Routine 2 Strength

Quick Description: On your hands and knees. Knees are under your hips and hands are under your shoulders. Extend your spine and look up towards the ceiling, then round your back and tuck your chin towards your chest, tuck your tailbone as well. Then proceed back into the extension, chin up and tailbone up. Breathing throughout. Repeat 10 repetitions. 

Starting Position: Let’s begin this exercise in the quadruped, also known as the table top position or hands and knees position. Come down to the floor and support your weight on your hands, knees, and the tops of your feet. The hands are flat on the floor, putting your wrists in an extended position.  Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with your fingers pointed in front of you toward 12 o’clock. Your hands should be just slightly wider than your ribs, and should be in line with your chest, not up by your upper shoulders or neck.  Your elbows are fully extended, or straight and your scapula, or shoulder blades, are slightly retracted, or pulled back, creating a flat surface for your upper back.  In other words, you’re not allowing your back to round up toward the ceiling too much, but staying very neutral.  Your nose is pointed toward the floor, because this is in alignment with your spine which is currently parallel with the floor.  Retract your head back, or in this case, up, to maintain that good alignment.  Another way to say it, keep your nose pointed toward the floor, but lift your head as high as you can, like your trying to touch the ceiling with the back of your head.  Your belly should be squeezed in tight with your lumbar with your lower spine, curved anteriorly, in this case toward the floor, very slightly.  For your spine, from the top of your head to the top of your buttocks, we are aiming for neutrality, an elongated spine with shallow curves. Your knees are directly under your hips, and your knees and feet are the same width as your hips, approximately six inches of space. Finally, the tops of your feet are resting on the floor with your toes pointed behind you toward 6 o’clock. 

To Perform the Exercise: Slowly alternate between full flexion and full extension of your spine. For the first position, put your spine into full extension by simultaneously raising your head and looking up as high as you can, and pushing your chest and belly toward the floor as far as you can. Keep your elbows straight and don’t move your hands, knees, or feet. Then move into the second position, which is full flexion of the spine, by dropping your chin down toward the floor and then toward your chest, and simultaneously pushing your shoulders and back up toward the ceiling as high as you can. Again, keep the rest of your body in the exact same position. When raising your spine up, try to pull your belly button into your spine for the full contraction. Repeat for 10 repetitions. 

Muscles Targeted: This will lengthen and stretch the core abdominal muscles, as well as the spinal muscles such as the erector spinae (the large muscles on either side of your spine), and the small muscles that run between your vertebrae. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake is sitting back on your heels when performing this movement. Stay up in your table top position with your hips over your knees. 

Another common mistake is not rolling the hips when arching the spine. As your spine drops down, think about trying to push your tail bone and the back of your head closer together, and when your spine raises up, thing about pushing your chin and your groin closer together, rolling and turning the hips with each movement. 

Quick Description: Starting on your hands and knees again in the table-top position. Extend your left leg out behind you as you extend your right arm straight out ahead of you. Keep the back of the neck long as if looking straight down towards the floor. Reach out in opposite directions and balance and hold this position for about 10 secs as you breathe. Return to the start position and repeat on the other side, extending the opposite arm and leg, keeping the spine quite still.

Starting Position: Let’s begin this exercise in the quadruped, also known as the table top position or hands and knees position. Come down to the floor and support your weight on your hands, knees, and the top of your feet. The hands are flat on the floor, putting your wrists in an extended position. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with your fingers pointed in front of you toward 12 o’clock. Your hands should be just slightly wider than your ribs, and should be in line with your chest, not up by your upper shoulders or neck. Your elbows are fully extended, or straight and your scapula, or shoulder blades, are slightly retracted, or pulled back, creating a flat surface for your upper back. In other words, you’re not allowing your back to round up toward the ceiling too much, but staying very neutral. Your nose is pointed toward the floor, because this is in alignment with your spine which is currently parallel with the floor. Retract your head back, or in this case, up, to maintain that good alignment. Another way to say it, keep your nose pointed toward the floor, but lift your head as high as you can, like you’re trying to touch the ceiling with the back of your head. Your belly should be squeezed in tight with your lumbar with your lower spine, curved anteriorly, in this case toward the floor, very slightly. For your spine from the top of your head to the top of your buttocks, we are aiming for neutrality, an elongated spine with shallow curves. Your knees are directly under your hips, and your knees and feet are the same width as your hips, approximately six inches of space. Finally, the tops of your feet are resting on the floor with your toes pointed behind you toward 6 o’clock.

