HOW: Follow along with the video to learn tips and tricks with how to use a stationary bike optimally!

Watch this video on how to assess ankle dorsiflexion.

Test DESCRIPTION: The Single Leg Heel Raise Strength Test is a reliable tool developed and used to evaluate plantarflexion strength. Please watch the video to get a visual demonstration of how to perform the test and what to be mindful of. Below you will find a description of how to do so.

Test INSTRUCTIONS:

Get set up standing barefoot on a firm surface near a wall or sturdy object to help with balance. Begin the test by balancing on one leg with the other leg lifted in the air, then perform as many heel raises as you can with good form on the side that you’re standing on. You can use the wall or sturdy object near you for balance, but don’t use it to your advantage to off-load weight. Focus on achieving full heel height with each rep and not letting your knee bend. Take a break and perform on the other side, record your score.

Some rules to remember with this assessment. Your test ends when you can no longer reach ideal heel height or your knee is excessively bending when you go to lift your heel. Ideally, you’re performing each rep with good form as well, so end the test if your balance is all over the place, you’re rushing the reps, or having trouble holding the end-position due to fatigue. Be sure to reference the entire video again before performing this assessment again on both sides to improve your performance.

NORMS:

Healthy subjects= 25 reps

Subjects with pathology = 17 reps

Prehab Goal = 25+ reps

REFERENCE:

Hebert-Losier, K., R. J. Newsham West, A. G. Schneiders, and S. J. Sullivan. “Raising the standards of the calf-raise test: a systematic review.” J. Sci. Med. Sport 12:594–602, 2009

HOW: Start in a seated position. Grab a towel or strap with both hands and wrap it around the balls of one of your feet. Bend the knee up placing just your heel on the ground.  Pull the towel towards you bringing your toes up. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your calves. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t slouch, sit up straight. Make sure the knee is bent, not straight.

HOW: Get your foot set-up and supported on an elevated surface while balancing on the other leg. To perform the mobilization, bring your knee and shin bone forward over your toes while keeping your heel down on the ground. Follow along with the video to learn how to change the angle and direction based on what you need to improve with your ankle mobility.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your calf and your ankle, you shouldn’t feel a pinching pain in the front of your ankle, if you do back off and don’t put as much pressure or weight through your foot.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your entire heel flat on the ground as best as you can

HOW:  Get set up in a half kneeling position with the ankle you want to work in positioned in front. To perform the mobilization, bring your knee and shin bone forward over your toes while keeping your heel down on the ground. Follow along with the video to learn how to change the angle and direction based on what you need to improve with your ankle mobility.

 

FEEL:  You should feel a stretch in your calf and your ankle, you shouldn’t feel a pinching pain in the front of your ankle, if you do back off and don’t put as much pressure or weight through your foot.

 

COMPENSATION:  Keep your entire heel flat on the ground as best as you can

HOW:  Begin by placing a strap looped through one shoulder as shown in the video. While balancing on one leg, hinge at your hips. This is achieved by bring your torso forward and pushing your butt back. Kicking out the back leg may make it easier for you to counterbalance your trunk forward. Lower yourself as far as comfortable, then pull yourself upright by using the muscles in the back of the leg. Squeeze your butt once you are upright to ensure that you stand fully erect. This exercise required a lot of stability, make sure you are staying engaged with the foot muscles.

 

FEEL:  You will the muscles in the back of the leg work with this exercise. As you hinge over you will feel a pull in the hamstrings. This variation will challenge your outer hip muscles.

 

COMPENSATION:  Avoiding rounding the back as your lean your torso forward. Movement should primarily be at the hips. Don’t allow the knee to go forward past your toes with this exercise. Also avoid your knee caving inward, make sure to keep your ankle, knee, and hip in alignment. One other common compensation is rotating your body open towards the leg that is kicking back, keep your chest facing the floor with this exercise.a

HOW: Get set up in seated position and make sure you’re barefoot when performing this exercise. To begin the exercise, lift your arch while focusing on putting pressure into the ground with the knuckle of your big toe and trying to pull that knuckle back towards your heel without excessively curling/bending your toes. Hold for the time prescribed, relax and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel your foot and arch muscles working with this exercise. It can be normal for your foot to cramp, especially if this is new to you.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not excessively curl/bend your toes, don’t let the knuckle of your big toe lift off the ground. Try to keep the rest of your leg above your foot/ankle ‘quiet’ and relaxed.

