Lateral Single Leg Step Up

The step up exercise is a great exercise for training unilateral lower limb strength whilst demanding a stable torso.  This exercise is most commonly prescribed with the individual stepping forward and back down to the ground in the sagittal plane.

In the video below you will see osteopath Heath Williams tweaking this exercise to incorporate stepping in the frontal plane (stepping up onto the box laterally and then back down onto the ground).  This variation of the step up therefore creates a different reaction through the body and requires the hip to work harder in the frontal plane.  In life we will move through 360 degrees of range of movement and therefore I am a big believer in having people train this way.  Thinking about and having individuals train across all planes of motion will improve their ability to cope with movement across all ranges of motion.

This blog post was written by osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy.  Principle Four Osteopathy is one of Melbourne City CBD and Docklands leading osteopathy clinics.  To book an appointment online or find our more about our services, go to www.principlefourosteopathy.com.