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Your lower body consists of your hips, knees,
ankles, and feet; it is important to make sure that these parts of your
body are kept in good condition since they bear the brunt of your
weight during most of your activities, such as walking, standing,
lifting, etc.
Remember to make slow smooth movements; don’t jerk your knee into a
straight position. When doing these exercises you should feel the pull
of the muscles in your legs only, if you feel any strain in your lower
back you are doing the exercise improperly or are not utilizing the
proper posture.
Hips
Lay on your right side use your right hand to hold your head up and
place your left hand on the floor in front of you for balance. Bend
your right knee slightly, keeping your left leg straight, slowly lift
it up about 2 feet in the air or as high as you can without letting
your hip roll backwards, slowly lower it back down. Flip over and bend
your left knee slightly, keeping your right leg straight, slowly lift
it up about 2 feet or as high as you can without letting your hip roll
backwards, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat 10 times for each leg
Sit in a firm chair and put your right leg straight out in front of
you off the floor, slowly turn your leg from your hip so your foot is
pointed towards your back, then slowly turn it back so your foot points
forward. Place your right foot back down and lift your left leg off the
floor, slowly turn it so your left foot points towards your back, then
slowly turn it back so your foot points forward. Repeat 5 to 10 times
for each leg.
Knees
Sit in on a firm chair, hold your abdominal muscles in and put your
right leg out straight in front of you with your toes pointing up and
your foot is off the ground, hold for 10 seconds; slowly lower your
right foot to the floor, then slowly lift your left leg straight out in
front of you with your toes pointing up and your foot off the ground,
hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat 5 to 10
times alternately for each leg.
Lay on the floor or on a firmly padded surface on your stomach, bend
your right knee back bringing your heal to your buttock or as far as
you can without arching your back or lifting your hips, if you can use
your left hand and grab your right ankle, hold for 10 to 20 seconds,
slowly release your grip on your ankle and lower your leg back down.
Bend your left knee back and bring your heal up to your buttock, if you
can use your right hand and grab your left ankle, hold this position
for 10 to 20 seconds, then slowly lower your leg back down. Repeat 5 to
10 times alternately for each leg.
Ankles and Feet
Lay down with your feet pointing up; slowly bend your feet towards
you as far as you can then bend them back to the starting position.
Repeat 10 times
Sit with your heels on the ground, wiggle your toes and try to
spread them out, and hold for 5 seconds, but be careful not to spread
them out too far you could give yourself a cramp. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Sit with your knees together and heels apart, swing your feet away
from each other stretching your small toe out away from each other,
then swing your feet together and stretch your big toe out towards each
other. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
If you have a set of stairs you can use them for this exercise, if
you don’t a small sturdy riser of any type will do, as long as it can
support your weight. Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the
bottom stair, hold on to the handrail for balance; lift yourself up
onto the balls of your feet, then slowly lower yourself down, so that
your heels drop just below the edge of the stair. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
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