Ball Lunges

Professional Rationale
A higher level exercise that helps to engage the adductors to initiate their respective swing phase while the trunk stays stable. It helps to educate the body on how to dissociate the hips from the trunk so that they can each perform their function independently and are not dependent on one another. This is a great exercise for runners and higher level endurance athletes with any lower extremity dysfunction or injury.

Client Rationale
This stabilization exercise is to help your body learn how to keep your trunk stabilized (your core) while your leg does something different. This is what occurs when walking, running, or functional activities like getting in and out of your car. The more controlled the motion, the more you will get out of the exercise. This exercise also helps to teach your body how to coordinate alternately flexing and extending your hips while keeping your pelvis stable.



Instructions

• Stand with the top of your foot on the ball.
• Keep your knee pointed straight towards the floor.
• Roll your ball foot back, extend your hip, and straighten your knee.
• As you do this, bend the opposite knee.
• Slowly return.
• Hold on only if needed for balance.
• Keep chest up.
• Do not bend forward at the waist.
• Do not allow back leg to roll off the ball.
• Do not bend past 90 degrees at the knee.
• Do not allow knee to come over your toes.

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