Hopping in four directions is a single leg hop drill. Standing on one leg, you hop forward, then backward, then out to one side and back to the other, landing softly on the same leg each time. Each landing asks the calf, thigh and buttock to take your weight and the ankle and knee to stay steady as you change direction. It comes late in ankle and knee rehab, as a step toward running and sport.

How to do the hopping in four directions

Clear a space on a firm, non-slip floor next to a wall or counter you can touch. Wear well-fitting sports shoes with soles that grip.
Stand on the leg you are working on, with that knee slightly bent. Lift the other foot by bending its knee, and hold your arms out to the sides for balance, as in the video.
Hop a short way forward and land on the same leg, touching down on the ball of your foot, then lowering the heel while you sink a little through the knee and hip.
Steady yourself, then hop backward. Next hop out to one side, then across to the other, settling after each landing.
Keep the hops small and controlled. Do the whole set on one leg before you change to the other.

What you should feel

Your hopping leg works hard from calf to buttock, your arms help you balance, and your heart rate rises. Each landing should feel soft and quiet.

Common mistakes

Landing stiff-legged with a thud.
The knee rolling inward as you land, especially on the sideways hops.
Hopping further or higher than you can land under control.
Pushing on through fatigue once the landings turn wobbly.

How often

Many programs start with 1 to 3 rounds of 3 to 5 hops in each direction on each leg, resting between rounds, a few times a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in your foot, ankle, shin or knee when you land or later that day.
Your knee gives way or your ankle rolls.
Swelling in your knee or ankle later that day or the next morning.
A sudden pop or snap at the back of your ankle or heel, a feeling that someone kicked you there, or sudden pain there after which you cannot push off or rise onto your toes on that leg. Stop, take the weight off that leg carefully and go to an urgent care center or emergency department the same day, even if you can still walk, as this can be a torn Achilles tendon.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.

From the clinic

Hopping on one leg loads it far more than walking does, so this is not an early exercise. Physios usually want the ankle or knee free of swelling and steady in slow single leg work first, such as single leg stance and single leg heel raises. After a broken bone in the leg, an ankle sprain, a knee ligament injury or surgery on the leg, hold off until your surgeon or physio says the leg is ready for hopping. Single leg hops over a line cover forward and backward hops only and often come before this drill.

The voice guide says to jump up high, but the video shows small, low hops, and that is the way to start. Make the hops bigger only while every landing stays quiet and steady. Keep the wall or counter within reach for your first sessions, and end the set as soon as the landings get wobbly.

Ask your doctor or physio before you start if you have thin bones (osteoporosis) or have had a fall in the last year. Leaking urine or a feeling of heaviness low in your pelvis when you land is a reason to stop and ask your physio for pelvic floor advice first. If you are pregnant, check with your midwife or physio before you start. If you have recently given birth, including by cesarean section, or you have a gap down the middle of your stomach muscles (diastasis recti), ask your physio, midwife or doctor first.

If you have had a hip or knee replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon before you try hopping in four directions. Many surgeons advise against jumping and hopping after a joint replacement for good, not just for the first months, because each landing sends high impact through the new joint.

With a heart condition or high blood pressure, check with your doctor before you start. If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Hopping in four directions