Movement Lab

Understand your movement. Build your recovery.

Explore an educational rehabilitation pathway, see what each phase is trying to achieve, and try out simple symptom-monitoring decisions. These are examples, not individualised prescriptions.

  1. Sense Early phase. Establish what the joint tolerates.
  2. Signal Intermediate phase. Build movement feedback and control.
  3. Strengthen Late phase. Restore capacity and prepare to return.

Choose a movement pathway

Knee rehabilitation

Isolated MCL sprain · example clinical pathway

Early · Sense

Establish tolerance

Clinical objectives

  • Check swelling, pain, range and weight-bearing restrictions
  • Recover comfortable extension and permitted flexion
  • Restore quadriceps activation and controlled loading

Example exercise menu

  • Heel slides 2 × 10 Gentle permitted range
  • Quadriceps isometrics 3 × 10 Five-second holds
  • Supported weight shifts 2 × 10 Respect weight-bearing restrictions
  • Straight-leg raises 2 × 8 Only if no extensor lag

Intermediate · Signal

Build movement feedback

Clinical objectives

  • Improve single-leg control without valgus collapse
  • Progress functional strength within tolerance
  • Develop controlled proprioceptive challenges

Example exercise menu

  • Supported single-leg stance 3 × 20–30 sec Stable surface
  • Low step-ups 3 × 8 Quality before height
  • Lateral band walks 2 × 10 steps Maintain alignment

Late · Strengthen

Prepare for sport

Clinical objectives

  • Restore strength and capacity symmetry
  • Develop graded deceleration and multidirectional movement
  • Clear return-to-sport testing before contact rugby

Example exercise menu

  • Single-leg squat 3 × 6–8 Controlled depth
  • Lateral bound and stick 3 × 5 Only once cleared
  • Change-of-direction progression 3 × 4 Planned before reactive

Hip rehabilitation

Mobility and neuromuscular control · example pathway

Early · Sense

Assess movement tolerance

Clinical objectives

  • Record painful ranges and daily activity limitations
  • Practise comfortable active hip movement
  • Begin gentle gluteal and trunk activation

Example exercise menu

  • Supine hip rotations 2 × 8 Pain-free range
  • Gluteal sets 3 × 8 Five-second hold
  • Supported weight shifts 2 × 10 Even trunk alignment

Intermediate · Signal

Control the pelvis

Clinical objectives

  • Improve hip abductor endurance
  • Train pelvic stability in functional patterns
  • Progress controlled single-leg weight transfer

Example exercise menu

  • Bridge 3 × 8 Control pelvis
  • Side-lying hip abduction 2 × 10 No trunk rotation
  • Supported step-up 3 × 8 Avoid pelvic drop

Late · Strengthen

Restore capacity

Clinical objectives

  • Build multi-planar hip strength
  • Increase single-leg loading tolerance
  • Prepare for higher-speed tasks where appropriate

Example exercise menu

  • Split squat 3 × 8 Tolerated depth
  • Single-leg RDL 3 × 6 Maintain pelvic control
  • Lateral step-down 3 × 8 Slow eccentric

Ankle rehabilitation

Mobility, balance and loading · example pathway

Early · Sense

Restore available motion

Clinical objectives

  • Check weight-bearing limits, swelling and injury red flags
  • Restore comfortable dorsiflexion and plantarflexion
  • Re-establish foot loading and calf activation

Example exercise menu

  • Ankle pumps 2 × 15 Comfortable range
  • Seated heel raises 2 × 12 Slow control
  • Supported weight shifts 2 × 10 As permitted

Intermediate · Signal

Improve sensory control

Clinical objectives

  • Progress balance on a stable surface
  • Improve calf strength and ankle control
  • Build tolerance to unilateral loading

Example exercise menu

  • Double-leg calf raises 3 × 12 Tolerated load
  • Supported single-leg stance 3 × 30 sec Quality first
  • Low step-downs 3 × 8 Track knee over foot

Late · Strengthen

Prepare for return

Clinical objectives

  • Restore calf capacity and dynamic balance
  • Progress plyometric readiness where appropriate
  • Test hopping and sport function before clearance

Example exercise menu

  • Single-leg calf raises 3 × 8 Full controlled ROM
  • Hop and stick 3 × 5 Only once cleared
  • Multidirectional steps 3 × 20 sec Increase speed gradually

Progressions require clinical assessment, injury-specific restrictions, and individual response monitoring.

Important: the Movement Lab is for education. It is not an assessment, diagnosis, medical record, or patient-specific rehabilitation prescription. New instability, locking, severe pain, significant swelling or other red flags should be clinically assessed. No information is sent to NMC or saved to a server.

Want to work through this in person?
Sessions run one to one across West London, at a health club in Mayfair and at a dedicated stretch studio. Get in touch and Josh will come back with what a first session would look like.