In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart, transfer the body weight back and forth on the tips of the toes and the heels
Improve correct use of ankle strategy during static condition.
In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart, transfer the body weight mediolaterally from the right to the left foot
Improve correct use of ankle and hip strategy during static condition; improve quick change of strategy from ankle to hip and vice versa.
In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart, transfer the body weight in all directions (i.e., drawing a cone with head)
Improve correct use of ankle and hip strategy during static condition; improve quick change of strategy from ankle to hip and vice versa.
Trunk twist
Sitting in a chair without armrests, with feet placed shoulder-width apart on the floor, twist the torso as much as possible toward the right and the left
Improve trunk mobility in sitting conditions.
In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart, twist the torso as much as possible toward the right and the left
Improve trunk mobility in standing conditions.
Postural transfers
Sitting in a chair without armrests, with feet placed shoulder-width apart on the floor, sit-to-stand
Improve correct use of ankle and hip strategy during postural transfers.
Sitting in a chair without armrests, with feet placed shoulder-width apart on the floor, sit-to-stand while grasping a glass of water
Improve correct use of ankle and hip strategy during postural transfers; improve coordination between upper and lower limbs (dual motor tasking).
Dynamic weight bearing
In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart, step up and down in place, varying the height with each step while catching and throwing a ball
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during static condition; improve quick change of strategy from ankle to hip (or stepping) and vice versa; improve coordination between upper and lower limbs (dual motor tasking).
Front and side lunges
Improve correct use of all strategies during dynamic condition; improve quick change of strategy from hip to stepping and vice versa.
In stance with feet placed shoulder-width apart on the floor, recover balance after external perturbations by the PT to the patients’ chest/upper back/shoulders in anteroposterior and mediolateral directions
Improve correct use of all strategies during quasi-static condition; improve quick change of strategy; improve proper reaction to unexpected postural destabilization in all directions.
Unstable surfaces
In stance work on progressively thicker compliant surfaces (1.5, 3.5, and 8 cm) according to patient’s abilities
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during static condition; improve quick change of strategy; improve ability to orientate the trunk in space.
In an upright position, recover balance on a rigid, square-shaped wooden platform with a roller surface
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during dynamic conditions; improve quick change of strategy, improve weight bearing ability and capacity to properly orientate the trunk in space.
Walking over progressively thicker compliant surfaces (1.5, 3.5, and 8 cm) according to patient’s
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during dynamic conditions; improve quick change of strategy; improve weight bearing ability and capacity to properly orientate the trunk in space.
Swiss ball
Maintain balance while sitting on a Swiss ball, with feet placed shoulder-width apart; in the second part of the exercise, the patient alternatively raises the right and the left leg from the floor
Improve trunk control, orientation, and stability.
Self-destabilization and external destabilization exercises (feedback and feedforward)
Dual-task
Keep walking while catching and throwing a ball with the PT
Improve correct use of all strategies during dynamic condition; improve quick change of strategy; improve proper reaction to unexpected postural destabilization in all directions.
Keep walking while quickly changing direction (forward, backward, sideways)
Improve correct use of all strategies during dynamic condition; improve quick change of strategy.
Keep walking while bouncing a ball and switching from right to left hand
Improve correct use of all strategies during dynamic condition; improve quick change of strategy; improve proper reaction to unexpected postural destabilization in all directions.
Keep walking while increasing the amplitude of leg movements (increasing stride length) and swing movement of the arms
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during dynamic conditions; improve quick change of strategy; improve coordination between upper and lower limbs (dual motor tasking).
Keep walking while paddling with a stick
Improve correct use of ankle, hip, and stepping strategy during dynamic conditions; improve quick change of strategy; improve coordination between upper and lower limbs (dual motor tasking).
CoM, center of mass; CoP, center of pressure; PT, physiotherapist; manipulation of sensory conditions: vision, , a visual-conflict dome, surfaces (1.5, 3.5, and 8 cm thick), and extension.
