How to do it
You need: A short resistance loop band, A wall or worktop for light balance support.
Stand with a loop band around both ankles, feet hip-width apart, next to a wall or worktop you can rest a hand on. Stand tall.
- Take most of your weight onto the leg nearest the wall.
- Keeping both knees straight, move the outer leg out to the side against the band.
- Move it only as far as you can without leaning your trunk or hitching the hip up.
- Bring the leg back in slowly, keeping some tension on the band.
Form cues
- Your trunk stays upright and still - the leg moves, not the body.
- You feel the work in the side of the standing buttock as well as the moving leg.
- Keep your toes pointing forwards, not turning out.
Common mistakes
- Leaning the body away to swing the leg higher.
- Letting the moving leg drift forwards instead of straight out to the side.
- Pushing hard through the balance hand.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if the outer hip becomes sharply painful or is more painful lying on it that night.