Everyone is surprised to see PV Sindhu’s agility on the badminton court, but her rigorous fitness training is also a big reason behind this. Recently she showed a glimpse of her workout, in which she was seen doing single-leg hip thrust.
In this, the main emphasis of the body remains on one leg, while the other leg remains above. This exercise helps in improving balance and control of the body along with strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, hips and core.
How is one-leg balance exercise done?
- In this exercise, one leg is placed on the ground or a high platform by resting the upper part of the back on the bench. The other leg remains on top.
- After this, with the help of the leg on which the body weight rests, the hips are raised and then slowly brought down. During this, it is important to keep the stomach tight, not bend the waist back too much and keep the hips in a straight line.
- When done correctly, it mainly affects the glutes.
One-leg balance exercise?
- In single-leg exercises, both legs do not work together. Therefore the body has to work harder to maintain its balance. This can improve coordination between legs and body.
- In sports like badminton, this control is very useful for activities like sudden change of direction, lunge, jumping and landing on one leg.
- The main focus of this exercise remains on the glutes i.e. the muscles of the hips. Besides, hamstrings and core also remain active. Strong glutes help in providing strength to the legs and keeping the body stable. The core plays a role in preventing the body from bending or rotating to one side.
Which people should not do it?
- This exercise may look easy, but single-leg hip thrust can be challenging for beginners. If someone has injury or persistent pain in waist, hip or leg, then it should not be done without expert advice.
- For beginners, a good progression is to start with a simple glute bridge, then a hip thrust with both legs, and then a single-leg glute bridge. Only after this one should move towards advanced single-leg hip thrust.
Note: Before starting any new exercise, consult a fitness trainer or expert according to your fitness and body condition. Stop exercising if you feel pain.