Leg strength, trunk control and endurance for the snow, winter sports and running seasons. Work on your postural awareness and control while using your legs.
For this exercise, find a wall and weights if you have them.
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart and approximately 30-40 cm from the wall.
2. As you stand with your back against the wall and with tall waists, notice the feeling of your tail bone flat on the wall, the neutral concave curve of your lumbar spine and the flatness of your upper back on the wall. This is your correct spinal and pelvic alignment and you should strive for this in your squatted sit and twist also.
3. Breathe in deeply to prepare and as you exhale, gently lift your pelvic floor and deepen your navel, then slide down the wall into a seated position.
4. Take care of your knees with their alignment directly over the ankles and knee caps in line with your second toe.
5. Take your arms (with or without weight) up to the front, bringing them together at the middle at shoulder height. Be mindful of your relaxed tall neck and wide, soft shoulders.
6. As you breathe in, turn your upper trunk (with arms out in front) to the right no more than 45 degrees and as you exhale turn back to the centre. Repeat to the left.
Do this 4-6 times each side and in time with your deep breathing.
7. Try to focus on the following:
- keep your pelvis stable with flat heavy tailbone on the wall and no twisting trough the hips
- turn your trunk with long waists
- keep your shoulders open and soft
- maintain a gentle pelvic floor and deep abdominal activation throughout the set.
8. You will really feel this in the thighs and across the trunk. It will build endurance in your large leg muscles, oblique abdominal and deep postural core muscles.
9. Try this for 2-3 sets and follow with quads stretches and the wall twist or table stretch.
