The compass/star reach is an excellent measure of ankle mobility, proprioception and strength. This tool can be used for an outcome measurement and as a rehabilitation tool following ankle injury or for balance training.
Instructions: Compass
- Stand on the affected leg
- Maintaining a level pelvis, reach as far forward, diagonal, side and behind as you can
- You may steady yourself between each direction if required
- Attempt to reach as far forward with the opposing leg as possible whilst maintaining your balance and control
- Further directions may be progressed by your Physiotherapist
Precautions
- The knee of the standing leg is not collapsing to the inside of the knee
- Your trunk isn’t shifting to counteract the movement
Instructions: 3-Way Anterior Reach with Upper Limb Reach
The “3-Way Anterior Reach to Cone with Upper Limb Reach (Level 1)” involves tapping cones with the foot before progressing to picking them up with the hand. This version of the exercise is excellent for improving balance, coordination, lower limb strength, and proprioception, especially for ankle and knee stabilisation.
Instructions:
- Start Position: Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee. Position three cones in front of you: one directly ahead, one slightly to the left, and one slightly to the right.
- Foot Reach (Left): While maintaining balance on the standing leg, extend your free leg across your body to tap the cone positioned to the left. Then, return to the centre.
- Foot Reach (Centre): Next, extend your free leg forward to gently tap the centre cone with your toes, then return to the starting position.
- Foot Reach (Right): Tap the cone to the right with the same foot, maintaining balance.
- Upper Limb Reach: After completing the foot taps, reach forward with your hand to pick up each cone one at a time, returning to the standing position after each reach.
- Reset: Repeat the entire sequence on the opposite leg.
- Complete repetitions as prescribed by your physiotherapist.
Common Errors:
- Allowing the knee of the supporting leg to collapse inward.
- Overextending or leaning excessively with the torso, causing loss of balance.
- Not engaging the core, leading to instability during reaching movements.
Progressions:
- To make the exercise more challenging, you can:
- Perform the exercise on an unstable surface like a balance pad.
- Increase the distance between the cones, requiring greater reach.
- Add weights, such as holding a light dumbbell while picking up the cones.
Regressions:
- To make the exercise easier, you can:
- Decrease the distance between the cones to minimise the reach.
- Hold onto a stable object or surface for balance support while performing the exercise.
- Remove the upper limb reach and just focus on tapping the cones with your foot.
All exercises are provided as an educational resource and should only be completed under the guidance of your physiotherapist.