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I asked a veteran Pilates teacher for her top three exercises for a stronger lower body—here’s what she recommends
Keeping your lower body strong and supple has a great many advantages, but one we rarely think of until later in life is how it can keep us mobile as we age.
If you neglect your glutes and legs, you may find it much harder to get around in your senior years, and with age-related muscle loss starting as early as 30, it’s worth thinking sooner rather than later.
I asked Pilates teacher Portia Page for her go-to lower body exercises to strengthen, tone, and futureproof the body.
Page is an experienced fitness trainer with more than 30 years of group fitness under her belt, and is also a Pilates instructor and Balanced Body educator. These three moves are her favorite to challenge and strengthen the lower body, promoting balance, stability and mobility.
1. Squat with heel lift
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Sets: 3 Time: 1min
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, reaching your arms out in front of you with your palms facing down.
- Push through your heels to stand back up, dropping your arms back to your sides.
- Continue to rise on to your toes and, keeping your arms straight, move your hands just behind your hips.
- Lower and go straight into the next rep.
2. Bridge with crunch
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Sets: 3 Reps: 5-10
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor in line with your sit bones, and your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
- Press into your feet and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Lower your hips then lift your head, chest and shoulders and one leg (or both legs if you want to make the exercise more challenging), bringing your head and knee towards eachother. Look between your thighs and keep your chin away from your chest.
- Return to the start.
3. Single-leg deadlift with row
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Sets: 3 Reps: 5-10 each side
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward and your arms by your sides.
- Hinge forward at the hips, lifting one leg behind you so your body is parallel to the floor with your arms hanging down.
- Bend your elbows and lift your hands so your upper arms are next to your torso.
- Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Extend your arms back down.
- Continue lifting and lowering your arms, while maintaining your balance.
Page has been teaching group fitness for over 30 years and has been a Pilates educator and teacher for more than 20 years. She’s now a Balanced Body Educator and has authored the book Pilates Illustrated which has been translated into five languages.
