Exercises to strengthen leg muscles. Strengthening the lower leg muscles at home: rules of execution and a set of exercises Simple exercises for the leg muscles

However, there is a more budget-friendly way to get beautiful legs than buying a membership to a fitness club. How to properly organize leg training at home?

Leg training at home

First of all, follow the correct technique. The instructor will not tell you at home, so carefully read the rules for performing the exercises. Good news for those who are always in a hurry: a leg workout program at home will only take 10 minutes a day.

Leg exercises at home

Lunges

Lunges work well on the muscles of the hips and buttocks, which are usually the most problematic.

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1. Stand up straight, lower your arms along your body.
2. Step forward with your right foot, distributing your weight evenly across the entire area of ​​your foot.
3. A right angle should form at the knee.
4. The left knee should be towards the floor.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

Reverse lunges

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but you take a step not forward, but backward. It is important to ensure that the knee of the leg in front does not extend beyond the foot.

The exercise specifically works the back of the thigh and buttocks.

Side lunges

The side lunge pumps the inner thigh and, with the correct technique, does not overload the knees.

1. Stand straight with your feet together.
2. Take a wide step with your right foot to the side. Lower your foot completely and shift your body weight to your right leg.
3. Perform a deep squat.
4. The left leg forms a straight line during a squat.
5. Push your heel off the floor and return to the starting position.

Squats

Where would we be without them? Squats are considered one of the most effective leg and hip exercises for women. Regularly performing squats with your own weight at home (without using weights) will give results comparable to training in the gym. In addition, without additional weight, the load on the knee joint is reduced.

1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you.
2. Bend your legs and perform a squat until your knees are at a right angle.
3. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

Plie squats

This squat variation helps target your inner thighs. It's easy to do.

1. Place your feet wider than your shoulders and turn your toes outward.
2. Squat slowly and just as slowly return to the starting position.

Gluteal Bridge

The “glute bridge” leg exercise perfectly pumps up the hips and buttocks.

1. Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body.
2. Bend your legs at a right angle, place your feet slightly apart.
3. Using your shoulder blades and feet, lift your buttocks to the maximum possible height.
4. Hold the position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Bike

The popular bicycle exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles and the front of the thighs. By spinning imaginary pedals, you can significantly improve the shape of your legs.

1. Lie on your back, fold your arms under your head.
2. Raise your legs and perform elliptical movements, as if riding a bicycle.
3. Pull the opposite arm towards the bent leg - this will increase the load on the abs.

Scissors

Scissors help tighten the back of the thighs.

1. Lie on the floor, stretch your arms along your body.
2. Raise your legs straight above the floor.
3. Perform leg movements and leg extensions with a small amplitude.

An issue for guys and girls, which tells about all the best exercises for the calves (lower leg), with a detailed description of the technique for performing them, all with photo and video demonstrations.

Before you choose exercises for the calf muscle (lower leg), you should know and understand that the calves are made up of several muscles:

• The biceps gastrocnemius muscle is located on the back of the lower leg and forms the top of the calf. Why two-headed? => because after drying on a good surface, both of its heads are clearly separated.
• The soleus muscle is slightly wider than the gastrocnemius and is located directly below it.

Standing calf raises are a more basic calf (calf) exercise than seated calf raises because they work the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles at the same time.

Therefore, in standing calf raises you can use much more weight than in a seated position.

Technique:

Legs should be slightly bent for comfort and safety (to avoid injury). Depending on the genetic location of the calves (high or low), different amplitudes are most effective.

Visual video demonstration in male and female versions:

If your gym does not have such a simulator, then feel free to use the Smith machine:

If there is no Smith machine simulator, then there is also this option (just standing on the floor):

A visual demonstration of this exercise:

There is another option for standing calf raises with dumbbells or dumbbells on two or one legs:

A visual demonstration of this exercise:

Calf raise while sitting in the machine

This simulator allows you to load the soleus muscle to the maximum, due to the ability to load a lot of weight and the safety of execution. Before lifting the load, you need to lower your feet as far as possible to begin the movement from a stretched position. Also, do not lean your torso back, this will slightly shift the load from your calves.

A visual demonstration of this exercise:

Exercise DONKEY :)

This simulator is quite rare in gyms, so an analogue is made like this:

This exercise helps thicken the muscles on the back of the legs.

Technique:

• Place your toes on a stand 15-20 cm high and lean forward, leaning on a horizontal surface.
• The hip joints in this position should be exactly above the toes.
• For additional stress, ask your partner to climb on your back (if you are not performing this exercise in a machine).
• Your partner should be positioned as low on your back as possible so that his body weight rests on his legs and not on his lower back.
• Lower your heels as low as possible, then rise until the muscles are fully contracted.

A visual demonstration of this exercise:

Toe press in the leg press machine

Technique:

• Position yourself in a leg press machine.
• Press your toes into the bottom of the platform.
• Squeeze it up, then remove the stops (unlock the frame)
• Lower the platform down, bringing your feet towards you;
• Then straighten your feet again and press the platform as high as possible.
• After completing the planned number of repetitions, do not forget to lock the platform :)

A visual demonstration of this exercise:

In conclusion, I want to say that well-developed calves are very rare.

They are usually possessed by people who are either very gifted genetically or very persistent athletes.

Usually, the majority either do not develop them at all (i.e. they are stupid, depressed, have no time, etc.), or stop developing them for some reason.

But you must admit, if you have muscular thighs, then without massive shins (calves) they will look very ridiculous, so draw the appropriate conclusions...

For dessert - interesting videos regarding calf (shin) training, for men and women separately:

German doctors recently conducted an experiment that proved the effectiveness of occupational therapy - the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joints with leeches.

