Have you suffered a sports injury? Were you injured at work? Maybe you fell off the ladder taking down Christmas decorations. Whatever put your leg out of commission, you can improve your recovery with the right exercises. As you sit in your home in Brampton, rehabilitate yourself.
How? By completing leg strengthening exercises that can be performed at home. Try these methods to rebuild muscle, increase movement and regain use of your leg.
Glutes: Located in your buttocks, your gluteus muscles control thigh movement. Exercising these three muscles strengthens your hips and improves circulation for the legs and hips. Try these glute bridges to work your glutes and strengthen your legs:
- Lie on your back.
- Bend your knees into a 15-degree angle.
- Raise your buttocks off the ground, squeezing your buttocks muscles.
- Hold for five seconds.
- Relax, then repeat for a set of 10.
- Do three sets each day.
Hamstrings: The hamstring muscle is located at the back of your upper leg. These muscles help control movement of the knee and hip. They are an integral part of walking. Exercises designed to strengthen your hamstrings are essential to restore normal movement. Do the following hamstring sets to work these muscles:
- Stand up.
- Raise your leg behind you about a foot into the air.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Lower your leg to the ground.
- Repeat 15 times.
- Do three sets each day.
Quads: The quadricep muscles are found on the front of your thigh. These muscles control the lifting of the hip and knee extension. Try this simple quad exercise to strengthen these muscles:
- Lie on your back.
- Bend your stronger knee into a 90-degree angle. Keep the other leg flat on the ground.
- Lift the flat leg until it is about a foot off the ground.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Lower the leg back to the ground slowly.
- Repeat 15 times.
- Do three sets daily.
Heel slide: To increase movement and muscle building in the legs, complete these simple heel slides:
- Lie on your back.
- Slowly slide your heel up toward your buttock, bending the knee toward the ceiling.
- Slide your heel up as far as you can.
- Hold it there for five seconds.
- Slowly slide the heel back to starting position.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Do three sets daily.
Kickbacks: No, this does not involve putting your feet up in a recliner and kicking back to relax, although it does involve a chair:
- Stand straight, holding onto the back of a chair for balance.
- Bend one knee, lifting your foot toward your glutes.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Repeat 15 times.
- Do two sets a day.
Get Moving
Are you ready in Brampton to rehabilitate yourself? Use these exercises to enhance your physical therapy and speed up your healing process. For additional assistance, partner with the professionals at Paramount Physiotherapy & Sports Injuries Clinic. Our treatment approach incorporates education, exercise, manual therapy, modalities and acupuncture, in order to effectively reintegrate individuals into sports and regular activities of daily life.