To perform the exercise: raise one arm and the opposite leg off the floor and extend them out so that your raised arm and leg are straight and level with your hips and shoulders. Your raised arm should be pointed ahead of you toward 12 o’clock, and the opposite leg and foot, the one you have raised and straightened, should be pointed back toward 6 o’clock. Return back to your starting position by lowering your arm and leg back down, bending the knee again, and returning back to your quadruped position. Hold each of these positions for about 10 seconds per side, focusing on raising the leg and arm up as much as you can without over arching your lower back.

Muscles Targeted: Your traps, posterior deltoids, or rhomboids (your upper back), your glute complex (your buttocks), and your hamstrings (the back of your thigh).

Ways to Increase Intensity: You can make this exercise more challenging by adding wrist and ankle weights to the movement, or by beginning in a push-up plank position instead of the quadruped position, which would challenge your core much more through increased rotational and sagittal tension.

Ways to Decrease Intensity: keeping a slight bend in the knee and elbow will decrease the demand on those muscle groups. Fight for full extension, or straightening of those joints as you improve and become stronger.

Some common mistakes with this exercise: First, moving the spine out of it’s neutral position. The spine should remain neutral and steady throughout the whole movement, not over arching or rounding. Imagine that there is a glass of water on your back as you do this exercise, in order to not spill the water, you have to remain very steady in your torso and hips as you move your arm and opposite leg.

Next, not fully extending the leg and arm: When raising up, be sure to fully lock the elbow and knee of the extremities you are lifting for the full effect. Your arm and leg should raise to the same height as your hips and shoulders, creating a straight line from the finger tips of your raised arm, to the toes of your raised leg.

Another common mistake is allowing your head to drop down so keep your neutral alignment by pointing your nose toward the floor and pushing the back of your head toward the ceiling.

Quick Description: In the tabletop position, take your right hand behind your head, keep the hips level. Twist your right elbow towards your left elbow and then exhale as you twist through the upper back to lift the right elbow towards the ceiling. Twist back and repeat 10 times. Be sure that your head follows the elbow. Repeat on the other side. This exercise will help with upper back tightness. Be mindful if there is an imbalance side to side. If there is an imbalance you may need to spend more time on this one! 

Starting Position: Let’s begin this exercise in the quadruped, also known as the table top position or hands and knees position. Come down to the floor and support your weight on your hands, knees, and the tops of your feet. The hands are flat on the floor, putting your wrists in an extended position.  Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with your fingers pointed in front of you toward 12 o’clock. Your hands should be just slightly wider than your ribs, and should be in line with your chest, not up by your upper shoulders or neck.  Your elbows are fully extended, or straight and your scapula, or shoulder blades, are slightly retracted, or pulled back, creating a flat surface for your upper back. In other words, you are not allowing your back to round up toward the ceiling too much, but staying very neutral. Your nose is pointed toward the floor, because this is in alignment with your spine which is currently parallel with the floor. Retract your head back, or in this case, up, to maintain that good alignment.  Another way to say it is to keep your nose pointed toward the floor, but lift your head as high as you can, like you are trying to touch the ceiling with the back of your head. Your belly should be squeezed in tight with your lumbar with your lower spine, curved anteriorly, in this case toward the floor, very slightly.  For your spine from the top of your head to the top of your buttocks, we are aiming for neutrality, an elongated spine with shallow curves. Your knees are directly under your hips, and your knees and feet are the same width as your hips, approximately six inches of space. Finally, the tops of your feet are resting on the floor with your toes pointed behind you toward 6 o’clock. Now that you have this position, take one hand off the floor and place it on the back of your head/neck, pointing your elbow out to the side laterally. 