Pain symptoms in patients began to rapidly decrease already on the third or fourth day after the start of leech treatment procedures, and on the twenty-eighth day they completely disappeared. The treatment gave stunning results and showed its effectiveness: ten out of ten patients stopped complaining and feeling pain in their knees. And in the groups receiving traditional drug treatment, only four out of ten patients got rid of pain.

Today it has been proven that the saliva of the medical (medicinal) LEECH contains a huge amount of biologically active substances that can have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole and have received recommendations in almost all areas of medicine.

But you should not get carried away with occupational therapy in the following cases: with reduced blood clotting, with anemia, with severe exhaustion of the body, also during pregnancy, as well as with individual intolerance (for many, the last factor is the key). In addition, hirudotherapy should be prescribed and carried out by a doctor.

What is arthrosis of the joints

Joints consist of the connection of two or more bones and provide mobility to the human musculoskeletal system. Their main function is to correctly distribute the load. With age, the muscles of the body become weaker, the amount of fluid in the joints decreases, mobility decreases, and pain may appear.

A disease in which intra-articular cartilage tissue is destroyed is called arthrosis. This disease is very common and can lead to disability and loss of ability to work. The greatest danger to human life is caused by damage to the largest joints by this pathology: the knee, hip, shoulder, and also the joints of the foot.

Therapeutic exercises for arthrosis of the hip joint

Osteoarthritis of the pelvic joints may not be detected for a long time at stage 1, manifesting itself in discomfort and mild pain during exercise, which goes away during rest. Subsequently, the disease progresses, continuing to destroy bone tissue and cartilage. Therefore, therapeutic exercises should be done for the purpose of prevention at any age.

In exercises for the rehabilitation of the hip joint, the main load should fall on the muscles of the hips and buttocks. Movement complexes consist of static and dynamic exercises. As a sample of therapeutic exercises for the pelvis, you can use the video of doctor Evdokimenko’s classes.

Necessary exercises for legs with arthrosis

The following leg exercises are balanced and can be beneficial for arthritic legs. Exercises effectively stretch the calf muscles, ligaments and tendons of the legs.

1. Tendon stretching.

Starting position: stand facing the wall at a distance of half a meter from it. Next, you need to place your hands on the wall, at the height and width of your shoulders, and stretch your leg so that the knee joint is straightened and the heel is pressed to the surface. Then you need to transfer the center of gravity to the leg standing in front, bending it slightly at the knee and placing the heel firmly on the surface. Smoothly and gently lean toward the wall while slowly bending your arms and pushing your hips forward until you feel a tolerable stretch in your shin and Achilles tendon. Hold this position for 10 seconds and repeat the procedure with the unused leg. The exercise should be performed 3 times for the right and left legs.

1. Stretching the big toes.

Wrap a thick rubber band around your big toes. Using tape, pull them to adjacent fingers and fix the position for 5 seconds. Repeat the action 10 times.

1. Strengthening the phalanges of the toes.

Wrap the rubber band around all your toes and spread them out. Hold the position for 5 seconds and repeat the procedure 10 times.

1. Development and strengthening of the toes.

It is necessary to lift pebbles (or other similar objects) using your toes.

1. Stretching for arthrosis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint.

You need to tie a rubber band around your big toes, with your feet together. Next, spread your feet with your big toes pressed against the other. Fix the position for at least 10 seconds. Perform several repetitions.

1. Circular rotation of the toes.

In the “sitting on a chair” position, rest your heels on the surface with your toes raised. Next, try to make simultaneous circular movements with your fingers. Perform 3 series of 10 rotations.

If you perform these exercises every day, you can stop the further development of destructive and pathological processes in the joints of the legs. Therapeutic exercises for the foot with arthrosis can be performed in combination, with the appointment of various physiotherapeutic procedures including magnetic therapy, laser treatment, phonophoresis, massage and others.

In the future, with increasing volume and intensity of movements, it will be possible to use exercises for the legs for arthrosis of the joint with loading on special devices.

Exercise and be healthy!

How to cure arthrosis of the foot with folk remedies

At home, it is advisable to treat foot arthrosis with folk remedies only after consultation with a doctor. Here are some effective recipes:

• Gelatin. Not only is it good in cooking, but in folk medicine this natural thickener is used to treat arthrosis of the foot. Gelatin contains collagen protein, which supports cartilage tissue, being a building material for ligaments. The easiest way to use it is to mix 1 tsp. substances with a glass of honey water and drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Clay. Helps relieve inflammatory processes in arthrosis of the foot, relieve pain, because it contains many mineral salts and trace elements that normalize the functioning of articular cartilage. For treatment, you need to buy gray or blue clay at the pharmacy, dilute it to a thick sour cream and spread it daily on the sore joints, leaving for 1 hour until the pain stops.
• Hirudotherapy. Treatment of arthrosis with leeches is a very effective method that enhances metabolic processes in the body. These worms contain blood thinning enzymes in their saliva. The procedure is painless and can be easily done at home. Buy leeches and place several on the area of ​​pain for 15-20 minutes daily. The average course of treatment for foot arthrosis is 10-12 days.

Warming ointments prepared at home are very helpful for foot pain:

• Take 0.5 g of mumiyo, 100 g of honey, mix, wrap the sore spot. To do this, soak natural fabric with freshly prepared ointment, wrap the foot, cover with cling film on top, and leave overnight. The course of using ointment for arthritis is 10 days.
• Tear birch leaves, pour boiling water over them, and mash thoroughly in water until mushy. Drain the water, squeeze out the leaves and apply them to your feet. Wrap a thick cloth over the top and sit for 30 minutes. Do this procedure for 10 days.
• Take salt, soda, dry mustard, honey, one tablespoon each. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, apply to the foot, wrap in plastic and leave overnight. Do this procedure at least 7 times.

