Balanced Physical Therapy

The hip abductors (gluteus medius) are used in a functional synergy with the abdominal obliques to create a stable torso when you are on one leg. However, it is critical for proper movement form to be able to allow the limbs to rotate freely while these muscles are actively engaged. This exercise helps you practice this control while also increasing your sensitivity to this critical movement coordination pattern.

1. Stand on one leg; use fingertip pressure of the standing side arm on a wall to help balance if needed when you first start the exercise.
2. Lean the pelvis and torso toward the wall so that the opposite side leg lifts about a foot off the ground. Raise the arm on that side to be parallel to the leg. It is critical that the pelvis and torso tilt as one unit and the spine remains straight and perpendicular to the top of the pelvis. The work of holding you up should be in the hip of the standing leg.
3. Slowly rotate the lifted arm and leg in the same direction so that the thumb and toes point upward, then slowly rotate so the leg and arm point downward. Repeat this full rotation 10 times.
4. As you do the rotation, focus on maintaining a straight spine. You should notice the abdominal obliques activating to hold your spine upright while the shoulder and hip rotate.
5. Lower the leg and rest. Lift the legs again by tilting the body and repeat the exercise, but this time rotate the arm and leg in opposite directions at the same time. This means that the thumb and toes will point towards each other at one end of the rotation and away from each other at the other end of the rotation.
6. Repeat standing on the opposite leg.

Tags: core corner