To Perform the Exercise: Keeping your legs and bottom arm totally steady, raise the elbow of the bent arm up toward the ceiling as high as you can, trying to point your chest toward the wall at your side and looking that same direction. Then rotate that elbow back down and move it toward the elbow of the straight arm, trying to turn your chest and face toward the opposite wall. Repeat 8-10 times, turning your head and chest with your elbow,  and then switch arms. 

Muscles Targeted: All the major muscles in the chest and back. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake with this movement is allowing your hips to change position forward or back. This is a rotational movement, so you should not sit back toward your heels or lean forward, but keep your hips in the same position, maintaining a neutral spine and rotating as far as you can stretch. 

Quick Description: Laying on your side, propped up on your elbow. Feet are stacked or staggered with the top leg in front. Come up into the full side plank position and breathe, hold for 5-10 seconds. Bring the hips back down to rest. Then continue with 10 sequential planks up and down. Repeat on the other side. 

Starting position: Lie on the floor on your side on a firm but padded surface such as a carpeted floor or hard surface with a yoga mat.  Imagine you are lying on a giant clock face, your hips are centered in the middle of the clock, your head is pointed toward 3 o’clock, your feet toward 9 o’clock and you’re lying on your right side facing toward 12 o’clock. Your feet, ankles, and knees are touching as your left leg is resting on top of your right leg. If you need to place your top leg forward just slightly on the ground for added balance, you can do that to begin with. Now, prop your upper body up off the floor by placing your right elbow directly under your shoulder, pointing your right forearm and hand in front of you toward 12 o’clock while your palm and forearm are on the floor.  Your left arm and hand are resting on your left hip and leg. Your hips are still on the ground, but your ribs and shoulders are elevated up off the floor. 

To Perform the Exercise: Keep your bottom foot and elbow on the floor, but lift your whole body up off the ground, squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips up and forward as hard as you can. Drive your bottom elbow into the floor actively pushing up through your bottom shoulder, making sure not to relax any muscles in the body. Hold this position for about 5 seconds, then come back down. As you gently return to the floor, lightly touch your hips down and then push back up into your side plank, making sure to squeeze at the top and activate your core. Repeat about 10 times and then switch sides. 

Muscles Targeted: Hip Abductors (the outside of your hips), Obliques and quadratis lumborum (the sides of your belly), and several accessory muscles  in your chest and shoulders.   

Ways to Increase Intensity: If you are looking for more of a challenge you can take your top arm and while at the top of your lift, move it forward and backward, up and down, and all around. If you can keep your balance and your core stays strong while doing this, you will be challenging the muscles in your midsection even more. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: You can perform a modified version by doing the short side plank instead, starting with your knees bent to 90 degrees and your feet back behind you. Then when lifting your hips, your weight will be on your forearm and lower leg/knee, shortening your body and making the side plank easier. 

Common mistakes: Allowing your hips to sag down and back. If I were to see you do this exercise from the ceiling, there should be a straight line from your shoulders, through your hips, to your knees, and from the back side of you, the same thing.  You want to be as straight as you can be, lifting your hips up as high as you can, and forward as far as you can, really squeezing your buttocks.   

Another common mistake is allowing your bottom elbow to drift toward 3 o’clock for your right side or 9 o’clock for your left side. Make sure that you are keeping the elbow directly under the shoulder, even tucked in a little closer to your ribs rather than under your ear. Don’t let your elbow get too far out from under you as this will place extra tension in your shoulder. 

Another common mistake is flexing (or bending) the knees.  Keep your knees locked totally straight through the duration of the exercise unless you are modifying the exercise and bending the knees into a short plank. A full plank requires locked knees. 

