When it comes to building a strong and resilient lower body, certain muscles often get all the attention. But what about the muscles working behind the scenes – keeping you stable, balanced, and pain-free? If you’ve ever experienced ankle instability, weak hips, or nagging groin discomfort, these neglected muscles might be the missing link.
In this article, we’ll walk you through four lower body strength exercises that activate underutilized muscles to improve stability, prevent injury, and enhance performance.
Why You Should Strengthen Overlooked Muscles
Everyday movements and sports tend to reinforce the same dominant muscle patterns. Over time, this can lead to imbalances where underutilized muscles weaken, leading to instability, discomfort, or even chronic pain. By strengthening these often-ignored muscles, you can build a solid foundation for long-term movement health.
In this guide, we’ll focus on four key muscles:
- Tibialis posterior – Critical for foot and ankle stability
- Peroneals – Important for lateral ankle strength
- Adductors – Essential for inner thigh and pelvic control
- Piriformis – A key hip rotator that affects mobility and lower back comfort
Let’s dive into the exercises designed to wake up these muscles and improve your lower body strength workout routine.
1. Foot & Ankle Dissociation: Improve Stability from the Ground Up
The tibialis posterior and peroneals play a crucial role in foot and ankle function, but they’re often overlooked in traditional training. Weakness in these muscles can lead to ankle instability, poor balance, and even conditions like shin splints or plantar fasciitis.
Strong, well-activated foot muscles are key to maintaining stability and preventing injury. A great way to build this strength is by focusing on isolated foot and ankle movements.
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
- Start with your ankle in a neutral position.
- Move into inversion + plantar flexion (turn the bottom of the foot inward and point your toes down).
- Extend your toes while holding this position for 5 seconds to isolate the tibialis posterior.
- Transition into eversion + dorsiflexion (turn the foot outward and pull the toes up) while curling the toes slightly to activate the peroneals.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then repeat. Aim for two sets of three to five reps per side.
Strengthening the intrinsic foot muscles plays a key role in overall lower body mechanics. If you want to dive deeper into foot health, check out our guide on intrinsic foot strengthening.
2. Adductor Side Bridge: Bulletproof Your Inner Thigh Muscles
Your adductors (inner thigh muscles) are responsible for pelvic stability and hip function. Many people train them in isolation, but they often get injured in functional, weight-bearing movements. This exercise strengthens them in a closed-chain manner, making it ideal for injury prevention.
- Lie on your side with your bottom foot pressed firmly into the ground.
- Align your elbow and heel in a straight line.
- Press your bottom foot down and lift your hips off the floor.
- Hold the position for 5 seconds before slowly lowering back down.
- If wrist discomfort is an issue, use a forearm-supported variation on a low bench.
Perform two to three sets of four to six reps per side, holding for 5 seconds.
Strengthen your piriformis and improve hip stability with these exercises.
3. Bob & Weave: Activate the Piriformis in All Planes of Motion
The piriformis is a small but powerful hip muscle that changes function depending on hip position. It helps with both internal and external rotation, making it essential for smooth movement. If neglected, it can contribute to hip tightness and lower back pain.
- Stand on one foot with good posture.
- Rotate your entire body internally toward the standing leg and hold for 5 seconds.
- Lower into a controlled single-leg squat while maintaining balance.
- Push yourself back up while rotating externally, opening the hip.
- Repeat the movement fluidly, maintaining control.
Complete two sets of four to six reps per side, holding the internal rotation for 5 seconds.
How to Incorporate These Lower Body Strength Exercises
To see lasting results, perform this routine three times per week for 3-4 weeks. As these muscles strengthen, you’ll notice better balance, improved athletic performance, and reduced pain.
Neglected muscles can lead to imbalances, pain, and poor movement patterns. By incorporating these exercises to strengthen the lower body, you’ll improve stability, reduce injury risk, and move more efficiently. Keep these movements in your routine, and enjoy a stronger, more resilient lower body.
If you’re serious about building a strong foundation and moving with confidence – whether in sports, workouts, or daily life-it’s time to address these overlooked muscles. Strengthening them now can prevent future pain and instability.
Take the first step toward better movement with our Foot and Ankle Pain Solution program.
