Ball Press Front Split

Instructions

1. Lie on your back with your head close to a wall.

2. Place a yoga block under your pelvis so your hips are slightly elevated and supported.

3. Lift both legs up toward the wall.

4. Place a small ball between one foot and the wall.

5. Keep both knees straight.

6. Press the ball into the wall with one leg to create steady pressure.

7. Lift and lower the moving leg only through a range you can control without bending the knee.

8. Switch sides so the other leg presses the ball into the wall while the opposite leg moves.

Common Compensations

• Do not let the knee of either leg bend.

• Do not let the ball lose pressure or fall from the wall.

• Do not arch your low back excessively off the support.

• Do not let your pelvis rock side to side as the moving leg lifts and lowers.

• Do not use momentum to swing the moving leg.

• Do not tense your neck or shoulders unnecessarily.

Extra Info

• You should feel this mostly in the hamstrings and glutes of the leg pressing into the wall.

• You may also feel the hip flexors and quads of the moving leg working as it lifts and lowers.

• Your lower abdominals and deep core muscles should help keep your pelvis steady on the block.

• The goal is to keep one leg stable while the other moves with control.

• You should not feel sharp pain in the low back, hips, hamstrings, or neck.