The #1 Exercise to Improve Your Flexibility, Strength, and Balance
Limited flexibility, strength and balance are all problems that cause pain, discomfort and difficulty moving when patients come to Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. If you’ve had knee, back or hip pain that stops you from walking or running, you understand how frustrating it is to have flexibility, strength, and balance issues limit your life.
We understand that feeling too and are here to help you. Fortunately there is one powerful exercise that can improve your flexibility, strength and balance all at the same time.
Split squats are the single best exercise to improve flexibility, strength, and balance. When done correctly, they require you to have all of the following:
- hip and quad flexibility on your back leg
- pelvic control
- quad strength on the back leg
- glute and hip strength on the front leg
- balance to move in the staggered stance position
Split Squats – Correct
In the video above, the pelvis doesn’t move. It stays relatively vertical.
The hip of the back leg doesn’t flex. You can draw a straight line from the shoulder all the way through the trunk, hip, and knee.
The weight is evenly distributed between the front leg and the back leg.
Split Squats – Not so good
This video shows a split done not so well. You can see the hip on the back leg flexes and the knee ends up in front of the hip.
The shoulders shift forward as the weight is distributed more onto the front leg.
The pelvis also tilts forward creating a larger than necessary arch in the low back.
When we see these problems in the split squat, it tells us there is a problem in strength, flexibility, balance or all three.
If you can do 10 in a row correctly, congratulations! You have a good baseline of flexibility, strength, and balance.
Do 2-3 sets of 10 split squats twice a week so you don’t go backwards.
If you can’t do this exercise correctly, or it hurts, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine in Alexandria and Springfield, VA, our physical therapists are experts at improving flexibility, strength, and balance and will develop a plan to help you improve yours.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to request an appointment.
A member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t have a plan to improve your flexibility, strength, and balance?
- You develop knee or hip pain and can’t run or play sports anymore.
- You start to get back or leg pain when you walk because your have tight hip and thigh muscles
- You get out of shape and are more likely to get other diseases and injuries
But WITH a plan to improve your flexibility, strength, and balance you can live the life you want.
Working on the split squat is a great way to get started. It doesn’t require a ton of time and no equipment is necessary.
But if you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist in Alexandria or Springfield, VA will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to improve your flexibility, strength and balance and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team