Star Balance Drill
Key notes
- Type of exercise: Balance and co-ordination
- Muscles used: All muscles around the ankle and foot.
- Good for: Developing balance and co-ordination
- When to use during rehab: Throughout
Equipment options
If you are conducting this exercise in clinic you’ll need a set of markers that can be placed on the floor. When the patient is recreating this exercise at home, they can use any 4 objects as substitutes, so long as they won’t move.
Method
- Layout the four markers onto the floor, in the shape of a compass or cross.
- Next, have the patient stand in the center of the four markers.
- While remaining in the same spot, get the patient to extend their leg outwards, touching the marker in front of them with their toes.
- Using the same leg, repeat this movement touching the remaining 3 markers.
Escalating Difficulty
To make the exercise more difficult, move the markers further apart and have the patient try and touch the floor beyond where the markers are placed.
- Make sure their leg isn’t wobbling too much, as the focus of this exercise is the quality of movement.
