Single leg balancing is mandated to everyone with bad ankles in my practice. It is a 2 minute single foot pose done in the evening to fatigue the ankle. The mechanical function is to both strengthen muscle/tendons, but wake up the neuromuscular connections for a reactive ankle responsive to slants, tilts, and cracks in the sidewalk. You need to always make it somewhat difficult or challenging by standing in shoes or barefoot, standing in the middle of a soft pillow or exercise disc, closing your eyes at times, or moving your hands with or without objects. The goal is to keep challenging yourself. The goal standard remains 2 minutes of single leg balancing with the eyes closed, yet only a few of my hearty patients get there.
Every patient should have a single leg pose or exercise in their daily exercise regimen
Practical Biomechanics Question #346: Single Leg Balancing is a common exercise taught for ankle, knee, hip and low back rehabilitation. How long are these positions typically held?
Excerpt from the Upcoming: Practical Biomechanics for the Podiatrist Book 3
