All Lower Quarter

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Kneeling Chops with Resistance

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 3 Movement Tests Upper Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, All Upper Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Scapular Stabilization, Shoulder Abduction, Supine Shoulder Flexion

Kneeling Chops with Resistance

  • Chopping is the downward oblique movement across the body from a high position to a low position.
  • The patient starts in kneeling with both arms raised up over the right shoulder holding onto handles that are attached to resistance bands.
  • Ask the patient to find a neutral lumbar spine then draw the belly in to maintain it throughout the exercise.
  • Instruct the patient to keep their eyes and head facing forward as they pull obliquely down and across their body towards the left knee extending both arms.
  • Their trunk should remain still and their spine in neutral as they perform 6-8 repetitions.
  • Then have them switch their hand positions and repeat the chopping motion in the opposite direction.
  • The patient can begin this exercise with their knees initially separated for a more stable base and then bring the knees closer together to increase the level of difficulty.

Half Kneeling Chops and Lifts

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 3 Movement Tests Upper Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, All Upper Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Scapular Stabilization, Shoulder Abduction, Supine Heel slide, Supine Hip ABD and ER, Supine Shoulder Flexion

Half Kneeling Chops and Lifts

  • The patient starts in half kneeling with the left knee down and right knee up, with their right knee bent to a right angle so that their right knee is position over the right ankle.
  • The patient grasps a dowel in both hands with the palm of the right hand facing upwards (supinated) and the palm of the left hand facing down (pronated).
  • The patient is instructed to raise the dowel upwards to the right (lift). Then bring the dowel downwards towards the left (chop) so that they always lift towards the upside knee and always chop toward the downside knee.
  • Ask the patient to keep their head and eyes facing forward as they raise (lift) and lower (chop) the dowel in front of their body, keeping their trunk tall.
  • The trunk should remain still and the patient should try to maintain a neutral lumbar spine during the movement
  • Instruct the patient to repeat the movements 6-8 times then reverse their leg and hand positions to repeat the chop and lift to the left side.
  • The patient can begin this exercise with their knees initially separated for a more stable base and then bring the knees close together to increase the level of difficulty.

Tall Kneeling Chops and Lifts

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 3 Movement Tests Upper Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, All Upper Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Scapular Stabilization, Shoulder Abduction, Supine Heel slide, Supine Hip ABD and ER, Supine Shoulder Flexion

Tall Kneeling Chops and Lifts

  • Chopping is the downward movement across the body from a high position to a low position and lifting is the upward movement from a low position to a high position.
  • The patient starts in kneeling with a dowel in both hands with the palm of the top hand facing upwards (supinated) and the palm of the lower hand facing down (pronated).
  • Ask the patient to keep their eyes and head facing forward as they raise and lower the dowel in front of their body with both arms.
  • Their trunk should remain still and their spine in neutral as they perform 6-8 repetitions.
  • Then have them switch their hand positions and repeat the chop and lifting motions in the opposite direction.
  • The patient can begin this exercise with their knees initially separated for a more stable base and then bring the knees close together to increase the level of difficulty.

Trunk Rotation Over a Swiss Ball

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, Active Trunk Rotation, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Rolling

Trunk Rotation Over a Swiss Ball

  • The patient begins this exercise by lying on their back with both legs supported over a swiss ball and with the arms abducted to 90 degrees and both palms facing the ceiling. The ball should be right up against the thighs. If the front of the ball were a clock the left leg is positioned at 10 o’clock and the right leg at 2 o’clock to begin this exercise.
  • Instruct the patient to take a deep breath as they slowly lower their legs to the left side, only lowering as far as they can while keeping the right shoulder blade on the ground. Ideally the outside of the left leg should touch the floor.
  • To complete the entire pattern ask the patient to look to the right as they externally rotate the right arm and internally rotate the left arm so that the left palm is now facing the ground.
  • Instruct the patient to exhale and use their abdominals to bring the legs back to the midline.
  • Have them repeat the rotation to the right side ideally touching the outside of the right leg to the floor.
  • The patient is instructed to work slowly back and forth 3 to 5 times initially, coordinating the arm rotations with the lower trunk rotation.
  • The patient increases the number of repetitions as their strength and control improves.