Homemade tinctures help avoid inflammatory processes during exacerbation of arthrosis of the foot:

1. Boil 200 ml of water, add 1 tsp. chopped burdock, leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Take the medicine 4 times a day before meals, 1 tbsp. spoon (14 days in a row).
2. Elecampane tincture will nourish your joints with the necessary nutrients. To prepare it, take 0.5 liters of vodka and 50 g of crushed elecampane root. Mix the ingredients and leave for 2 weeks in a cool place. When ready, take 1 tbsp of tincture orally. l. before meals 3 times/day until it’s over.

Compresses and rubbing

For arthrosis of the foot, compresses and rubbing with medical bile are very effective. This is a fluid produced by the liver of animals: pigs and cattle. Its regular use at home has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on the sore spot. Methods of using medical bile for arthrosis of the feet:

• Soak the gauze with liquid, place it on the sore spot, secure it with polyethylene on top, and leave it overnight. Do the procedure for a month.
• Apply medicinal bile to your hands. Rub the sore area until the joint becomes warm, then wrap it in warm cloth and leave overnight.

Foot baths

In the treatment of arthrosis of the foot, foot baths are very effective, which are used to enhance blood microcirculation in the blood vessels, stimulate metabolic processes in the body, and nourish articular cartilage. A healing bath is easy to prepare at any convenient time. Recipes for home treatment of foot arthrosis:

• Take 0.75 ml of salicylic acid, 10 g of crushed baby soap, pour boiling water, stir until smooth, then add 20 ml of purified turpentine and place the foot in the resulting solution for 15-20 minutes;
• Mix 100 g of iodine-bromine salt and 3 liters of warm water, place the feet in the solution for 15-20 minutes. The duration of the course is at least 7 daily sessions.

Other folk methods

Treatment of foot arthrosis with traditional methods improves the overall tone of the body, increases immunity, and relieves pain. Recipes based on castor oil, cinnamon, horsetail, ginger, and Kalanchoe are widely used, which are used in the form of teas or cold compresses. Good results for arthrosis are given by boiled oatmeal, which should be boiled for 5 minutes over low heat, and then applied as a compress at night. A fresh cabbage leaf, applied to the foot before bed and removed in the morning, effectively relieves pain.

Gymnastics treatment for arthrosis of the foot joints

Osteoarthritis of the foot ranks third in frequency after the knee and hip joints. During physical activity, a person experiences pain in the toes. If left untreated, it becomes painful to stand on the foot. At the last third stage of arthrosis, the disease can cause disability due to foot deformity.

The use of exercise therapy for the treatment of destruction of cartilage tissue of the foot occurs first in a lying position, by rotating the feet, abducting the toe and heel back and forth. Subsequently, the work takes place while sitting, and the patient imitates walking without lifting the soles of the feet from the floor. As the muscles of the problem area strengthen, the patient begins to exercise with the help of additional special devices.

Exercises for arthrosis of the shoulder joint

With arthrosis of the shoulder, there is limited movement of the arms - lifting them up or moving them behind the back. The shoulder becomes numb, severe pain may occur, and the muscles spontaneously tense. In extreme cases of the disease, deformation of the joint occurs. Successful treatment requires the use of special exercises.

Gymnastics for shoulder arthrosis eliminates additional weights - no weights or dumbbells! These are basically isometric exercises consisting of tension followed by relaxation. During the period of exacerbation, only the muscles of the hand, forearm, and back are used in training, without including the affected joint in the axial load. On the Internet you can choose the most appropriate option for you to exercise for shoulder rehabilitation.

1. What to remember:
2. Arthrosis is a serious disease that manifests itself in the destruction of cartilage tissue in joints.
3. Treatment occurs with medications and therapeutic exercises. At the last stage of arthrosis, surgical intervention is necessary.
4. Doctor Evdokimov’s therapeutic exercises have been tested for years and help cure joint diseases.
5. There are contraindications for treatment with therapeutic exercises.
6. Therapeutic gymnastics helps in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee, hip, shoulder joints and foot diseases. To restore each problem area, you can choose an effective therapeutic set of exercises.

Exercises and massage

A typical manifestation of arthrosis is stiffness of movement. The load on the joints must be reduced, standing for long periods of time, walking and running should be avoided. But physical activity is necessary; if you do not develop the joints and train the muscles, the mobility of the feet will be completely lost. Therapeutic gymnastics helps combat joint contracture, muscle sagging, and ossification of ligaments.

It is better to consult a doctor, he will select the optimal set of exercises for arthrosis of the ankle or small joints of the foot, determine the permissible load and the scheme for increasing it. If possible, you should go to the gym, but you can also perform a number of exercises at home to treat arthrosis of the foot and ankle.

1. Starting position – sitting on a chair, shoulders straightened, feet shoulder-width apart. Pressing your heels to the floor, alternately lift your left and right toes off the floor.
2. Similar and. p., fingers are pressed, heels come off.
3. Lying on your back, move your legs straight out, imitating steps. Take 3 “steps” forward (up), then back, returning to the starting position.
4. Lying on a hard surface, pull your toes toward you and away from you;
5. In the same position, rotate your feet.

With arthrosis of the toes, you need to move them, move them to the side, and make rotational movements. It is good to resort to the simplest version of mechanotherapy - exercises with a rubber band. For example, tie your big toes with a ribbon and try to spread your feet apart, pressing your big toes to the rest. A similar exercise can be performed by grabbing other fingers. It is useful to walk barefoot on a textured surface, roll a pencil or a bottle. This is an excellent prevention of flat feet, which often leads to arthrosis of the feet, the simplest way of massage.

When a specialist performs a massage for arthrosis of the ankle joint and toes, he places the patient with his back on the massage table, placing a cushion under the knee. But you can master self-massage techniques.

