Hey, Everyone! Just a quickie today and I don’t even have a pic so we’ll all have to tune into the same Pilates Psychic channel so you can ’see’ what I’m talking about here.  I have been using this exercise for the last three weeks for:

1. Hip Extensor Strength
2. Quadricep eccentric contraction
3. Glut med, min, endurance
4. Soleus and tibialis anterior endurance
5. Spine stability
6. Pelvic stability

Here’s how it goes:

1. Stand on the side of the reformer facing the footbar with the right leg next to the reformer. The heel of the right foot is about 4″ forward of the shoulder rest (4″ towards the footbar but on the floor).
2. The left foot goes on the shoulder rest with the toes in extension and the ball and heel of the foot on the actual shoulder pad.
3. With, of course, perfect alignment, press the left hip into extension.
4. I give my client a six foot dowel to hold for balance. Watch for hyper-extension of the right knee and accommodations in the low back

Notes: Upon extension, if your client has little hip extension or tight hip flexors the left knee may meet the line of the right knee but may not extend beyond that point.  As the left hip extends be sure that your client is not ‘dumping’ into the low back.

I’ve been giving this exercise to my low back pain clients for increasing pelvic and spine stability. I’ve also used it for a client with a hip replacement to really zero in on the hip extension process without a whole lot of extraneous ’stuff’ going on.  And most recently I’ve used the exercise with a knee pathology.

If you have a variation on this that you love, let me know! I’m always looking for new things.  K