Earlier this month we shared 3 rehab exercises you can do by yourself to bounce back after an injury and/or surgery. Continuing down that path to recovery, here are 4 more simple rehabilitation exercise that will guide you back to full strength following an injury or surgery.
Dynamic Hamstrings
- Start by lying flat on your back
- Bring your left knee towards your chest until the thigh is perpendicular with the floor
- Grab the back of your thigh with both hands to stabilize the leg
- Keep your neck relaxed and your lower back flat on the floor
- Reach for the ceiling with the heel of the left leg (straightening it)
- Repeat on both sides until fatigued
Toe Fists
- Without activating the calf muscles, focus on curling the toes over the edge of the cast
- It is ideal if you can experience some activation in the arch of the foot.
- Hold for a slow count of 3 or a fast count of 5
Toe Splaying
- In your cast, attempt to spread your toes apart from each other
- Be gentle and don’t force
- Remember that the benefit of the exercise is in the challenge it presents more so than in the performance of the movement
Extension of Toes
- This can be performed actively or passively
- Passive: take a towel and place it around toes so that it has as much surface contact as possible. Gently pull back on towel until you experience a stretching sensation at base of toes
- Active: in a sitting position or long sitting position try to engage the muscles that pull the toes up towards the ceiling
