There are so many exercises I use every day with many clients in my training studio to correct postural problems and movement dysfunction causing weakness and pain. However, there is one exercise that stand above all others as my best stability exercise and that is the toe touch drill. One of the main reasons I rate it so highly is the fact it relates to people of all ages and abilities. For example, I regularly use this with clients in their 80’s for preventing falls and people with serious hip or knee injuries as it helps to restore optimal stability of the pelvis with the single leg stance used in walking. At the same time I also include this in training programs for elite athletes for improving sporting performance. In this article I will explain in great detail exactly what this exercise can do for your body and why you should include it in your training program.
How To Strengthen The Glutes and The VMO Simultaneously To Stabilize The Knee
One of the most controversial and confusing muscles to discuss is the vastus medialis oblique, otherwise known as the VMO. We know that this muscle plays a critical role in providing stability of the knee and prevents the onset of patella tracking problems that are so common among people of all ages. However, there is so much conflicting research and information about the best way to strengthen this muscle that many people are confused as to where to start. The problem with most of the research is that it looks at strengthening the muscle in isolation, ignoring the role of other anatomical factors contributing to the VMO weakness. Factors such as tibial torsion, valgus knee collapse due to poor hip muscle control, poor foot stability creating over-pronation, and ankle stiffness inhibiting quadriceps strength need to be addressed if you truly want to strengthen the VMO and stabilize the knee. And arguably the best way to do this is using what are referred to as “reactive neuromuscular training” exercises, where you use creative methods to isolate a specific muscle within an integrated movement. It sounds complicated, but really it is very simple when you understand how the body uses compensation to avoid pain. In this article, I will show you several versions I like to use to help stabilize the knee.
How To Use The Single Leg Squat As A Test To Pinpoint Weaknesses
Without a doubt the single leg squat would be my number one choice for building strength and power for people playing sports. This one movement does so many great things for your body it is incredible. The best part is that it shares the exact timings with other joints and muscles in activities we use in everyday life. Meaning that if you improve this at the fundamental level you can also enhance these other activities too! As much as it is a great exercise, it is a very useful assessment tool we use extensively in our rehabilitation programs for all types of injuries from knee injuries like ACL tears, to lower back injuries like bulging discs. This one movement can very easily reveal stability and mobility weaknesses in your body. Where you do look? And more importantly what are you looking for? In this article I am going to answer these questions and show you how to use this movement to find energy leaks that cause pain or hinder sporting performance.