Quadruped Rock

Purpose:

• This demonstrates active weight bearing hip flexion with spine stability.

Description:

• In quadruped, with an inflatable exercise ball placed against a wall and against the buttocks, push back into the ball.
• Maintain pressure whilst reaching one hand/arm forward. Switch sides. Add neck rotation for variation, or a FMT (tubing) for resistance.

Alternatives:
 

1. A partner creates resistance at the sacrum, instead of an exercise ball.
2. Use a FMT (tubing) to create resistance to hip flexion, held in both hands.
3. Single leg version: express hip extension on one side, rock back into weight bearing hip flexion on the other side, with or without FMT around the foot on the extended leg.

 
Implications:
 

• Producing hip flexion with spine stability is important after regaining hip flexion mobility. A common error in squatting, running or kicking, or other split leg tasks, is to produce spine flexion instead of hip flexion.

Common errors and corrections:

• The most common error is a loss of spine stability, i.e. rounding of the spine into flexion. The fix is to exaggerate mistake of loss of spine stability with a foam roller on the spine.