Basic principles:

• start with the least painful areas;
• move from light stroking to more intense rubbing and kneading;
• move from the tips of the fingers to the ankle;
• explore neighboring areas.

Some procedures and manipulations for foot arthrosis are performed exclusively in a hospital. If possible, you should periodically undergo courses of sanatorium-resort treatment. But a significant part of the treatment can be carried out at home, in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations and under his supervision.

It should be remembered that treatment of ankle arthrosis with folk remedies is carried out only as an auxiliary one. If arthrosis of the foot is diagnosed, the symptoms and treatment with folk remedies should correspond to each other. Thus, in case of acute inflammation, thermal procedures and hot foot baths are contraindicated. And with intense, prolonged pain, drug therapy cannot be avoided.

Methods for treating arthrosis and the benefits of therapeutic exercises

After diagnosis, treatment of pathology involves various methods. Surgical intervention may be required in advanced stages of arthrosis. In other cases, drug treatment is usually used, with possible intra-articular injections. Physiotherapy has a very good effect on such diseases.

Mandatory therapeutic components in the treatment of this serious disease are exercise therapy or therapeutic exercises. This effective method allows you to strengthen the muscle frame to protect and perform the functions of diseased joints. With the right approach to exercise, you can soon feel improvements and completely cure the disease.

Gymnastics helps improve the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, restoring cartilage tissue. Blood supply to problem areas and metabolism in the body improves. The emotional state and well-being of the patient increases, making recovery faster

To the question “what kind of therapeutic exercises should be done for arthrosis?”, we recommend paying attention to Evdokimenko’s system of exercises

Physical therapy for a child

In children, foot deformities include flat feet and hallux valgus (X-shaped feet). Gymnastics for these pathologies will not only help strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the legs, but will also prevent the development of arthrosis of the feet in the future. It is convenient to conduct classes in a playful way.

For flat feet, it is good to combine training lying on the floor and sitting on a chair with walking alternately on your toes and heels, as well as on an uneven surface (pebbles, sand, ribbed rug).

Below are exercises for hallux valgus in a child (1.5-2 minutes for each set).

Standing

1. We rise onto our toes several times and lower ourselves back onto the entire sole.
2. We squat with our feet pressed tightly to the floor.

Sitting on a chair

For classes, you need a chair that matches the child’s height and a gymnastic ball with a medium-sized ribbed surface, and you can also use various small objects, rags, and handkerchiefs.

1. We put our feet on the ball. Pressing on the ball, we roll it with both feet.
2. We squeeze the ball with our feet one by one.
3. We stretch our legs forward and use our toes to collect and move small objects. We practice for about 10 minutes.

It is good to supplement the exercises listed above with walking: alternately on your heels and on your toes, on the outer edge of the foot, on sand or small grains, along a straight line (drawn or imaginary), in a bathroom, at the bottom of which a bubble mat filled with warm water is laid (temperature 35 degrees Celsius).

Add vegetables and fruits and foods high in calcium to your diet. Don't forget about good emotions and smile. Do exercises every day and leg pain will not bother you.

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Preventive exercises while walking

While walking in the park, you can perform the following simple complex:

1. Rest your right hand on a tree trunk, fence or wall of the house, then grab your left foot with your left hand and pull it up.

Change your hand on the tree and do the same with your right leg.

Get up and try to relax. Then step your right leg forward, shift your weight to your left leg, rest your hands on the knee of your right leg and lean forward slightly. Your left leg will bend slightly. And the right one will stretch out a little. Repeat the exercise with your left leg.
With outstretched arms, lean against the tree. Take your left leg back one step, and bend your right leg slightly at the knee. The weight should be transferred to the left leg. Repeat this exercise with your right leg.
Now stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Now carefully bend your left leg at the knee and squat down slightly. Place your hands on your left leg and bow slightly forward. Then repeat the exercise on your right leg.
Sit on a park bench with your legs slightly extended in front of you. Wrap your arms around your legs and slowly lower your head to your knees. Straighten up. Repeat the exercise several times.

If you combine a set of exercises for arthrosis with hirudotherapy, the effectiveness of treatment will be 100%.

The main causes of the disease

Adequate support for the foot is provided by walking on rough surfaces (earth, grass, sand, pebbles, etc.). When walking on a hard and level surface, the spring properties of the arches are lost: the foot flattens, the heel and toes take the wrong position. Violation of the biomechanics of foot movements entails destructive and degenerative changes in all joints of the spine and lower extremities, leading to stagnation of venous blood. Cartilage destruction and joint dysfunction are caused by many factors:

1. Congenital or acquired deformities of the joints and bones of the lower extremities.
2. Longitudinal and transverse flatfoot.
3. Injuries to the lower extremities, such as fractures, bruises, sprains.
4. Chronic metabolic diseases: diabetes, gout and others.
5. Chronic autoimmune diseases.

Predisposing factors for the development of arthrosis will be:

1. Using the wrong shoes. Wearing shoes with high heels or, on the contrary, with too flat soles, poor fixation in the ankles, uncomfortable lasts, non-breathable materials, shoes that are too narrow or, conversely, too wide - this is an incomplete list of factors that contribute to cartilage damage.
2. Heavy weight. The joints of the lower limb are supporting. Increasing the load on them can lead not only to fatigue, but also to arthrosis.
3. Pregnancy. A pregnant woman's weight increases. Due to the fact that the body is weakened, the ligaments lose their elasticity.
4. Professions, especially those associated with vibration, hypothermia, may result in occupational injuries.
5. Genetic predisposition.
6. Excessive sports activities.
7. Poor nutrition.

