You can use slides to enhance your workout, but be sure to start out slowly and carefully to avoid injuries.
Using slides allows for smooth movement in all sorts of exercises, including some that slim your inner thighs, strengthen your abs, and tighten the muscles that lift your butt.
Always watch your posture and limit your range of motion – small, controlled movement will help assure that you are really working the muscles you’re targeting and help avoid injuries!
Lateral slide. This exercise shapes and strengthens the inner thigh muscles muscles that make your legs and body look slimmer and more fit. These muscles can also help you maintain balance and prevent injuries if you start to lose your footing when stepping off a curb or walking over an uneven surface.
Stand in perfect posture (see The Importance of Good Posture), with a slide under your right foot. Gently move the slide to the right, away from your left leg. Keep your weight distributed on both legs and keep your stability from your core. Remember to keep your knees soft. Go no farther out than shoulder width, especially when you’re first starting out or you haven’t been engaging these muscles recently.
Pull your right leg back in from your inner thigh. Balance in the center, and then repeat. Switch the slide to the left foot and slide it out to the left, as described above.
Slide back. Stand in perfect posture with a slide under your right foot. Slowly and carefully flex the stationary leg, and slide your right foot straight back. Keep within your range of motion, small and steady movements are best at first. Make sure your hips, knees and toes are all pointing forward (in Me Posture), your hips are even, and your weight is balanced. Make sure you are not leaning back or forward.
Then use your support leg to lift yourself up, back to a standing position, while sliding your right forward. Think about it as lifting your buttocks so the stable leg will lift you, rather than trying to pull your right foot forward.
Repeat, then change the slide to your left foot and repeat.
This exercise tightens your butt and strengthens your hamstrings. It also elongates and stretches the muscles in the hip and thigh of the leg that is extended back (muscles that often spend a lot of time contracted while you’re sitting), and it strengthens the muscles in the front of the thigh of the weight-bearing leg when you lift your butt.
Remember: Less is absolutely more – and avoiding injuries means more time you can work out.
Ta da! I hope you enjoy these exercises!
Darla
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