HOW: First tie a band around a sturdy anchor. Then place the looped part of the band around the front part of your forefoot. With resistance on the band, slowly bend your ankle upwards towards the sky and towards you. Then slowly lower it. The further you are away from the anchor point, the harder the exercise.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles on the front part of your lower leg working.

 

COMPENSATION: Try your best not to also extend/move your toes. Try only move the ankle joint. 

HOW:  Place a resistance band around your forefoot. Use your other foot to apply a line of resistance that is to the outside of your working ankle (shown in the video). You will have to cross you opposite leg on top of your working leg. Slowly push your ankle inwards. Imagine you are a car windshield wiper cleaning just the inside of the window. Slowly return back to the starting position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel the muscles on the inside part of your calf working as you move your foot away from you.

 

COMPENSATION:  Do not let the band pull your foot back into the starting position. Slowly bring your foot back in and fight the resistance of the band.

HOW:  Place a resistance band around your forefoot. Using your hands, apply resistance to the band (shown in the video). Your goal is to slowly push your ankle down. Slowly return back to the starting position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel the muscles on the behind your lower leg in your calf working as you move your foot away from you.

 

COMPENSATION:  Do not let the band pull your foot back into the starting position. Slowly bring your foot back in and fight the resistance of the band.

HOW:  Place a resistance band around your forefoot. Use your other foot to apply a line of resistance that is to the inside of your working ankle (shown in the video). Slowly push your ankle outwards. Imagine you are a car windshield wiper cleaning just the outside of the window. Slowly return back to the starting position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel the muscles on the outside part of your calf working as you move your foot away from you.

 

COMPENSATION:  Do not let the band pull your foot back into the starting position. Slowly bring your foot back in and fight the resistance of the band.

HOW:  Sit in a chair with your foot comfortably on the ground, be sure to perform this exercise barefoot. To begin the exercise, push through the balls of your foot to raise your heel off the ground. You can use a weight placed on top of your thigh or your hands and upper body weight to make the exercise harder.

 

FEEL:  You should feel the muscles in your calve working as you try to lift your heel off the ground.

 

COMPENSATION:  Maintain good arch height the entire time. Make sure to keep constant pressure/weight on your foot for proper resistance training.

HOW: Begin in a seated position. Loop a band around an anchor or the leg of the chair and place your foot inside the loop with the band going around your heel. Walk your foot out against and find a good resistance to start with. From here, lift your heel off of the ground. Push into the ground with your toes as you move your heel inwards against the resistance of the band. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your ankle muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t use your knee and hip to move the band, only use your lower leg. Keep your toes pushing into the ground as you move your heel.

HOW: Standing with your back against the wall.  Keep your back and hips against the wall and walk your feet out away from the wall. Slowly, bring your toes up while keeping your heels on the ground. Repeat as many reps as prescribed. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscle in the front of your shin working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your knees straight as you raise your toes.  Keep your back flat against the wall.

HOW: Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Place the band loop just above your knees. Keeping your weight even, begin to squat down. As you squat down, push out with your knees and hold that for the prescribed amount of time.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your hips and glutes working.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your weight centered. Don’t squat too far forward or backward. Don’t slouch your back as you squat. Keep the tension in the band as you hold the squat position.

HOW: Get into a squat position, as deep as you want. Slowly shift weight to one side, and then the other. The goal is to get comfortable with more weight on one leg.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your thigh work harder as you shift more weight onto it.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not shift your hips to the side to put more weight on each leg, simply shift your entire body from side to side.

HOW: Begin in a split stance position by placing the non-affected leg backwards with the heel off the ground. Be sure to place 70-80% of your weight in your front leg and 20-30% in your back leg. Slowly lower yourself down, and then hold this position

 

FEEL: You should feel all of the thigh muscles and butt muscles working, primarily in the forward leg.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoiding having an over-arched or rounded back – keep a neutral spine with core engaged. Don’t let the knee cave in or bow out. Keep equal weight distribution in the entire foot of the forward leg.

