Best Physio exercises for improving agility, leg strength and body control

Single leg squats for hip and knee control

• Begin by standing upright on one leg.
• Push your hips backward like you’re going to sit down and bend your knee into a single leg squat position.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Keep your knee aligned with the center of your foot.

Mini squat sequence

Standing on one leg, continuously perform mini squats while performing the following sequence with the arms:

• Rotate your arms to the left, then to the right.
• Raise your arms overhead and side bend to the left, then to the right.
• With the arms still overhead, lean forward (reach forward with the arms) and back.
• Keep the knee aligned with the foot during the mini squats.

Single leg hop

• Start on one foot in a comfortable position.
• The non-jumping leg is held in a stationary position with the knee flexed during the exercise.
• Begin with a counter movement and jump as far as possible using your arms to assist.
• Immediately repeat the hop when landing.

Same direction heinens

• Start in a comfortable stance with enough space to jump laterally multiples times.
• Load your jumping side by getting into your hip, then jump explosively as far as possible to the side.
• Use your arms to assist the movement.
• When landing and during the ground contact time, the support knee must stay inside the foot.
• Try to land softly.
• Reposition yourself and repeat in the same direction with the same leg.

Lateral barrier hop

• Start with your feet shoulder-width apart in a comfortable position next to a hurdle.
• Begin with a counter movement and jump laterally over the hurdle.
• Immediately repeat the hop back to the starting side when landing.
• Keep the shoulders facing forward.

4 point hopping

• Place 4 markers on the floor so they create a zigzag.
• Hop to the first one and land on one foot. Absorb the forces by bending the knee and keeping it stable.
• Then hop to the next to land on other leg and continue this way for all 4 points and turn around.

Squat box jump

• Start facing the box in a comfortable stance, feet shoulder width and fingers crossed behind your head.
• Begin with a squat countermovement and jump onto the box.
• Land on top of the box then step down and repeat.
• You can start doing the exercise using a 6 inches (15cm) box unless specified otherwise. Progress over time by increasing the height of the box.

Squat depth jump

• Stand on top of a box with your feet shoulder-width apart in a comfortable position and toes near the edge of the box.
• Step off the box without jumping up or lowering your center of gravity as this will change the height from which the exercise is performed.
• Land on the floor in a squat position with 90° of hip and knee flexion and immediately jump as high as possible using your arms to assist
• The ground contact time should be minimal.
• Jump vertically; there should not be any horizontal movement.
• You can start with a 12 inches (30cm) box unless specified otherwise. Progress over time by increasing the height of the box.

Stabilisation bridge

• Lie on your back with one of your ankles on a ball, the other leg straight off the ball and your back in neutral position (slightly arched).
• Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles (inner thigh) 20 to 30% of a maximal contraction.
• Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you lift your pelvis off the floor keeping your back straight and your knee slightly bent.
• Return to floor and repeat.