patterns to determine the root cause of your foot pain or ankle pain so it can be treated quickly and effectively.