HOW:  Start with your hands against a wall at shoulder height and be leaning into the wall. Push into the wall with your hip, knee, and ankle to assume a triple extension position. This is your starting position. Slowly bend your hip, knee, and ankle to “load” your leg. Then, explosively push away into the wall and assume a triple extension position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel your hips, knee, and ankle working hard.

 

COMPENSATION:  Adjust how far away from the wall you stand to make sure it feels natural. Be sure to attain triple extension

HOW: Get set-up laying on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder. Have your forearm facing out, and bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 45-degree angle. Place your top hand on your hip for body awareness. While keeping your feet together, push your forearm and knee into the ground to lift your hips up into the air. Push your hips up and forward as high as you can and hold this position. While keeping your feet together, lift the top knee as high as you can spreading it apart from the other knee and hold this position.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a full body exercise. Your shoulder and shoulder blade muscles will be working as well as your hip, back, and stomach muscles. You will feel both sides of your hip muscles working, especially your right hip and right core muscles working if you’re laying on your right side. Follow the video for other cues and tips.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your hips or shoulder sag. Try to keep your knees separated

HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position, with your knees over your hips and your arms in front of your shoulders. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation drop one leg and the opposite arm towards the floor. The closer you drop the arms and legs towards the floor the more challenging this exercise will be. Return to starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your low back arch

HOW: Get set up standing on both feet with good arch position. Begin the exercise by leaning forward and shifting your weight and center of gravity towards your toes. Go just until the point that you can control and not let your heels lift off the ground. Push the front of your feet into the ground to return to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a control exercise, specifically your calf and foot muscles working to control your center of gravity shifting forward. You should also feel your calves and feet muscles working to return your body to starting position.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body straight, don’t fold at your hips or arch your back with this exercise. Use your calves and feet muscles to do the work.

HOW: Position yourself standing in a corner with your back to it, or with a wall, chair, or sturdy object near you. Place your feet directly together and balance on a foam pad or unstable surface like a pillow. Once balanced, close your eyes. Focus on standing upright and not letting yourself lean side-to-side or forward or backward.

 

FEEL:  You should feel like your balance is being challenged. If you’re having difficulty maintaining your balance, use fingertips on the surface near you as needed.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your eyes closed as long as you can keep your balance. Open your eyes if you lose your balance and grab the wall or sturdy object to avoid a fall.

HOW: Position yourself standing in a corner with your back to it, or with a wall, chair, or sturdy object near you. Pick up one foot and balance on the leg that is in contact with the ground. While maintaining your balance, turn your head horizontally side-to-side

 

FEEL: You should feel like your balance is being challenged. You will also feel your foot, arch, calf, and hip muscles challenged here.

 

COMPENSATION: Try not to lose your posture and excessively lean forward/backward or side to side. If you lose your balance it is ok, take a step and get back to starting position. Do not allow yourself to fall or take the risk of injuring yourself.

HOW: Get set up standing with a theraband under the knuckle of your big toe on one side. Begin the exercise by lifting your arch and assuming optimal foot/ankle position, then balance on that leg for that time prescribed.

 

FEEL: You should feel all the muscles in your foot, your arch, and your calf working with this exercise. After some time passes, you may also feel your hip on the same side you’re balancing on working as well.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lose optimal foot/ankle position, don’t let your arch fall, don’t let the knuckle of your big toe lift off the ground. Maintain single leg balance with optimal pelvis and trunk control/position.

HOW: Position yourself standing in a corner with your back to it, or with a wall, chair, or sturdy object near you. Pick up one foot and balance on the leg that is in contact with the ground on a foam pad or unstable surface like a pillow. Focus on standing upright and not letting yourself lean side-to-side or forward or backward.. It is ok to let your hip and knee bend a little bit.

 

FEEL:  You should feel like your balance is being challenged. If you’re having difficulty maintaining your balance, use fingertips on the surface near you as needed or try to focus on an object in the distance or near you with your eyes.

 

COMPENSATION: Try not leaning too much side to side or forward/backward. Put your foot down or grab the wall or sturdy object to avoid a fall if you lose your balance.