Five Muscle Groups You're Missing
When you think of opposing muscles groups, you might think they're enemies, but actually the opposite is true. They need each other and work together to get the job done. Strength imbalances within muscle groups lead to injuries of all sorts. Here are some little muscles that probably need your attention.
Ankles
Even though the ankle joint is one of the foremost weight-bearing structures in the body, working out your ankles sounds silly and honestly it looks pretty silly too. But think about it this way: after an ankle injury, as many as 70% of people experience chronic ankle instability. In other words, if you neglect it and injure it one time, that little buddy will make sure you regret it forever. Also, ankle strength and flexibility help your squats, lunges, and running form.
What to do: draw the alphabet, standing calf raises, balance on one foot, and toe and heel walks.
Feet
Similar to ankles, feet strength is not the most glamorous topic and certainly not something to show off, but it's essential to your fitness. Strength and flexibility in your feet help avoid injuries like Morton's neuroma and shin splints. That's right. Shin splints. I bet you didn't realize the way you land and push off impacts your shins. Feet exercises look as silly as ankle exercises, but fortunately they can be done at home without complicated equipment.
What to do: marble pickups, sand walking, golfball or tennis ball roll, and achilles tendon stretching.
Neck
Obviously your neck is key to posture and given that it connects to your spinal cord, we very much want to keep it strong to avoid injuries. Weakness in your neck can cause back injuries and radiate pain down all the way to your hips.
What to do: Chin tuck, prone cobra, doorway stretch, scapular squeeze, and prone rows.
Gluteus medius and minimus
These fun little guys are huge for alignment during squats, as well as positioning and stabilizing the pelvis. Stretching and strengthening these muscles can help with knee pain, chronic back pain, hip arthritis, and even ankle strength.
What to do: Clam shells, side-lying hip abduction, single leg glute bridges, donkey-kicks, and side planks.
Hammies
Women specifically tend to have a strength imbalance, as much as two to one, quads over hamstrings. The reasons vary, but in the end weaker hamstrings mean your quads are actually more prone to injury. And toning your legs is always a great idea, so let's get started.
What to do: Single leg deadlifts, hamstring curls (with resistance), single leg bench hip thrust, and kettlebell swings.
