We’re back at the wall getting in some everyday lower body (and full body!) movement sequences that can help promote your endurance, leg and core strength and balance. We have 4 challenging series that you can add into your daily routine and have added some quick challenges with key points to focus on above each video. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!!
Lower Balance into Lunge
Line yourself up in front of the wall so that your front foot is about 6 inches away. Keep your back knee elevated in order to keep the swing of the front leg accessible and aligned to your hip joint.
Challenge! Lower the back knee elevation or try (like the last 2 reps I’m doing here) to take your hands off the wall at some point in the movement – hard stuff
Focus? Hip joint strengthening in a balancing position, core activation (especially with no hands on the wall!)
Wall Squat with Toe Taps
Keep your feet slightly wider than your hips and don’t sink so low that your knees are above your hip line. Once you get to the variations of lifting one foot, make sure you walk your feet into your midline a bit more.
Challenge! Hold the positions for 10-15 seconds each before switching to the next
Focus? Core, endurance, quadriceps and glut/hamstrings strengthening with single leg emphasis in toe taps and foot raises
Single Leg Squat/Door Hinge
Start off against the wall with the leg closest to it bent to 90 degrees (or lower). Press that leg and arm (also at 90 degrees) into the wall as you to a vertical single leg hinge (AKA – don’t shift back with your pelvis) on standing leg.
Then! Step away from the wall enough that the elbow and knee can touch in a turnout (horizontal abducted) position.
Challenge! Try the Door Hinge pattern without the wall as a reference.
Add in a heel raise after the squat pattern
Focus? Hip, knee, ankle flexion and extension plus stability. Balance, balance, balance
Corner Split Squat
Line your back up against the corner edge of 2 walls so that you can easily place one foot back with the knee lined up under the hip and keep your pelvis squared. Keep the front foot forward of the wall so that when you squat the knee keeps over the foot (not in front)
Challenge! Stagger your squat pattern and rhythm, so that you go down, come up halfway, go back down and then press up to the top
Focus? Keeping your hips square and your lower back long (neutral lumbar vs. extended/arched) is important here. If you can’t feel the wall supporting your lower back/back of rib cage, you’re probably too far away from it. Lots of endurance and leg strength built into this exercise. Modify by keeping the bend small so your hips don’t drop below the front knee.