Day runners, are you getting frustrated by reoccurring injuries to your lower limb areas, stopping you from achieving your personal best, and clocking in larger distances and longer hours with your weekly runs? Now, if that sounds like you and your ankle and knee injuries keep on causing setbacks to your training then this blog is for you!
Our personal trainer Monika has put together her favourite exercises, allowing you to improve your strength, balance, coordination, all in one go and the best part about it, all you’re going to need is a lot of persistence to master it.
Exercise 1: single leg stand ups
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this movement it’s one of the hardest things to fully execute properly. Standing on one leg, come down into a small squat but going onto a chair. Make sure that you hinge through the hip. You keep your back and core in full control. Your chest is lifted and your knee doesn’t overshoot your toes. Meaning that the movement happens through the hip joint assisted by a knee, not initiated by the knee itself.
Exercise 2: variation of single leg stand ups
Another great variation for your single leg stand ups, this time your foot goes on top of the opposite side thigh, not only are you working through the strength and balance and the leg that you’re standing on, but you’re also increasing the hip mobility on the opposite side. What’s not to love?
Exercise 3: bulgarian split squat with a twist
Another great and really challenging exercise for anyone who wants to test their balance, strength and proprioception in one go. This is a Bulgarian split squat, adding in a twist whilst extending your arms. We’re not only working here through a wider range of motion, but we’re also challenging our bodies, proprioception, core strength and joint stability. As always make sure the front knee doesn’t overshoot your toes. You keep a nice and strong core and your hip is fully engaged throughout the movement.
Exercise 4: skater squat
Another really challenging one. On one leg coming down into a small squat and here the aim is to bring the opposite side knee as close to the ground without putting your foot down on the floor. Ideally not holding onto a object, but a great progression will be to start with holding onto one side of a chair and then lifting your hands off the chair and bring them over the head if possible.
Exercise 5: five o’clock curtsy lunge
This exercise is very similar to the skater squat, we’re trying to aim to bring your knee all the way to the ground to a 5o’clock position without relying on the leg that’s moving behind. A couple of key things to remember is to keep your chest upright back and core engage and carefully. Watch the position of your front knee. You don’t want to allow it to fall inwards or shoot over the toes too far, making sure that the hinge comes from the hip, not the knee.
These are great exercises, how can I see more about Monika?
Monika is our Personal Trainer who can provide 1-2-1 PT sessions. Visit her profile here.
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