Bodyweight Lower Body

Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly out. Let your arms hang by your sides or reach them forward for balance. Set your weight evenly across the middle of each foot and draw your ribs down so your torso stays braced.

1. Inhale — send your hips back and down, bending at the hips, knees, and ankles together as you begin to lower.
2. Continue lowering until your thighs reach a depth that suits you, keeping your chest lifted and your knees tracking over your toes.
3. Exhale — drive evenly through both feet to stand back up, extending your hips and knees to return to the start.

• Send the hips back first, as if reaching for a seat behind you.
• Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes rather than caving inward.
• Keep your heels grounded and your weight through the middle of each foot.
• Keep your chest lifted and your spine long throughout.

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or by your sides. Draw your ribs down, set your gaze forward, and balance your weight over your front foot.

1. Inhale — step one foot straight back and lower into a lunge, bending both knees.
2. Lower until your back knee hovers just above the floor and your front thigh reaches a comfortable depth.
3. Exhale — press through your front foot to step back to standing.
4. Repeat, alternating legs or completing one side before switching.

• Step back far enough that your front knee stays over your ankle.
• Keep your torso tall and your gaze forward.
• Lower the back knee straight down rather than dropping it into the floor.
• Drive through the front heel to return.

Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and drawn close to your hips. Rest your arms by your sides with your palms down. Set your lower back into a neutral position.

1. Inhale — press your feet into the floor and settle your ribs down.
2. Exhale — drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
3. Pause at the top and squeeze your glutes.
4. Inhale — lower your hips back down to the mat with control.

• Drive through your heels to lift the hips.
• Stop rising when your body is in a straight line rather than overarching your lower back.
• Keep your knees pointing forward, in line with your feet.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of each lift.

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your weight balanced over the balls of your feet. Rest a hand on a wall or chair for balance if you like. Keep your legs straight without locking your knees.

1. Exhale — press through the balls of your feet to lift your heels, rising up as high as is comfortable.
2. Pause briefly at the top with your ankles fully extended.
3. Inhale — lower your heels back down with control to the start.

• Rise straight up through the balls of both feet.
• Pause at the top rather than bouncing at the bottom.
• Lower slowly and with control.
• Keep your ankles steady so they do not roll outward.

Stand with your back against a wall and step your feet forward about hip-width apart. Slide your back down the wall until your hips and knees bend to roughly right angles, with your knees stacked over your ankles. Rest your back flat against the wall and let your arms hang or rest lightly on your thighs.

1. Settle into the position with your thighs parallel to the floor, or to a height that suits you, and your shins vertical.
2. Press your back and shoulders flat into the wall and set your weight through your heels and mid-feet.
3. Hold the position, breathing steadily and evenly throughout.

• Keep your knees stacked over your ankles, not drifting past your toes.
• Press your lower back flat against the wall.
• Keep your weight in your heels and mid-feet.
• Breathe steadily rather than holding your breath.

Stand tall near a wall, chair, or other stable object. Place your left hand on it for balance. Shift your weight onto your left foot.

1. Bend your right knee and bring your right heel toward your right glute.
2. Reach back with your right hand and gently catch the top of your right foot or your ankle.
3. Inhale — lengthen your spine. Exhale — gently draw your heel closer to your glute and your right knee slightly back. Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing steadily.
4. Release and switch sides.

• Keep your knees close together; don't let the bent knee swing out to the side.
• Keep your hips squared forward — don't twist to follow the bent leg.
• If you can't reach your foot, loop a strap or towel around the ankle and hold the ends.