Challenging Your Balance, Posture and Legs

Welcome back to another edition of From the Trainer! April is one of my favorites since I celebrate my birthday and I still have a few years to go before I hit the big 5-0! Staying in shape has always been my goal as I get older and it should be a priority for you as well.

This month’s exercise is the Single-Leg (SL) Dumb Bell (DB) Squat. It will challenge your balance, posture, and legs. The set up for this one is important because the wrong foot position can cause you problems. Let’s take it from the bottom up.

First, you need a place to put your uninvolved (back) foot.

I used a 12-inch plyometric box, but a flat bench or an aerobic step works great too. Grab a pair of light DBs to hold at your sides. With the box or bench behind you, take a long stride forward to give yourself space to work. I have my right foot back on top of the box with the left leg supporting all of my body weight. Use your back foot for balance only (figure 1).