A Move You Should Do MONDAY – Floor Touch Lunge

This week’s move is a movement pattern that packs a big punch. The floor touch lungenot only strengthens the large muscles of your hips and thighs, but it also solves two common problems that lie at the root cause of low back pain and knee pain. Here’s how to do it:

Stand with your feet hip width apart and toes pointed straight ahead.
Take a long step forward as you reach your hands towards the floor on the inside of your front foot. Make sure your knee is in line with your second toe.
Pull yourself up to the standing position using your front leg (instead of pushing off your back leg).
Repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. Perform 6-10 repetitions on each leg.

Why does this matter?

Not only does the floor touch lunge strengthen the large muscles of your hips and thighs that help power you when you run, walk, push or pull. But it solves these two common problems:

A knee valgus squat – if your knees fall in when you squat, this may be caused by tight adductor (inner thigh) muscles. By keeping your knee in line with your second toe, you dynamically lengthen the adductors with each lunging step.
Low back pain with supine to long sitting test – if your back hurts when you try to sit up from lying on your back, you may have an overactive (tight) hip flexor muscle. A tight hip flexor may inhibit its antagonist, the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in your body designed to power most of your movement. The floor touch lunge naturally places the hip flexor of your working leg (the front leg) in a relaxed position, thereby preventing a tight muscle from inhibiting the gluteus maximus.

So give the floor touch lunge a try. Don’t worry if you can’t quite reach to the floor. You’ll still reap the benefits. Your knees and low back will thank you.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…