Sometimes during a yoga class, there’s an exercise you do that involves standing on one of the best yoga mats, drawing one knee to hip height, then extending the leg out in front of you. It’s killer on the hip flexors and quads, testing your strength, balance, and stability, but it also requires hamstring flexibility.
To help improve this balance posture, I’ve been practicing standing leg extensions at home. To do this, stand with your feet hip-width apart, raise one knee to chest height, extend the leg away from you without losing any height, then rebend the knee and lower the leg, switching sides every rep.
I knew it could boost mobility and flexibility, but I didn’t expect much improvement to my hip health or quad strength. And I wasn’t expecting it to increase my ability to perform a certain core exercise. Here’s what regular practice has done for my body, and why I recommend trying it.
What is the exercise?
To perform standing leg extensions, simply follow these steps:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, spreading your toes wide
- Place both hands on your hips, slightly tuck your pelvis under and engage your core, standing tall and proud
- Lift your right knee to hip height, then, with control, slowly extend your right leg as much as you can without dropping the leg
- Flex your right foot so that your toes point toward the ceiling
- Hold for a moment, then re-bend the knee
- Step your right foot down, then repeat on your left side.
You can add intensity by adding the best ankle weights to increase the tension in your hip flexor muscles and quads. Over time, and alongside some of the best hamstring stretches, you should be able to straighten your leg.
What have I noticed since trying standing leg extensions?
My hamstrings feel more open
I can’t call this a controlled experiment because I teach mobility classes on the side, but my hamstrings definitely feel more comfortable while performing this exercise than before. If you struggle to extend your leg, perhaps warming up your hamstrings first may help. Otherwise, add a generous knee bend as you kick your leg away from you and keep practicing. Hopefully, the leg will get straighter over time.
Poor balance? Start by holding onto something, then try to practice without support.
My left side is much weaker than my right
I couldn’t hold my left leg up for as long, and my leg wanted to drop a lot quicker on my left side, reconfirming to me again and again that my right side is definitely dominant.
On the bright side, exercises like this help reduce any imbalances that may be impacting your walking gait or exercise performance. Obviously, this exercise alone won’t solve anything, but working with your bodyweight or free weights single-sidedly can help to strengthen weaker muscle groups and close the gap between your dominant and non-dominant sides.
I'm getting stronger
Apparently, the practice is paying off because my quads and hips feel stronger, and I can hold the position for longer during yoga classes — something that felt unreachable before this exercise came along. It's always a bonus when you put the work in and something doesn't feel as untouchable as a result.
My L-sit improved
Have you heard of the L-sit exercise? There are many variations, but the basic setup is to sit on the floor, place your hands down on the ground, either side of you, then lift and extend your legs away from the ground in front of you and hold. You can perform them hanging from a bar, holding dip bars, or with your hands elevated on blocks.
I like to perform hanging leg raises and seated leg raises, but I was shocked that they both felt more accessible when I returned to them recently. Of course, the leg position is exactly the same, so it makes sense. It just goes to show that functional exercises translate to daily life and other exercise routines or workouts more than we sometimes realize. My L-sit went from a shaky 10 seconds to roughly 20 — although it feels just as brutal regardless.
Want to give this move a try? Try 8 to 10 reps and 2 to 3 sets. I recommend 2-3 times per week.
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