Lower Extremity Strengthening In Children

Children rely on the muscles in their lower extremities when they play sports, do household chores and run around the playground. Strength training helps kids improve the performance of these muscles. Resistance workouts also prevent sports injuries, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. A child can use his own body weight to strengthen the lower extremities. Squats, lunges and heel raises are effective exercise options. Help kids safely perform exercises by demonstrating correct techniques.

Squats

To perform a squat, stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Keep your head up and look straight ahead. Slowly bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Briefly pause in this bottom position and then slowly straighten your legs. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, have your child hold a light dumbbell in each hand. She should let the dumbbells hang down at her sides as she practices the squats. This exercise strengthens your child's quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals.

Forward Lunges

The forward lunge is another effective lower-body exercise because it works both the quadriceps and hamstrings. If a child overly exercises the quadriceps, but neglects the hamstrings, then he could be prone to injury. To demonstrate the lunge, stand with your feet together. Take a long step forward with your left leg and place your foot flat on the floor in front of you. Bend both knees and slowly lower your body until your left thigh is parallel with the floor. Push off the floor with your left foot and return to your starting position. Tell kids to repeatedly perform lunges with each of their legs. Children can also do lunges across the floor.

Heel Raises

To strengthen their calves, children can practice heel raises. Perform a heel raise by placing the ball of your right foot on a step. Your heel should hang off the edge of the step. Wrap your left foot around the back of your left ankle. Raise your right heel as high as you can and return to the starting position. After several repetitions, switch feet. Tell kids to hold onto a wall if they need help with their balance.

Flamingo Stand

To make lower-extremity strengthening more fun, be creative. For example, tell children to pretend to be animals when they exercise. The flamingo stand strengthens a child's legs and improves balance. Perform the flamingo stand by putting your palms together in front of your chest. Point your fingers toward the ceiling. Pick one leg up off the floor and bend that knee. Slowly bend forward and hold the position as long as you can. Return to the starting position and try this exercise with the other leg. Watch kids closely to ensure they don't fall.