When I was young there was an older dancer in my class who had cracked the code on extensions. I used to stand behind her at the barre for inspiration because, despite being flexible, I didn’t have the strength to sustain those extensions. Little did I know that I should have been doing these kneeling hip flexor balances.
Now, I’m not going to beat around the bush, these are challenging. But, they will strengthen your hip flexors, stabilize your supporting leg, and promote sky-high extensions!
Ready to get going?
Kneeling Hip Flexor Balances
If you have cranky knees feel free to fold a yoga mat or grab a pillow to place under your knee.
Get into a kneeling position. Now, take the leg that is up and open it up to the side on your natural turn-out line.
Now extend your arms out to the side like an airplane. Engage your lats and brace your abs, you’re going to need a stable core for this exercise!
Next, press the top of your supporting foot and shin into the ground. You should feel your supporting side activate. Don’t let yourself sit in your hip!
Finally, point your working foot and lift your knee as high as you can without wobbling.
Yes, it’s hard. Remember to reach your arms out as if you’re trying to touch the walls on either side of you. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position, and hip lifted.
Perform as many reps as you need then switch sides.
Want an example? Here’s a form video for easy reference!
So, do you think you’ll integrate this into your training? I hope you do! And, if after a while you notice a difference in your extensions, let us know! We’d love to celebrate with you!
In the meantime, if you’d like more training types like this read these client favorites: Training Tip Tuesday: Mixed Grip Deadlift, Training Tip Tuesday: Banded Spider Crawls, Training Tip Tuesday: Confidence Corner, the Gymitmidation Secret