In patients with arthrosis, the disease begins gradually. They may note that there was a period of discomfort in their legs, and then nothing bothered them for a long time. Then there are complaints about the appearance of “foot bunions”, “corns”, Heberden’s nodes (thickenings on the joints), and joint deformation. Poor circulation, trauma and compression of periarticular tissues, muscle spasms cause pain. In advanced cases, the pain becomes constant and bothers you at night due to poor outflow of venous blood.

Treatment of osteoarthritis is complex. Medications (anti-inflammatory, painkillers, chondroprotective) are combined with treatment methods such as a balanced diet, physiotherapy, massage and physical therapy. In cases where joint deformation causes the development of persistent contractures, surgical intervention may be indicated.

Exercises for the joints of the foot and ankle

Lie down or sit on the floor with your legs extended, press your toes against your feet and straighten them, repeat 10 times. Perform movements with your feet towards you, away from you, turns inwards and outwards, circular movements clockwise and counter-clockwise. At first you can help with your hands, then move on to active movements without using your hands. Repeat each movement 10 times in both directions. Lying on your back, bend your knees and rest your heels lightly on the floor. Bend and straighten your legs at the ankles.

To continue the gymnastic training, you need to sit on a chair.

1. Alternately press your toes and then your heels into the floor, simulating walking, repeat up to 30 times. The same exercise can be performed in a standing position using a ball.
2. Perform circular movements with your heel without lifting your toes from the floor.
3. Bend your knee, cross your legs, and rotate your foot alternately in both directions.
4. With your toes on the floor, pull your feet up as far as possible.
5. Pressing your heels, pull your fingers spread out like a fan towards you.

And a few more exercises in a standing position.

1. Squat without lifting your heels from the floor. Try not to let your knees go beyond the line where your toes are.
2. Having completely relaxed your lower leg, perform swinging movements with your leg, like a pendulum. It is advisable to hold onto the support with one hand so as not to lose your balance.
3. Leaning on one leg, lift and bring forward the other, bent at the knee. After 5–7 seconds, from this position the leg is lowered to the floor, the same movement is repeated with the other, and so on 10 times for each leg.

These exercises strengthen not only the lower leg muscles and ankle joint, but also the arch of the foot as a whole. Quite often, arthrosis affects the joints of the thumbs. To develop them you will need a rubber band. The exercise is best performed while sitting on the floor, feet flattened, heels touching the floor, toes pointing upward. Connect your thumbs with a tape and forcefully spread your feet, while the thumb should be pressed as close as possible to the rest, although the tape pulls it in the opposite direction.

These simple exercises for the feet and ankles will help with arthrosis

When walking and when a person stands, his feet and ankle joints support the weight of the entire body, and this is a lot. The stress on joints is aggravated by obesity, heavy lifting, and wearing high-heeled shoes. These factors, especially in combination with congenital weakness of cartilage tissue, hormonal and vascular diseases, and injuries, can provoke degenerative-dystrophic disease of the foot joints - arthrosis. As the disease progresses, pain in the joints increases, their mobility is limited, leg functions are impaired, and the gait becomes lame. Gymnastics for arthrosis of the foot helps to delay these irreversible changes, but the exercises must be performed regularly and correctly.

Hirudotherapy

Treatment with leeches is used in combination with medication and helps speed up the recovery process. Worm saliva contains many active enzymes that have a positive effect on the body:

• strengthen the immune system;
• prevent thrombosis;
• renew the lymphatic system;
• thin the blood;
• relieve pain and inflammation.

For the procedure, special medical leeches are used, which are applied to cleansed skin near the affected joint (from 2 to 6 individuals). After the first session, the patient feels relief: pain goes away, mobility improves, smooth muscles relax. The standard scheme of procedures is 10 sessions every 2-3 days. As an independent treatment, hirudotherapy can be prescribed for stage 1 of the disease.

Massage

For deforming arthrosis of the foot, massage is a component of complex treatment. The procedure has a beneficial effect on muscle fibers, nerve endings and the circulatory system. As a result of good blood circulation, tissue trophism improves and restoration processes are launched.

Massage technique:

• Using sliding and stroking movements, massage your feet from the nail phalanges towards the ankle joint;
• rub your toes;
• apply pressure with your knuckles over the entire area of ​​the sole;
• massage your ankle and heel;
• Finish the massage with rubbing and stroking.

Massage is carried out in the subacute period, when pain and inflammation are relieved with medications. Baths of sea salt or a decoction of walnut leaves will help enhance the healing effect. The procedure can be carried out with essential oils, adding 10 drops per 10 liters of water.

Foot structure

The foot is the lower part of the leg, sometimes the word foot is used in the same meaning, and sometimes the lower, supporting surface of the foot, the sole, is called the foot. The foot consists of 3 sections - tarsus, metatarsus and toes, each toe, except the big one, has 3 phalanges. In total, the foot has 28 bones connected by joints. The talus tarsus bone, together with the tibia bones of the leg, forms the ankle joint. Arthrosis can develop both in this large joint and in numerous small joints of the foot. The most important of them are the metatarsophalangeal muscles; they are involved in almost all movements of the foot.

Due to the complex structure of the feet, they are susceptible to various diseases. Due to intrauterine pathologies or weakness of the tendon-ligamentous apparatus, deformation of the child’s feet may develop. Adults also face this problem; deformities are caused by injuries, certain diseases, and excessive stress. When the causes of arthrosis of the foot are listed, flat feet and other types of deformities are always mentioned. Diseases of this department negatively affect all joints of the legs, as well as the spine, since the load on them is distributed incorrectly.

With arthrosis, due to excessive stress, insufficient nutrition and blood supply, under the influence of aggressive biological agents (enzymes, hormones, inflammatory mediators), destruction of articular cartilage and bone deformation occur. One of the main symptoms of arthrosis of the foot is pain when moving the joint; in the late stages of the disease, it is felt even at rest. The disease is manifested by increased fatigue, limited mobility, deformities, and changes in gait. Having diagnosed arthrosis, the doctor prescribes not only medications and procedures, but also exercises for the ankle and toes.

