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

  1. Layout the four markers onto the floor, in the shape of a compass or cross.
  2. Next, have the patient stand in the center of the four markers.
  3. While remaining in the same spot, get the patient to extend their leg outwards, touching the marker in front of them with their toes.
  4. 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.
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