Do you want to improve your walking balance, distance and endurance after a stroke, parkinsons disease, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis? If so, you might want to pay attention to your ankle dorsiflexors. These are the muscles that help you lift your toes and foot off the ground. According to a recent study, strengthening these muscles can significantly enhance your walking activity and social participation. It could also improve the knee pain when you walk or run. In this video, I’m going to show you how to do that with a simple and effective exercise program that targets your tibialis anterior, the main ankle dorsiflexor muscle. So, stay tuned and let’s get started.

1. **Ankle and Foot Up Stretch**: This stretch improves the range of motion of your ankle. To do this stretch, you need to:
Sit on the floor or a chair with your leg extended in front of you.
Loop a belt around your foot and hold the ends with your hands.
Place a small pillow under your lower leg to prevent your heel from rubbing on the ground.
Pull your toes toward you with the belt, feeling the stretch in your shin and ankle.
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then relax.
Repeat 3 to 5 times on each leg.

2. **Toe Raises**: This exercise strengthens your tibialis anterior and other muscles and tendons along your shins. To do this exercise, you need to:
Stand or (sit down if you don't have good balance)with your feet flat and your back against a wall.
Lift your toes off the ground as high as you can, keeping your heels on the floor.
Hold for a few seconds, then lower your toes back to the ground.
Repeat 10 to 15 times, or as many as you can comfortably do.

3. **Cuff Weight Toe Raise**: This exercise adds resistance to your ankle dorsiflexion movement. To do this exercise, you need to:
Attach a cuff weight around your ankle. Start with a light weight, such as 1 or 2 pounds, and increase it gradually as you get stronger.
Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Lift your foot off the floor, bending your knee slightly.
Move your foot up and down, flexing and extending your ankle.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each leg, or as many as you can comfortably do.

Links:
Ankle weights: https://amzn.to/3SgOWQP
Article: https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...

Chapters:

0:00 Intro to Video
0:49 What is neglected by therapists
1:01 Why exercise it
1:49 Anterior Tibialis stretch
3:45 Anterior tibialis Exercises
5:39 Weighted Toe Raises
8:30 Standing Toe raises
9:50 Outro
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Disclaimer:
This video should not replace the necessity of visiting your doctor or getting your occupational therapy session done. Please consult your primary care physician before doing any of this. The video is for educational purposes only.

By performing any fitness exercises, you are performing them at your own risk. Skills and wellness will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of our fitness program.

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