Lower back, hips and knees

Warrior II: Chair Under Front Thigh

The chair under your front thigh supports your hip, reducing spinal demand and allowing longer holds for deeper strengthening of your legs and lateral hip chain.

How to do it

1. 1

   Place a stable chair sideways beside you

   Position it so the seat sits where your front thigh will be once you bend your knee. Test that it will not slide.

2. 2

   Step into a wide stance over the seat

   Front foot pointing ahead, back foot turned in slightly, with the seat directly beneath the front thigh.

3. 3

   Bend the front knee onto the seat

   Let the underside of the thigh settle onto the chair so it carries part of your weight. Your legs are no longer holding you up on their own, which is what allows a longer stay.

4. 4

   Set your upper body and hold

   Arms out to the sides or hands on hips, torso upright and centred. Stay for 30 to 60 seconds or longer on each side, and shorten the stance if reaching the chair is a stretch.

What to watch for

A chair at the wrong height, so you either hover just above the seat or sink down and let the back leg go slack. The thigh should rest while the back leg still works.

Ways to adjust it

• Short stance

Other ways to do this movement

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

• Warrior II: Back to Wall
• Warrior II: Chair Supported
• Warrior II: Classic
• Warrior II: Hands on Hips
• Warrior II: Short Stance

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.