Try This: Active Low Lunge
Small changes can make a big difference in how a shape feels. When clients tell me they have “tight hips” or “tight hip flexors”. I love to throw this minor lunge variation in. Actually, I always try to throw it in. It feels GREAT.
Try This:
Strongly engaged makes this both a strength building shape and a juicy hip stretch
Make your way into low lunge so your front knee is right over your ankle and your back hip is right over your knee. Zip up your abdominal muscles from pubic bone to sternum, so your ribs are set over your hips. Keep this engagement and keep breathing. Let your shoulders relax away from your ears. Now shift this entire shape forward, so your front knee is moving towards your front toes. Focus on keeping your hips square. It may feel good to shift forward, stay there and breathe, or it may feel better to gently pulse.
Some Notes
Notice I didn’t cue the glutes. While they are working, we don’t want them to take over. We want the abdominals to be able to fully engage and be supported by the glutes.
This is not the only way we should be lunging! Mix up your lunges, let them be relaxed and juicy, lift or lower your knee, shift back and forth between engaged and relaxed.
Regardless of the variation your are taking, its a good idea to avoid “dumping” for long periods of time. (See Dumping Post)
On the left is complete and total dumping. Absolutely no support, just going to the end range of motion and not getting much support. On the right is an active lunge that is still very strongly engaged, but going a bit deeper into the shape. You’ll get much more out of this shape if you offer your body more support