G'day everyone welcome back to another exercise video for those of you new to
this channel my name is Mike physiotherapist and your seniors health
and fitness coach and what we're going to go through today are some single leg
strengthening exercises now we haven't done many single leg strengthening
exercises before they are a little bit harder than exercises we've done
before as well but the reason why I wanted to take you through these
exercises is because over the years it's not uncommon to have one side of your
body weaker than the other side of your body when we do double leg exercises for
example the squat where you where we come down and stand back up or the sit
to stand you may be compensating by using that side of your body of the leg
which is stronger which means that weaker side if you do have a weaker side
isn't getting used as well as you'd like which means it's not going to get
stronger so that's why it's a good idea to do these single leg exercises and
incorporate them into your exercise routines okay so the equipment we'll be
using today I've got a step just like this I picked it up quite cheaply from a
department store you can do the same pick one up from a department store so you
can follow along with this exercise video or you can get one online but if
you don't have a step that's fine see what I'm doing in this exercise
video and then once done you can do it on a step you've got around at the house
also a chair or something to hold on to for safety reasons but we'll be doing an
exercise which is seated I'm going to prop my chair up a bit to show you how to
do this exercise for a higher chair for this exercise routine maybe one you can
adjust or a bed which is a little bit higher is going to work just as well
okay so these exercises today are a little bit harder but do your best don't
be disheartened if you can't do them keep practicing the more you practice
these exercises the better you're gonna get which means you'll eventually get these
exercises we do today out okay so let's get into the exercises guys before we
get in to the exercise routine make sure you do the warm-up video which I'll pop
up here in the corner now let's get into it okay so we're going to start with a
squat a double leg squat but as I said we want to be focusing on
equal weight through both our legs when doing this exercise rather than going
through your dominant leg or a leg which may be stronger focus on pushing through
the floor equal weight through both legs we're gonna stand up nice and tall
we're gonna get into ten of the exercises now remember we hinge at the
hips we sit back so let's go following along with me coming back and coming up
let's go for ten one equal weight through both legs pushing up two equal weight
through both legs excellent work three equal weight through
both legs pushing up four equal weight through both legs five six seven eight
nine and last one ten excellent work guys
remember you're focusing on equal weight with that exercise shaking out the legs
taking a deep breath in and out okay now we're going to get into the single leg
work so remember we've done the calf raises before and we come up like this
now what we're going to do is just work one leg at a time we're going to do seven
repetitions each leg if you can't do seven do as many as you can get back to
this workout try to do one more when I say get back to it give some time maybe
two days before you get back into it how this exercise looks like is
this my legs straight I bring one leg back stand closer to the chair I'm coming up
onto my toes like this on one foot and I'm coming back down
so let's go for seven following along with me one good two three four five up
nice and high excellent work guys you're gonna feel that calf working six and last one
seven excellent work shake out those legs take a deep breath in and out onto
the other leg now let's go for seven up nice and tall shoulders back and down
let's go one two three four five six and seven excellent
work shaking out those legs again okay so now what we're going to get into
is a lunge or a reverse lunge we're going to stand up nice and tall behind our
chair we're going to do seven repetitions for this as well so what
we're doing is bringing one foot back like this keeping that back leg straight on
the toes we drop our knee down just before the floor we push back up and
then we change legs again back leg comes back drop that knee
down and we push back up okay so let's go for seven each side following
along with me one excellent work keep that chest up two three four five six
seven we're halfway now guys eight keep that chest up nine ten eleven twelve
thirteen and fourteen excellent work shaking out those legs
now you're definitely going to be feeling those legs working if you couldn't do seven that's
fine keep note get back to these exercises taking a deep breath in and out
okay now you're going to grab your step what we're going to do now is some step ups
onto the step so make sure you've got something to step up to like this and
once we come up we're going to lift that leg up so we're going to go to ten each
side remember we're stepping up bring that leg up we're starting with this leg
let's go following along with me one good two excellent work guys three four five
six seven eight nine and last one ten excellent work shake out those legs getting ready
to get back into it opposite leg now standing up nice and
tall one following along with me two three four five six seven
eight nine and last one ten excellent work picking up your step if you had a step pop it
away okay so now what we're gonna do is an exercise seated in our chair okay so
as you can see I've propped up my chair a little bit to do this exercise because
the lower the chair the harder this exercise is going to be so if you've got
a taller chair it's better to practice this exercise it is much harder what we're going to
do is sit up nice and tall in our chair one chair one comes one foot comes forward I
should say the other foots in the position you would be to stand up you're
holding onto the chair you're focusing on this leg that's back and you're
pushing up like this really focusing on that leg then you're slowly sitting back
down to your raised chair we're gonna do that five times so following along me
doing your best let's go one pushing through that leg excellent work coming
back good two pushing up excellent work that knee in line with your toes three good four
pushing through that leg standing up nice and tall
coming back nice and slow and last one five
excellent work slowly sitting back you're going to feel that leg working remember
that leg out in front is just there to stabilise you it's not pushing up now
this is a harder exercise but do your best if you can only do one again that's fine
keep note get back to it okay let's go again other leg now
sitting up nice and tall pushing through that one leg keeping it in line with your
toes let's go one great coming down nice and slow
two excellent work three great job four and last one coming down nice and slow
and five excellent work slowly sitting back down shaking out those legs taking
a deep breath in and out okay standing up behind your chair so
we're going to finish off with some single leg balance work to work the balance in each
of our legs plus to also work those smaller muscles in our lower legs we're
going to stand up nice and tall next to our chair holding onto your chair let's
bring one leg up taking that hand off and focus on what you're doing following
along with me excellent work guys don't become distracted just relax into
this exercise keeping that leg up if you do come out of balance hold on to the
chair pop your foot down and get straight back into it so really focus on
what you're doing don't get distracted and take these exercises seriously so
really focus during this time it's what you put in to these workouts now you're
going to get the results in your day-to-day life everything's going to be
much easier let's go for another ten seconds focus following along with me
you can do it and five four three two and one excellent work taking a deep
breath in and out okay now let's change legs holding onto the chair bringing
that leg up focus on what you're doing relax into the exercise guys but focus
on relaxing that leg that's it shoulders back and down
thirty seconds remember focus concentrate if you come out of balance get straight
back into it and do it for the time or keep practicing for the time I'm doing
it for got about fifteen seconds to go excellent work guys putting it in and ten nine
eight seven six five four three two and one
excellent work guys shaking out those legs taking a deep breath in and out
and we're all done for those or for an introduction to single leg standing
exercises today as you would have seen these exercises are a little bit harder
for strengthening those legs than exercises we've done before but with
exercise and fitness you've got to keep challenging yourself that's how you make
improvements that's when everything in your daily life is going to become much
easier stay consistent keep going you can make progress no matter your
capabilities or no matter how old you are as well thanks for following along
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I'll catch you next time I'll see you then