Trunk Rotation

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, Active Trunk Rotation, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Rolling

Trunk Rotation

  • The patient begins this exercise by lying on their back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor with the arms abducted to 90 degrees and both palms facing the ceiling.
  • Place a small ball between the patient’s knees and ask them to hold the ball between the knees as they flex the hips up to 90 degrees.
  • Ask the patient to find a neutral lumbar spine with the hips flexed by rotating the pelvis to 6 and 12 o’clock and finding the midpoint.
  • Instruct the patient to take a deep breath as they slowly lower their legs to the left side, only lowering as far as they can while keeping the right shoulder blade on the ground.
  • To complete the entire pattern ask the patient to turn their head to the right, and externally rotate the right arm and internally rotate the left arm so that the left palm is now facing the ground.
  • Instruct the patient to exhale and use their abdominals to bring the legs back to the midline.
  • Have them repeat the rotation to the right side, working slowly back and forth 3 to 5 times coordinating the head and arm rotations with the lower trunk rotation.
  • The patient increases the number of repetitions as their strength and control improves.

Prone Planks with Alternating Hip Extension

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Retraining

Prone Planks with Alternating Hip Extension

  • The patient starts in prone lying resting on their elbows that are positioned under the shoulders.
  • Instruct the patient to rise up on their toes and forearms until they feel that their spine is straight. Observe their spinal position and provide feedback as indicated to make sure they are able to achieve and hold a neutral lumbar spine for 10 seconds.
  • Once the patient can perform 10 repetitions holding each one for 10 seconds they can increase the level of difficulty by lifting and holding one foot off the table for 10 seconds, then they reverse and lift the other foot off the table for 10 seconds before lowering back down to the floor.
  • An EMG analysis of 18 exercises designed to strengthen the gluteal muscles found that the prone plank with hip extension with the knee flexed had the highest % of MVIC of any of the exercises tested (Boren et al., 2011.) Caution is therefore advised when prescribing this exercise especially early on in the rehabilitation of a patient.

Prone Planks

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Retraining, Supine Curl Up, Supine Heel slide, Supine Hip ABD and ER

Prone Planks

  • The patient starts in prone lying resting on their elbows that are positioned under the shoulders.
  • Instruct the patient to rise up on their toes and forearms until they feel that their spine is straight. Observe their spinal position and provide feedback as indicated to make sure they are able to achieve and hold a neutral lumbar spine for 10 seconds.
  • They work up to 10 repetitions, holding each one for 10 seconds.

Side Bridges/Planks with Knees Straight

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Supine Hip ABD and ER

Side Bridges/Planks with Knees Straight

  • The patient starts in sidelying with the R forearm under their R shoulder and the L hand on the L hip with the hips and knees straight.
  • Ask the patient to lift the R hip off the table until their spine is straight and have them hold the position for 10 seconds and repeat 3 to 4 times.
  • They are instructed to repeat this exercise on the left side.
  • The goal is for the patient to work up to 10 reps with 10 second holds on both sides with the hips and knees straight.
  • Boren et al., 2011 reported the highest levels of % of MCIV for the gluteus medius occurred with side planks so caution is advised before advancing a patient to this exercise, especially in the presence of severe atrophy or post hip surgery.

Side Bridges/Planks with Knees Bent

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Supine Hip ABD and ER

Side Bridges/Planks with Knees Bent

  • The patient starts in sidelying with the R forearm under their R shoulder and the L hand on the L hip with the hips straight and the knees flexed.
  • Ask the patient to lift the R hip off the table until their spine is straight and have them hold the position for 10 seconds, working up to 10 repetitions.
  • Once the patient can easily perform 10 repetitions with 10 second holds with their knees flexed they can increase the level of difficulty of this exercise by starting with the hips and knees straight.

Heel Sitting to Kneeling

in 2 Movement Tests Lower Quarter, 5 Home Exercise Strategy, All Home Exercises, All Lower Quarter, Functional Integration, Hip ABD Firing Pattern, Hip EXT Firing Pattern, Retraining, Supine Curl Up, Supine Heel slide, Supine Hip ABD and ER

Heel Sitting to Kneeling

  • The patient starts by sitting on their heels with the trunk erect.
  • Ask the patient to find a neutral lumbar spine by rotating the pelvis toward 12:00 then 6:00 and find the midpoint.
  • Instruct the patient to draw the belly in and hold a neutral lumbar spine.
  • From this position and while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine, instruct the patient to rise up to a kneeling position by extending through their hips and not through the lumbar spine.
  • Once in the kneeling position the patient slowly reverses back to heel sitting, again by moving through the hips and not through the back.
  • Instruct the patient to repeat 3-5 times and increase the reps as their strength improves.
  • This exercise helps to improve a patient’s standing tolerance and strengthen the quadriceps.
  • Make sure that the patient’s lumbar spine stays neutral throughout the exercise.
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