Balance Exercises for Amputees (Proprioception)

Key wellness / self-care strategies (proprioception + stability for amputees)

• Build proprioception: Practice movements that help your brain “map” where your body and prosthesis are in space.
• Start with safe, repeatable alignment: Use a consistent stance setup before shifting weight to reduce fear and improve control.

Exercises & techniques mentioned (actionable steps)

“Square-up” stance (base alignment drill)

1. Stand with feet 4–6 inches apart.
2. Align feet and toes to keep posture symmetrical and controlled.
3. Look down during setup for visual feedback to your brain.
4. Aim for equal weight on both legs.

Lateral (side-to-side) weight shifting

• From square-up, shift slowly left and right in small movements.
• Keep visual checking (look down) for accuracy.
• If your feet begin to scoot out of position, stop and square-up again.

Anterior-posterior (forward/backward) weight shifting

• After side-to-side is comfortable, return to square-up.
• Shift forward then backward with controlled, small range.
• This helps practice the heel-to-toe feel needed for walking.
• For above-knee amputees, it may support comfort with toe load and help with knee confidence.

Diagonal weight shifting

• Progress to diagonal shifts once the first two directions feel controlled.
• Start with the stronger leg forward first.
• Align feet roughly to an approximate step length.
• Shift weight forward leg → back leg, then switch legs and repeat.
• For above-knee amputees, watch for possible knee buckling and keep a chair nearby for safety.

Clock exercise

• From square-up, imagine standing at the center of a clock (12 o’clock is directly in front).
• Shift weight clockwise: 12 → 1 → 2 → … → 12
• Then repeat counter-clockwise: 11 → 10 → 9 → … → 1 → back to 12
• Goal: stability, controlled loading, and confidence in the prosthesis.

Safety / confidence-building notes

• Use slow, controlled weight shifts (avoid large movements).
• Keep a chair nearby in case of knee buckling (especially for above-knee amputees).
• Stop and re-do square-up alignment if positioning drifts.

Tip: If anything feels unstable or frightening, return to square-up and repeat smaller, controlled shifts.

Presenters / sources

• Cosi Belloso — Physical therapist amputee specialist (Palanca PT; hosts “Cosi Talks” on Facebook)
• Mission Gait — Teamed up with Cosi for the video series (MissionGait.org)