Exercises from the Evdokimenko complex

Gymnastics for the feet, hip, and knee joints, developed by Dr. Evdokimenko, are very effective for osteoarthritis. Several exercises from this complex are designed to strengthen the muscles of the lower leg and arch of the foot, and the first one is also for the thigh, gluteal, and lumbar muscles. From a standing position, slowly bend over, without bending your knees and trying to touch your hands to the floor. Hold the pose for 20–40 seconds, then bend down a little more and hold for another minute. Slowly straighten up. This exercise is performed only in a static version and only one approach is done.

During daily training, the elasticity of the ligaments increases. By training for a year or more, you can learn to do a deeper bend, touching your palms to the floor and holding in this position for up to 2 minutes. Sometimes people with stiff, shortened ligaments begin to perform the exercise, who cannot touch the floor even with their fingertips, and the bend is accompanied by pain in the lower back. In this case, start with a lightweight option: take a low stool and lean your hands on it while bending over. You can make the exercise more effective if you tense the muscles of your legs and lower back while bending while inhaling, relaxing as you exhale.

The following exercises are performed from one starting position: stand up straight, place a chair in front of you and lightly lean your hands on its back.

1. Rise up on your toes as high as possible and hold for a minute. Smoothly lower your entire foot and rest a little. Perform the same movements 10–15 times, rising and immediately lowering, but at a slow pace.
2. Try to pull your toes up as much as possible, resting your heels on the floor. Lock in the extreme position for a minute, lower yourself onto your entire foot. After a short rest, perform 10-15 dynamic repetitions, holding for 1-2 seconds at the top and bottom. When the feet fully touch the floor, the muscles need to be relaxed as much as possible.

The foot of the right leg is pressed to the floor. The left one is slightly bent at the knee, resting on the toe, the heel stretches up. When the heel is as high as possible, smoothly roll from foot to foot: the left heel lowers, while the right heel rises. The toes of both feet should not leave the floor.

Exercise therapy and gymnastics are an important method of treating arthrosis, including those localized in the joints of the foot. Many patients want to be cured without effort or time, so they prefer to eliminate symptoms with potent anti-inflammatory and painkillers, neglecting non-drug methods. Others, in an effort to achieve results faster, immediately begin performing complex, difficult exercises that are intended for healthy people. Exercises for sore joints should be selected by a doctor, and the load should not exceed that recommended by him. The therapeutic effect of exercise therapy is observed if the exercises are correctly selected, the load is dosed, and most importantly, provided that it is practiced daily.

What to do

To maintain joint mobility, regular exercise is of paramount importance.

By performing various exercises, you build a healthy range of motion in the joints, which leads to the preservation of normal function of the muscle-tendon corset and cartilage, improves mobility and strengthens the joints.

In this case, it is very important to perform daily exercises to extend and flex the joints. Remember; that when improving, you shouldn’t abandon the complex

But it is imperative to maintain a balance between rest (every 4-6 hours during the day, which is necessary to rehydrate the articular cartilage), periods of exercise and other activity.

Strengthening leg muscles For many girls, it has long become part of regular self-care. Slender and toned legs are a symbol of beauty.

However, in addition to the aesthetic effect and pleasure from your appearance, It is important to take care of your feet from a health point of view. This part of our body plays a huge role in the functioning of the body's systems and at the same time experiences great stress during the day.

Despite the fact that we spend most of our time in a sitting position, our legs get tired, lose muscle tone and sometimes experience very severe pain. In most cases, this occurs due to excessive compression of the blood vessels and lack of physical activity, which in turn leads to fluid retention in the body, swelling and varicose veins.

The best way to avoid these problems is to work hard at strengthening leg muscles and lymph flow, removing toxins and excess fluid. For this, there are special exercises that are effective for this area of ​​the body.

Strengthening your leg muscles: many benefits

In addition to the fact that you will eventually gain physically strong legs, muscle exercises will build a certain lifestyle that is healthier and more active. If you need more motivation, consider the following points:

• As we do exercises to strengthen our legs, the tone of the whole body, muscles of the thighs, calves, buttocks and back are tightened.
• It is good for health because activates blood circulation, improves blood flow in the veins and lymph flow. All this is a key factor for the removal of toxins and fluids that linger in the body and provoke.
• Exercise helps you gain positive emotions, increase joint mobility and, as a result, improve the health of the whole body.
• The body's fatigue is reduced. You feel that your legs have become lighter and stronger.
• Self-confidence appears good results please and stimulate further achievements.

Forward to results!

First of all, you should start the exercises with a warm-up: warming up and stretching the muscles to avoid damage and injury. In addition, you should also finish the complex with stretching exercises for the muscles that you used earlier.

Squats

This is one of the best exercises to strengthen your leg muscles. Moreover, it is easy to do and can be practiced effectively at home.

• Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, straighten your back. The head should be in a straight position, gaze directed forward.
• Let's start the exercise: Inhale and gently bend your knees to a right angle. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Keep your back straight. Your arms can be extended forward or bent towards the back of your head. Exhale and return to the starting position and repeat the exercise again.

Lunges

This exercise is also well suited for home gymnastics and is effective in use.

• Starting position: stand straight with your feet together, place your hands on your waist and straighten your back and neck.
• Let's start the exercise: take a big step forward. The angle between the shin and the thigh of the front leg should be 90 degrees. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise several times, alternating legs.

Exercises with a step platform

Such exercises are ideal for strengthening muscles and maintaining their tone. If you don't have exercise equipment at home, use wide steps on the stairs.