Quick Description: Lying on your stomach, you will have 4 different positions for your arms. In each position, you will lift your straight arms and/or legs off the floor as high as you can. Superman Squeeze with your arms straight overhead, Y Squeeze with your arms overhead but out slightly to the side, T squeeze with your arms straight out to the side, and Inverted Y Squeeze with your arms back by your hips and slightly out to the side. These exercises challenge the muscles in the upper back and those that stabilize the shoulder blades. This is great for anyone that gets tightness in their upper back with running or life! 

Starting Position: Let’s start prone (face down) on a firm but padded surface, such as a carpeted floor or a hard surface with a yoga mat. Your cervical spine (neck) should be neutral as you point your nose toward the floor, but lift your head up, pushing the back of your head toward the ceiling. Your chest, belly, hips, thighs, and shins should all be resting comfortably on the ground, while the tops of your feet should be flat on the floor approximately hip width, and your toes pointed back. Finally, in this series, there will be four different arm positions, and each one will be described in the movement, but the rest of your body position will remain the same through each one. 

Extend your arms out over head approximately shoulder width. Turn your palms in toward each other so that your thumbs are toward the ceiling, you can keep your hands open or make a fist. Keep your neck in its neutral position as you  lift one arm and the opposite leg off the floor several inches. Gently lower that arm and opposite leg back down to the floor and repeat for the other arm and opposite leg. Alternate between sides for 10 to 12 repetitions each side. 

Extend your arms out over head, but widen them to approximately a 45 degree angle to make a capitol Y shape with your body. Turn your palms in toward each other so that your thumbs are toward the ceiling, you can keep your hands open or make a fist. Keep your legs on the ground and your neck in its neutral position as you  lift both arms up off the floor several inches, and then gently lower them back down. As your arms raise up, your chest will come up off the ground very slightly, but try not to raise your torso up too high, just focus on lifting your arms and squeezing your shoulders back. Repeat for 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Extend your arms directly out to the side to make a Capitol T shape with your body. Turn your palms so that they are facing behind you toward your feet and your thumbs are toward the floor, you can keep your hands open or make a fist. Keep your legs on the ground and your neck in its neutral position as you lift both arms up off the floor several inches, and then gently lower them back down. As your arms raise up, your chest will come up off the ground very slightly, but try not to raise your torso up too high, just focus on lifting your arms and squeezing your shoulders back. Repeat for 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Extend your arms directly toward your feet and widen them approximately 6 inches from your hips to make an inverted Capitol Y shape with your body. Turn your hands so that your thumbs are toward the floor, you can keep your hands open or make a fist. Keep your legs on the ground and your neck in its neutral position as you lift both arms up off the floor several inches, and then gently lower them back down. As your arms raise up, your chest will come up off the ground very slightly, but try not to raise your torso up too high, just focus on lifting your arms and squeezing your shoulders back. Repeat for 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Quick Description: In a half-kneeling position, keep the right knee down and the left foot out in front of you flat on the floor. Lift the right foot up behind you towards your buttocks, and hold it there for about 10 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times on each leg. 

Starting Position: For this exercise, let’s kneel down on the floor on a firm but padded surface, such as a carpeted floor or a hard surface with a yoga mat. In this kneeling position, both knees are bent to 90 degrees. Your front foot is flat on the floor in front of you with your knee up, and your back foot is turned down with the dorsi side, or the top of your foot, on the ground. Your bottom knee is on the floor directly under your hips, and your hips are directly under your head and shoulders with your arms at your sides. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, and put your hands out in front of you, keeping your elbows at your side. Be sure to have extra padding for your bottom knee as needed. 

To Perform the Exercise: Keep your body as stationary and strong as possible with your core tight, as you squeeze your bottom leg and raise your heel toward your buttocks as close as you can bring it. You may be surprised how difficult this can be, and don’t be concerned if you can’t get your foot that high off the ground. Do the best you can, pausing and squeezing at the top for about 10 seconds, and then gently lower your foot back down. Repeat 2-3 times and switch legs. 

Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings (back of the thigh) 

Ways to Increase Intensity: If you are looking for some added challenge, you can add some resistance to your leg by strapping on an ankle weight, or looping a band around your heel and anchoring it to a sturdy object. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: Performing this exercise in the Table Top or Quadruped Position instead of kneeling will help reduce the tension on your hamstring as you work toward the full upright exercise. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake with this exercise is not having enough padding for your bottom knee. We want to focus on the muscle itself, and this can be challenging if we are only feeling an uncomfortable pressure in the knee on the floor. If you have a yoga mat, you can fold it over several times, or even place a pillow under your knee. 

Another common mistake is disengaging your core during the movement. I know that this is an exercise focusing on the hamstrings, but in your upright stance, lock in your core and back muscles so that you practice using your core and hamstrings synergistically. We should always practice tightening up the core muscles during almost any exercise. 

Another common mistake is leaning way forward as you lift your heel up. Keeping your head over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips will challenge the core and the hamstrings the most. Keep good posture, pushing the crown of your head toward the ceiling. 

Quick Description: In a half-kneeling position with the right knee down, left foot out on the ground in front of you. Push into the left foot to stand up and place the right foot beside it. Step back with the right foot and slowly lower back to right knee down. Repeat on the same side 10 times. Repeat on the other side. This exercise will challenge balance and coordination while working the hip muscles. 

Starting Position: For this exercise, let’s kneel down on the floor on a firm but padded surface, such as a carpeted floor or a hard surface with a yoga mat.  In this kneeling position, both knees are bent to 90 degrees.  Your front foot is flat on the floor in front of you with your knee up, and your back foot is turned down with the dorsi side, or the top of your foot, on the ground.  Your bottom knee is on the floor directly under your hips, and your hips are directly under your head and shoulders with your arms at your sides. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, and put your hands out in front of you, keeping your elbows at your side. Keeping your arms stationary will increase the demand on your legs. 

To Perform the Exercise: Drive your front foot into the floor as you push the top of your head toward the ceiling to move into a standing position. As you stand all the way up to a fully erect stance, place your back foot lightly on the floor, keeping the majority of your weight on your drive foot. Once there, immediately step that same foot back again and slowly lower down into your starting position. Repeat about 10 times, and then switch legs. 

Muscles Targeted: Glutes (buttocks), Hamstrings (back of thigh), Quadriceps (thigh), and other stabilizer muscles in the hips and core. 

Ways to Increase Intensity: To increase the challenge for this exercise, you can avoid letting your back foot touch the ground as you come up, instead trying to balance through the entire movement. When you get really good at this exercise, you can also add resistance by holding on to weights as you perform your repetitions. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: There are several ways to decrease the tension of this exercise, including turning your back foot under so that your toes are dug into the floor, which will allow you to push slightly off your back foot to stand up. Another way to make it easier is to have a sturdy object to hold onto to help pull yourself up to your standing position, such as the edge of a kitchen counter or the back of a couch. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake with this exercise is leaning your chest way forward when standing up. To challenge your leg and hip muscles properly, it is best to keep your torso very erect, trying to keep your head over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips. Imagine driving the crown of your head toward the ceiling as you stand up, and this will help keep you aligned. 

Another common mistake is dropping back down to the ground too quickly. Everything about this movement should be steady and controlled, especially on the way back down to the floor. Soft smooth movements should be your goal through the duration of the exercise. 

Quick Description: Standing tall on your left leg, raise the right knee up to hip level and hold in the air. Internally and externally rotate the right leg like the lower leg is a windshield wiper. Maintain balance while you perform 10 reps. Switch sides. 

