Exercises / Leg & ankle
Single-leg balance progression
- Balance
- Leg & ankle
- Firm floor, then foam or wobble board
Progressive single-leg stance tasks (eyes closed, unstable surface, perturbations). Prevents and treats ankle sprains.
Also called balance training, wobble board, proprioception training, single leg stance.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
- Fibularis longus
- Fibularis brevis
- Tibialis anterior
- Tibialis posterior
- Abductor hallucis
- Flexor digitorum brevis
- Abductor digiti minimi (foot)
- Quadratus plantae
- Lumbricals (foot)
- Flexor hallucis brevis
- Adductor hallucis
- Flexor digiti minimi brevis (foot)
- Opponens digiti minimi (foot)
- Plantar interossei
- Dorsal interossei (foot)
- Extensor digitorum brevis
- Extensor hallucis brevis
- Gluteus medius
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Short daily sessions over several weeks; progress difficulty when steady.
Start: Standing on one leg
Steps
- Stand on one leg on a firm surface for 30 seconds, knee soft.
- Progress: eyes closed; head turns; catching a ball.
- Progress: foam pad or wobble board; hops and landings.
Cues
- Weight over the middle of the foot
- Quiet, small corrections at the ankle
Common mistakes
- Gripping with the toes
- Hip hiking or trunk swaying
Used for
- Lateral ankle sprain
- Chronic ankle instability
- Falls prevention
Evidence (2)
Easier
References (5)
- Martin RL, Davenport TE, Fraser JJ, et al. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021;51(4):CPG1-CPG80. Ankle stability and movement coordination impairments: lateral ankle ligament sprains revision 2021
- Neumann DA. Elsevier. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. 3rd ed.
- McKeon PO, Hertel J, Bramble D, Davis I. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(5):290. The foot core system: a new paradigm for understanding intrinsic foot muscle function
- McKeon PO, Hertel J. J Athl Train. 2008;43(3):305-315. Systematic review of postural control and lateral ankle instability, part II: is balance training clinically effective?
- Doherty C, Bleakley C, Delahunt E, Holden S. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(2):113-125. Treatment and prevention of acute and recurrent ankle sprain: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis