Feet and Ankles
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If you want to learn about the feet and ankle joints you exercise, click here then scroll down until you reach the section on feet and ankles.
Start simply. Begin with a simple forward walk, with shoulders aligned over hips and hands at your sides. Lead with your heel, rolling to the ball of the foot, then push off with your toes. Swing your arms opposite your legs, pushing and pulling the water along your sides.
Walk backward. Research from Japan shows that walking backward in the water engages more muscles, especially around the spine, quads and shins, while also boosting heart rate. It also might help your balance. Start on your toes, then push down on the balls of your feet and roll to the heels, moving opposite arm and leg while pushing water behind you with your hands.
The more submerged your body is, the lighter the load on your joints. If you have arthritis in your shoulders or spine, keeping your upper body under water increases the fitness benefits, helping burn more calories while improving your mobility and range of motion. Wear a buoyancy belt to help you stay upright.
The recommended water temperature for warm water exercise is 83 to 90 degrees. Most people find temperatures in this range to be comfortable and soothing to sore joints and muscles, which makes exercise easier. In general, the slower the exercise movements, the warmer the water needs to be for most people.
If you would like to see the bones and ankles of the foot click on feet here.
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1 Controlled walking in a straight line
Warming up exercises: Walking forwards, heel down first before toes. Walking sideways. Walking backwards, putting toes down before heels. Walk along a straight line as if on a tightrope
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2 Walking forwards and backwards
Walk forwards briskly swinging your arms as if marching. When walking backwards, place both hands behind, then move them powerfully forward making waves.
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3 Side step control
Walk sideways one foot in front of the other, then behind the other foot. Repeat walking sideways the other way so that the other foot crosses in front and behind.
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4 Ankle tip toe walk
Walk on tip toe forwards, backwards and sideways using floats for balance
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5 Develop hip, knee and ankle flexibility
Lift your knee high; then stretch and straighten your leg; turn your ankle left, right, up, down and in circles both ways round. For extra strength, wear a flipper. It is a hinge joint.
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6 Ankle flexing
At the corner of the pool place a noodle or two under your thighs; support yourself with your arms along the sides of the pool, and lie out horizontally. Then turn your ankle left, right, up and down. For extra strength, wear a flipper.
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7 Ankle Rotation
Circle the foot clockwise then anti clockwise. Wear a flipper for extra strength. Flexibility varies a great deal between individuals. toes
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8 Single Leg stand for balance
Stand on one leg and try to balance. Turbulence will make this harder eg someone walking around you. Stretch your foot upwards towards you or downwards away from you. Increase the stretch/work required by wearing a flipper on your foot.
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9 Heel lift, ankle stretch
Stand on two feet apart the width of your hips. Go up on to tip toes. Hold it and balance counting up to 10 or what ever time is a reasonable challenge. Alternatively go up and down with reasonable speed. Holding floats or the side of the pool, repeat these exercises on only one foot.
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10 Float leg press, strengthen standing ankle
Using a rectangular float , press it down to the floor of the pool. Let it up again and repeat the leg press.
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11 Strengthen total leg with noodle
Hold the two ends of a noodle. Try to trap the middle of the noodle under your foot. Pull the noodle tighter. Now lift your foot and noodle together. Then push downwards. Repeat 10 times or what ever is challenging.
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12 Walking with ankle resistance
Stand up straight. Wearing flippers, bend and straighten alternate knees and, as the knee straightens, stretch the foot towards you from the ankle. The faster you work the harder it will be.