Starting Position: Let’s start this exercise standing up straight next to a stable object you can hold on to for balance if needed. Center your weight over your grounded foot by moving  your hips laterally, shifting to the side of that leg slightly, effectively putting your grounded foot right in the middle of your body alignment. Another way of saying it is you’re not tipping to the side as your head and shoulders should stay right over your hips, but your whole vertical torso should be shifted just a little to the side so that your bottom foot is right in the middle of your body. Now raise your other knee to hip level out in front of you with your foot dangling down under your front knee. Your arms should be bent to 90 degrees and at your side with your palms facing each other out in front of you, just like when running. The exception is if you are having balancing issues, you can place your hand or hands on whatever stable object you are using for balance.  

To Perform the Exercise: Keeping your body as still and balanced as you can, internally and externally rotate your leg by swinging your foot side to side as far as you can reach while keeping your knee in the exact same place. The only thing you want moving in this exercise is your foot as it moves in, pointing the inside of your ankle toward the ceiling, and then out, pointing the outside of your ankle toward the ceiling, nothing else should be shifting around. Repeat the exercise about 10 times and then switch legs. Note that depending on your flexibility, you will not likely be able to swing your foot to the side high enough to match the height of your knee, especially to the outside, but the balance practice you will get, plus the stretch in your hip, will be beneficial no matter how high your foot is raised. 

Muscles Targeted: This exercise will challenge most of the muscles in the core, along with the major muscles of the hips and buttocks. 

Ways to Increase Intensity: If you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can stand on an unstable surface such as a soft mat or balance disc. This will cause you to have more instability and a greater need for muscle activation. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: To make this exercise a bit easier, you can hold onto a stable surface for support. Challenge yourself to only hold on when absolutely needed and work toward balancing without assistance. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake with this exercise is swaying and leaning with the upper body. Think of your upper body being as still as a statue, shifting just slightly to counter balance the movement of your leg. The idea of this exercise is balance and stability, so keep yourself strong and stable through each movement.  

Quick Description: Standing tall on your left leg, right foot is hovering and knees are slightly bent. Keep your spine neutral as you tip forward at the waist as you reach back with your right leg. Keep the hips level as you move. Only hinge forward until you feel tension building in the left hamstring. Then push into the left foot to stand back up. Repeat 10 times each side. 

Starting Position: Let’s start this exercise standing up straight next to a stable object you can hold on to for balance if needed. Center your weight over your grounded foot by moving your hips laterally, shifting to the side of that leg slightly, effectively putting your grounded foot right in the middle of your body alignment. Another way of saying it is you’re not tipping to the side as your head and shoulders should stay right over your hips, but your whole vertical torso should be shifted just a little to the side so that your bottom foot is right in the middle of your body. Now raise your other foot off the floor just an inch or two, and keep it hovering there. Your arms should be straight and at your side with your palms facing inn toward your legs. The exception is if you are having balancing issues, you can place your hand or hands on whatever stable object you are using for balance.  

To perform the exercise: Simultaneously raise the leg that you have off the floor back toward the wall behind you, and bow forward at your hips, pushing  your belly toward the thigh of the leg you are standing on and lowering your chest toward the floor. The goal here is not to reach the ground, but flex your hip as far as you can while keeping your spine perfectly straight and neutral, and raising your back leg up as high as you can, essentially keeping your torso and the leg you are lifting behind you in one straight line. Through the entire movement, your arms are pointed toward the floor, so as you hinge forward, your arms are freely moving, like a pendulum, allowing them to stay pointed down the whole time. Once you reach the furthest point your hips and hamstrings will allow, simultaneously bring your back leg down and bring your chest back up to the starting position by squeezing the buttocks and leg of the leg you are balanced on. Repeat about 10 times and then switch sides. All of the movement is happening in your hips and your spine should not bend or flex, but remain very neutral and strong. 

Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings (back of your thigh), Glute Complex (buttocks), and many accessory muscles used for balance and stability through the rest of the body. 

Ways to Increase Intensity: If your balance is good and you are looking for a bit more of a challenge, you can extend your arms out overhead and keep them there through the duration of the movement, challenging the muscles of your posterior chain even more. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: If this movement is challenging for you, and it will be for many people, you can help by placing your hands on a stable surface as you go through the movement. Practice with a light touch, and as you feel more stable, work on performing the exercise with no added support. 

Common Mistakes: This is a simple movement and yet complicated in that there are many ways to fall out of alignment if not carefully attended to. 

One of the first common mistakes is allowing your spine to lose its strong neutral position. The natural tendency when we think about leaning forward is to round out our back, but doing this limits the use of the big muscles in your hips and legs, and puts the pressure in the smaller muscles of your spinal column. Think of this movement as a very formal bow, keeping your shoulders pinned back and your spine straight as you lean forward strictly with your hips and legs, not your back. 

Another common mistake is rushing through this exercise. Take your time, allowing your body to feel the subtle movements and shifting of your balance, and giving your muscles time to react. It will be challenging, but wort the effort, to move with deliberation and control through this exercise. 

Another common mistake is twisting to the side as you lower your torso toward the floor. This is not dangerous or anything that will hurt you, but you want to try to keep your chest, belly, and hips in alignment, pointed toward the floor, to really target the right muscles. There will naturally be a slight amount of shifting as you lean forward, just do your best to keep your self pointed forward and down as opposed to the side. 

One more common mistake is segmenting the movement into pieces. Often you will find a person bowing their torso forward, then lifting their leg behind them, and then reversing the order to stand back up. Your upper body and raised leg should move at the exact same time, like they are one solid board pivoting at your hip. 

Quick Description: Stand up with feet about hip width apart and toes turned in. Start to hop and land with your feet turned out. Continue to hop on the spot as you rotate the feet in and out. Perform for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. Running is like springing from one foot to the other. Including hops in the strength program will help improve running efficiency. 

Starting Position: There will be two basic positions you will oscillate between for this exercise. For position 1, let’s start standing fully erect with your heels hip width or just slightly wider, and your toes pointed in toward each other. As you keep your heels wide and turn your toes inward, this rotation movement comes from the ball and socket joint of your hip, so you may feel a slight stretch in your buttocks in this position. For position 2, you will keep your heels the same distance apart, but instead of turning your toes in toward each other, you will rotate them open so they are pointed out at an angle. In this position, you may feel a slight stretch in the front of your hip where your internal rotators are located. 

To Perform the Exercise: Starting in position 1, hop up slightly off the floor and rotate your feet open to position 2. Once there, immediately hop back up and rotate your legs back inward to position one. This exercise should create a fairly quick cadence with you moving from position 1, to position 2, and back again in about a second or less. Through this movement, your upper body should remain fairly stable, and all of the action should come from your legs rotating. Remember that your heels should essentially stay stationary aside from bouncing up and down a very short distance, your heels are the pivot point as your feet turn in and out. 

Muscles Targeted: This exercise will work the Gastrocnemius (calf) and the rotational muscles of the legs including the Piriformis and Glutes (buttocks), and Tensor Fasciae Latae (front outside of the hip). 

Ways to Increase Intensity: If you’re looking for more of a challenge and you are finding yourself coordinated enough with this exercise, you can pick up the pace and perform the movement with high speed. Be sure to maintain stability with your upper body and clean movements with your lower body, it doesn’t do you any good to go faster if you are getting sloppy. 

Ways to Decrease Intensity: If this movement is a bit too challenging, dial it back by taking out the hopping portion of the exercise. Start in position one, and keep your heels on the ground as you rotate to position 2, and then back, keeping your heels down the whole time. This should help you build up the coordination to slowly begin introducing the hop portion of the exercise. 

Common Mistakes: One common mistake with this movement is allowing the heels to drift and move all over the place. Coordination is the trick for this exercise, so practice keeping your heels as stationary as you can while performing the rotation in and out with your legs. 

Another common mistake is allowing your upper body and arms to flail around. Imagine doing this exercise while wearing a backpack or purse; the steadier you can keep your upper body and arms while moving your legs quickly and smoothly, the less you will jostle the bag around, and the more effective the exercise.