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(Please refer to picture gallery for pictures of these exercises)
Heel cord self-stretch
Have your child stand facing a wall with their arms out and hands on the wall at shoulder level. Place one foot in front of the other. With your back leg straight keep your heel on the floor. Lean in towards the wall. You should feel the stretch in the back of your leg. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other side.
What does this exercise do? Stretches the calf muscle and improves dorsiflexion range of motion (pointing the foot up towards the head)
Hamstring self-stretch
In a doorway, lay on your back with one leg through the open door. While keeping one leg straight on the floor, lift the other leg up and place it on the wall. Once the leg is on the wall, straighten it until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other side.
What does this exercise do? Stretches the hamstring muscles and improves mobility of the hips and pelvis.
Manual heel cord stretch
Have your child lay on their back with their legs straight out in front of them. Cup their heel with your hand, and place your forearm against the bottom surface of their foot. Push the bottom of their foot forward bringing their foot towards their head. They should feel a stretch in the back of their leg. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other side.
What does this exercise do? Stretches the calf muscle and improves dorsiflexion range of motion (pointing the foot up towards the head)
Manual hamstring stretch
Have your child lay on their back with their legs straight out in front of them. Place one hand under their heel, and another hand under their knee for support. Slowly lift their leg up, keeping the leg straight until a stretch is felt. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other side.
What does this exercise do? Stretches the hamstring muscles and improves mobility of the hips and pelvis.
Pick up tissues
Have your child take their shoes and socks off and place tissues on the ground. While standing, have your child bend and crunch their toes to pick up the tissues. Perform 10 times on one leg, then repeat with the other side.
What does this exercise do? Strengthens the foot intrinsic muscles (muscles that bend and straighten the toes), improves the support of the arches of the feet, and improves balance.
Balance on one leg
First, have your child stand straight with their feet together. Have your child lift one foot off the ground by bending their knee and keeping it behind their other leg. Do not allow their legs to touch or wrap around one another (this makes it easier). Hold for 10 seconds then repeat with the other side. Stay nearby your child while they perform this task, for safety.
**Can also perform this activity with targets on the floor. Line up 5 targets in a row, close together. Have your child stand on the first target, on one foot. Have them slowly hop to each target, then repeat with the other foot.
What does this exercise do? Improves balance and leg strength.
Scooter
Sit on a scooter board with your legs out in front of you. Make sure to keep your feet pointed up, and toes off of the ground. Use your heels to push into the ground and propel yourself quickly forward.
What does this exercise do? Improves leg strength, especially the hamstrings. This also works to improve ankle dorsiflexion (feet pointed up towards your head), if performed with the toes off the ground.
Balancing on flexible surface (bosu ball, sit fit, foam mat)
Have your child stand on a flexible surface such as a bosu ball, sit fit cushion or foam mat. The flexible surface makes this activity more difficult than standing on a typical hard surface. They can begin by standing normally on 2 feet. If they’ve mastered normal standing without losing their balance, they can also stand with their feet close together, which makes this activity more challenging. If they also have no difficulty standing with their feet together, they can try balancing on one foot, using the above stated method.
What does this exercise do? Improves balance and leg strength.
Bear crawl
Have your child bend down and put their hands on the floor. Have your child keep their hips up, legs straight and heels flat on the floor. Slowly have them walk their arms and legs forward. Make sure that their hips stay up in the air and their heels stay flat on the floor.
What does this exercise do? Full body workout. Improves leg strength, arm strength and core strength. If performed with heels on the ground will also stretch and improve range of motion of the calf muscles.
High fives/kicks
Have your child start on their hands and their knees. Make sure that their hands are directly under their shoulders, and their knees are directly under their hips. First, have them reach out their arm one at a time, like they are high-fiving someone while they balance on the other arm. Then repeat with the opposite arm. After doing 10 repetitions with their arms, have them then kick one of their legs straight back while balancing on the other leg. Repeat 10 times with the legs. Make sure that they stay in the starting position the entire time, on their hands and knees.
What does this exercise do? Improves arm strength, leg strength, core strength and coordination.
Alternating arm and leg raises
This is a progression of the above exercise – “high fives/kicks”. In this exercise, they will again start on their hands and knees. Make sure that their hands are directly under their shoulders, and knees directly under their hips. Have them reach their right arm straight out in front of them, while also kicking their left leg straight back. They will be balancing on one arm and one leg. Have them hold this position for 3 seconds, and then return back to the starting position. Then perform with their left arm and right leg. Repeat 10 times. They should also be performing this exercise with opposite arm and leg (right arm, left leg OR left arm, right leg).
What does this exercise do? Improves arm strength, leg strength, core strength and coordination.
Modified push ups
Have your child start on their hands and knees. Make sure that their hands are under their shoulders, and their knees are under their hips. Have them bend their elbows and bring their nose down to the floor. Then straighten their arms out back to the starting position. Perform this exercise slowly. Repeat 10 times.
*** Can make this activity more difficult by straightening the legs out more, and bringing the knees below the hips. Repeat the above-mentioned exercise with the adjusted knee placement.
What does this exercise do? Improves arm strength, back strength and core strength.
Crunches
Have your child lay on their back with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Support their feet on the mat in order to prevent the feet from sliding while they perform the exercise. If able, have your child cross their arms on their chest and use their core muscles to bring their head and shoulders off the mat towards their knees. If they are unable to bring their head and shoulders off the floor on their own, hold their hands and help them lift towards their knees. Repeat 10 times.
What does this exercise do? Significantly improves core strength.
Bridges
Have your child lay on their back with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Have them place their arms flat on the mat on either side of their body. In this position, have your child lift their bottom up off of the floor, hold for 3 seconds and then slowly lower back down to the floor. Repeat 10 times.
What does this exercise do? Improves leg muscles – especially glutes and hamstrings. Can also improve core strength if done with proper form.
