Lower back, hips, knees and ankles

Lower Body Warm-Up: Standing

A standing lower body warm-up that adds gentle balance challenge while mobilising your hips, knees, and ankles for the session ahead.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand within reach of a wall or a chair

   Set it up before you begin, so support is there the moment you want it.

2. 2

   Warm the hips first with both feet down

   Small weight shifts and gentle hip movements while you still have two feet on the floor.

3. 3

   Lift one foot and mobilise that leg

   Circle the ankle, bend and straighten the knee, move the hip. The standing leg is quietly working on balance the whole time.

4. 4

   Touch the wall or chair whenever you want it

   Using support does not make it a lesser version.

5. 5

   Spend three to four minutes, sharing time between legs

   Swap sides before the standing leg starts to fatigue.

What to watch for

Balance quietly becoming the exercise. If you are gripping with your toes or hopping to stay upright, put a hand on the wall or chair, and if it still feels unsafe, do this warm up sitting down instead.

Ways to adjust it

• Wall support
• Chair

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Lower Body Warm-Up: Chair

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.

• Lower Body Warm-Up: Chair

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.