• Starting position: straighten your neck and back, place your right foot on the platform.
• Let's start the exercise: Straighten your right leg and lift your whole body up, holding your left leg in the air. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise with your left leg. Do several repetitions with each leg.

Running in place

This is a very simple exercise and can be easily done at home. It is very beneficial for the leg muscles.

• Starting position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend your elbows.
• Let's start the exercise: lift your heels and try to reach your buttocks with them. Repeat 30 times at a fast pace and rest.

Pelvic lift

This exercise will help make not only the leg muscles, but also the buttocks strong and toned. It is also very effective in the fight against cellulite.

• Starting position: use a sports mat or any other mat. Perform exercises on the floor or other flat surface. Lie on your back, bend your knees, and press your feet firmly to the floor.
• Let's start the exercise: lift your pelvis until your knees are at a right angle. Keep your body straight, stomach and buttocks tucked in. Stay in this position for a few seconds, then lower to the floor. Do at least 10 repetitions.

Lifehacker, together with doctor Maxim Sergeevich Rykov, figured out what exercises to do to correct flat feet.

Doctor, expert in treatment and diagnostics in German clinics.

Maxim Sergeevich Rykov

How flat feet affect the body

The bones of the foot and lower leg are surrounded by muscles and ligaments, due to which the arch of the foot, the arch on its inner side, is formed. If the muscles are toned, the arch is preserved, the load is distributed evenly, if not, the arch drops and the foot becomes flat.

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The arch, like an elastic spring, absorbs the impact of the foot on the ground. When it’s not there, steps and running hit the joints and spine much harder. In addition, the position of the legs changes when walking. When placing your foot on a support, the foot turns inward, followed by the ankle and knee. And this further increases the load on the joints.

But that's only half the problem. Muscles and ligaments do not work as separate mechanisms, they are interconnected. When the foot becomes flat, it affects the entire leg and the. To keep an overloaded knee joint in the desired position, the hip muscles have to tense all the time. To stabilize the pelvis, the hip flexor muscles engage and pull the lumbar spine.

This results in excessive arching in the lower back and a whole range of painful sensations in the feet, knees and hips.

Therefore, to correct muscle imbalances in flat feet, it is not enough to roll a tennis ball under your foot. You need a set of exercises and massage movements for the muscles of the whole body.

The body is a complex system. To correct the imbalance, we need a holistic view of it.

Maxim Sergeevich Rykov

What exercises to do

Maxim Rykov provided a set of exercises that is used by German physiotherapists to treat flat feet. OK includes four blocks:

• massage to relax tense muscles of the foot and lower leg;
• exercises to strengthen the muscles of the foot;
• exercises to strengthen the muscles of the lower leg, in particular the tibialis posterior muscle, which supports the arch of the foot;
• exercises to correct imbalances throughout the body.

For some exercises you will need a massage or tennis ball with minimal resistance. You can buy them at any sports store.

Massage

Shin massage with ball

• Sit on a chair, place the ankle of one leg on the other.
• Feel the bone in the middle of the shin and move your fingers from it to the soft tissue closer to the inside of the leg.
• Place the ball on this area and apply pressure, as if screwing it into the tissue. At the same time, bend and straighten your foot, turn it outward and inward.
• Make a few movements with your foot and move the ball further towards your foot. Work the entire muscle in this way.
• Perform the massage for two minutes, then switch legs and repeat.

Calf massage with hands

• Feel the bone in the middle of the shin and move your fingers from it to the soft tissue closer to the inside.
• Place your thumbs on this area. Using massaging movements, move down along the muscle.
• Massage each leg for at least a minute.

Foot massage with ball

• Press down on the ball and roll it slowly under your foot.
• Spend at least a minute on each leg.

Foot massage with hands

• Sit on the floor, place your foot on your heel.
• Grasp your heel with one hand and the arch of your foot with the other.
• Hold your heel in place with one hand and use the other to move the ball of your foot toward the floor.
• Perform 10 movements on each leg.

Exercises for the foot muscles

• Imagine that there are three points on your foot in the form of a triangle. One is on the ball of the foot just under the big toe, the second is on the ball of the little toe, and the third is on the heel.
• Place your foot on the floor, press all three points to the floor, and then imagine that you need to put them in one line. At the same time, do not lift your foot and toes from the floor.
• During this visualization, the ball of the foot is pulled toward the heel, the back of the foot is raised, and an arch appears.
• Hold the arch for 3 seconds, do 3 sets of 10 reps.

For this exercise you will need half or rolled up socks.

• Sit on a chair, place the selected object under the middle of your foot.
• Relax your leg and lower it on top of the object.
• Touch your fingers to the floor, but do not bend them. It's like you're hugging the ball with your foot.
• While maintaining tension in the muscles of your foot, lift it and then lower it back onto the ball.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

• Sit on a chair, place your heel on something gliding, such as a toe.
• Press your fingers firmly onto the floor without bending them. Due to this movement, a high arch of the foot is formed, and the heel slides closer to the toes.
• Relax your fingers by stretching them forward. The movement is reminiscent of a caterpillar crawl: the leg gathers and then relaxes while moving forward.
• Perform 3 sets of 10 crawls for each leg.

• Sit on a chair and place your fingers on a small board or thin book.
• Press your fingers into the board without bending or tucking them. This movement will increase the arch of your foot.
• Lower your foot to the starting position and repeat.

Knee abduction with expander

• Sit on the floor, bend your working leg and place your foot on the floor.
• Place one end of the expander under the ball of your foot at the base of your big toe and press it, and pull the other end with your hand.
• At the same time, move the heel, shin and knee of the working leg to the side.
• Try to press the expander with a pad, holding it under your foot.
• Return your leg to the starting position and repeat.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

• Sit on a chair, put a towel on the floor.
• Place your heel on the floor, grab the towel with your toes and pull it towards you.
• Continue pulling the towel up until it is under your foot. The heel does not come off the floor.
• To make the exercise more difficult, place a heavy object on the edge of the towel.
• Do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups for each leg.

