If you’re lucky, you spend a lot of time on your feet 😉. Strengthening your lower body can help you stand for longer periods of time, walk further and bend down easier. A lower body conditioning program will also help you optimize your engagement in athletic hobbies, such as tennis and skiing. We should always be in a conditioning program that helps align our musculature so that we utilize our skeletal system effectively. Today let’s talk hips and legs. The following are a few moves to help you begin strengthening your lower body:

Bridge:

Starting on the floor is a great way to begin. It eliminates any balance issues and simplifies the movement. Here you are working the back of the legs and glutes. Squeeze your bum at the very top!

Clam:

This is a slightly different version of a traditional clam. Here I’m lifting my entire leg instead of just my knee. This challenges the outside of the hip and, specifically, the glute abductors.

Squat:

Now, it’s time to get up on your feet. Start with a squat. See how far back you can send the hips while keeping your chest up!

Lunge:

While executing the lunge, keep a bit more weight in the front leg. Feel free to lean forward a bit in order to access and challenge the back side of that leg.

Side Lunge:

The side lunge challenges the hips in a different manner than front to back lunges. This is a moment that tests your balance once again.

Start with these moves and see how you feel. There are many more body weight exercises that we can do in our practice. This week I’ve uploaded a new Lower Body Series (w/Jackie!) to the Strength Collection. There are both Form and Flow versions available.

If you’re a Los Angeles local be sure to sign up for one of our Los Angeles Pilates classes