Exercises to help strengthen your lower leg muscles
AS you rush to complete your daily tasks, especially if they involve beating the nightly curfew, it’s important that your legs are in tip-top shape to support your balance and agility. How do you get there? Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, fitness guru, recommends five simple exercises which you can do to strengthen your lower leg muscles.
Lunges
A lunge is a single-leg bodyweight exercise that works almost every part of your legs including hamstrings, hips and quads.
How to achieve: Stand upright with your shoulders relaxed. Step forward with one foot until your leg reaches a 90-degree angle. Ensure that your are bending your knee, as though wanting to kneel to the floor. Lift your front lunging leg to return to the starting position. Do 10 to 12 repetitions for each leg.
Squats
A squat is a compound movement that requires various muscles from the upper and lower body to work together.
How to achieve: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your glutes and send your hips downwards as though you are sitting on a chair. Stand up to return to the starting position. Bend the knees, keeping the weight on your heels, and make sure your knees do not go forward beyond your toes. You can repeat this exercise as many times as possible.
Jump squats
A jump squat is a plyometric exercise, which means that a lot of speed is needed to complete the movements.
How to achieve: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start off by doing a regular squat, engage your core, and jump as high as possible. Make sure you land with both feet on the ground. Do two to three sets of 10 repetitions.
Side lunges
A side lunge is a movement that targets the hips, legs and quadriceps
How to achieve: Start with feet hip-width apart. Take a wide step out to the left and bend your left knee as you push back your hips. Keep both feet flat on the floor throughout the exercise. Push off with your left leg to return to a standing position. Do at least 10 to 12 lunges on the left side before switching to the right.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are weight training exercises which require a barbell or other bell to complete movements.
How to achieve: Stand behind the barbell with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Lift weight to a standing position while keeping your core engaged and your back neutral. Make an attempt to complete three to four sets of 12 repetitions.