Exercises for the lower leg muscles

• Sit on a chair, place your feet on the floor, bring your knees together, press your feet together.
• Try to turn your feet inward, pressing one on the other.
• Hold the position for 3 seconds, perform 3 sets of 5 times.

Strengthening the arch of the foot with an expander

• Sit on a chair, place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other.
• Make a loop from the expander and place it around the foot in the ball of the foot area.
• Stretch the other end of the expander well and press it to the floor with your second foot.
• Take your foot with your hand and turn it inward, with the sole facing you.
• Release your foot and lower it down as slowly as possible, overcoming the resistance of the expander.
• Do 2 sets of 10 times and repeat for the other.

• Hook the resistance band onto a stable support just above the floor.
• Sit on the floor, extend your leg forward and place the loop around your foot at the ball of the foot.
• Overcoming the resistance of the expander, wrap your foot inward and bring it back.

• Sit on the floor, extend your right leg forward.
• Make a loop out of the expander and put it on your foot in the area of ​​the ball.
• Grasp the expander with your right hand and pull it to the right side.
• Cross your left leg over your right, and press your toe onto the expander, moving it to the right.
• Overcoming the resistance of the expander, wrap your working foot inward.
• Perform 2 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Full Body Exercises

These exercises are suitable for correcting posture and preventing disorders caused by flat feet. Be sure to do them if you have these problems, and also if you strive to maintain good posture despite.

Strengthens the pelvic muscles and reduces excessive arching in the lower back.

• Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
• Place a rolled towel under your sacrum.
• Tilt your pelvis towards your navel and place it on the floor. The abdominal muscles are relaxed.
• Return to starting position and repeat.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Waterfall

Helps prevent and correct scoliosis and straighten the spine. You can do it anywhere: at a bus stop, in an elevator, in a queue.

• Stand straight, distribute your body weight on both legs.
• Stretch upward as much as possible, from your heels to the top of your head. Imagine that you are standing under a mighty waterfall and you need to resist the force of the water.
• Don't raise your shoulders, lift your head, or stand on your toes. Try to stretch your spine as much as possible, increasing the distance between your heels and the top of your head.
• Relax and repeat the exercise.
• Do 3 sets of 10–15 reps.

L-pose

Strengthens the back muscles, useful for those who sit a lot. You can do it on public transport or in the office.

• Sit up straight, place your feet on the floor, and distribute your body weight evenly across your two sit bones.
• Stretch your spine upward, trying to increase the distance between the chair and the top of your head.
• Do not bend your body at the waist, do not raise your shoulders, look ahead.
• Relax and repeat. Do at least 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Pelvic movement

Exercise relieves tension and pain in the area.

• Lie on your back, bend your knees, place your feet on the floor.
• Grasp your hip bones with your hands to better feel the movement.
• Alternately lift your ilia up and down. Do not lift your lower back off the floor.
• Do 3 sets of 10 movements on each side.

Screw

The exercise is useful for lower back problems and knee pain.

• Place one leg on an elevated platform and bend your knee. Shift your body weight to your supporting leg, which remains on the floor. In this case, the pelvis automatically tilts towards the bent leg.
• Press your heel into the floor and reach the top of your head toward the ceiling. Try to stretch your spine as much as possible. Due to muscle tension, the pelvis is leveled and then tilted towards the supporting leg.
• During the exercise, imagine that you are pushing your body through a narrow pipe. This will avoid unnecessary lateral movements.
• Perform 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Strengthening the hip muscles responsible for external rotation of the hip.

• Lie on the floor on your right side, place your head on your right hand, and place your left palm in front of you.
• Straighten your right leg, bend your left leg at a right angle and place your foot on the floor at the level of the knee of your right leg.
• Using the inside of your foot on the floor, lift the knee of your left leg as high as possible.
• Lower your knee to the starting position and repeat.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg.

Useful for posture problems: round back and flat back. Helps develop mobility in the thoracic spine.

• Lie on the floor on your side, bend both legs, place one arm under your head, and extend the other forward. If you have a ball, place your outstretched arm on it; if not, just extend it forward.
• While rolling the ball under your hand, extend your arm further forward and rotate it toward the floor.
• The pelvis and lower back remain in the same position until the end of the exercise.
• Return your chest and shoulders to the starting position and repeat.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Easy rotation

Easy option
More complex option

The exercise is useful for flat back and scoliosis. Strengthens the thoracic spine.

• Sit on a chair, bend over with your back straight and place your right elbow on your right knee. Stretch your left arm down next to your left leg - this is the starting position.
• Without changing the position of your pelvis and lower back, try to touch the floor with your left hand. At the same time, the left shoulder goes down and the chest turns to the right.
• Return to the starting position, and then try to raise your straight arm as high as possible without changing its position. Now the left one will go up, and the chest will turn to the left.
• If this is easy for you, try another variation: instead of your elbow, place your palm on your knee and straighten your arm.
• Do 3 sets of 10 rotations for each arm.

How often to exercise

Arrange training three times a week if you have flat feet in the early stages, and five times if you have advanced ones.

It is not necessary to do all the exercises on the list in one day. Incorporate one or two from each category into your workout, and then choose other options the next day. This workout will take about 30 minutes.

You can perform the “waterfall” and L-pose exercises several times every day - as many times as you remember about them.

At the same time as training, check the condition of your shoes: choose comfortable low-heeled shoes. Also, replace shoes with unevenly worn soles, which will slow down your progress by keeping your feet in the same position.