This movement improves lower limb strength, balance and body awareness

Exercise type: conditioning drill.

Suitable for: all athletes and events.

Difficulty level: can be done by athletes of all ages and abilities (and when athletes are advised not to perform impact activities*).

Benefits: improves lower limb strength, balance and body awareness.

The need to stabilise throughout the movement will work smaller muscles which will assist injury prevention.

As the exercise is unilateral it will have more of a benefit to all athletic events, due to the fact that they are performed from one leg to the other.

How to: stand on one leg and lift the other from the ground.

Without inclining your trunk too much, squat through the standing leg to lower your body toward the ground. Do not let your heel come off the ground.

Lower as far as your range of movement and balance allows. Use your arms to assist your stability.

Do not let your knee pass too far in front of your ankle throughout the movement.

Variation: pistol squat. Hold the non-squatting leg up in front of the body and squat down as before. This is a more advanced option.

How many: do 4x10sec (each leg).

*do seek specific advice