Let’s Learn Together

Today is day 2: learn.  Today I want to continue the theme of getting to know yourself by helping you learn something new about your body!  Our bodies are pretty cool and one of my favorite things is to learn about mine – that’s why I spent 4 years doing just that in school.  For today, I will share information on this as well as a strengthening workout for you to do!

Let’s Start With The Information

Since we are spending this week getting to know ourselves, I want you to learn by doing.  So I will have you do some ‘experiments’ with your body (these are the experiments used in my ‘I can do science with my body’ post).  Here we go!

Experiment 1: Finding Your Dominant Leg

What to do:

1. Stand relaxed with your feet together about hips width apart
2. Have a family member stand behind you and gently push your back.  This works best if they do it without warning so you do not expect it.
3. Note which foot steps forward to keep you from falling.  That is your dominant leg!

What it Means

When your foot steps forward to keep you from falling, it is called a protective step.  This means that it is your body’s way of protecting you from falling on your face.  Just like you have a dominant hand that you write with, you have a dominant leg.  This is your body’s preferred leg for kicking in kickback or soccer.  Track and field athletes use their dominant leg to adjust their blocks and steps for optimal performance.

Experiment 2: Testing Your Balance

What to do:

1. Standing up straight at keeping your eyes looking forward, balance on your right leg.  Count how long you can balance without putting your other leg down.
2. Repeat on your left leg.  Which leg could you balance on longer?
3. Balance on whichever leg did better.  Close your eyes.  Did it become harder or easier to balance?

What it Means

Similar to the way you have a dominant leg for a protective step, your body has a preferred leg for balancing.  For most people, one leg is easier to balance on than the other.  This may be because you use that leg more for activities that require balance.  When you balance, your body uses multiple senses, such as your sense of sight.  When you close your eyes, you take that away, often times making it harder to balance.

Now time to exercise

Now that you were able to learn something new about your body, it is time to move that body with a strength workout!  We will stick with the lower body and work the legs.

Format

Perform 8-12 reps of each exercise.  Repeat each exercise 2-3 times!  Feel free to add weight as desired.  Each exercise is linked to a YouTube video for reference

The Workout

1. Air squat
2. Alternating reverse lunges
3. Standing hip abduction
4. Glute Bridge
5. Standing hamstring curl
6. Squat pulses
7. Side lunges
8. Sumo squat with heel raise
9. Clamshells
10. Seated Quad Lift

Take time to stretch after and drink plenty of water!

I hope you enjoyed day 2: learn – get ready for some cardio tomorrow for day 3!