Lower back, hips and knees

Low Lunge: With Blocks

Blocks under your hands raise your torso, making the lunge more comfortable and accessible while still providing valuable hip flexor opening.

How to do it

1. 1

   Place a block either side of your front foot

   Start with the blocks on their tallest steady setting. Raising your hands is what makes this version different from the classic lunge, so do not start low.

2. 2

   Step forward and lower the back knee to the mat

   Front knee over the ankle, hands resting on the blocks either side of the front foot. Your torso sits higher than it would with hands on the floor.

3. 3

   Press evenly into the blocks and lengthen the chest

   With the torso higher, you can keep the lower ribs drawing down more easily and let the front of the back hip do the opening.

4. 4

   Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then change sides

   Shorten the step to make it milder, and slide a blanket under the back knee if the floor is uncomfortable.

What to watch for

Blocks tip if you load one corner, so press down through the middle of each block with the shoulder above the hand. If you find yourself hanging your weight on them, the hips have stopped doing the work and the shape has collapsed.

Ways to adjust it

• Short stance
• Blanket under back knee

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Low Lunge: Supported Chair

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Low Lunge versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Low Lunge: Classic
• Low Lunge: Movement
• Low Lunge: Short Stance
• Low Lunge: Small Range
• Low Lunge: Supported Chair
• Low Lunge: Twist

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.