Airplane balance with hip external rotation

Category: Balance

Level: 2

3-6 reps/leg

  • Initiate movement by pushing hips backwards into the hinge position as torso slowly lowers towards the floor
  • Flat back and neutral neck position throughout the movement
  • Slight knee bend as torso lowers
  • Knee stacked over ankle
  • Hips remain square
  • Slow, controlled movement
  • From the bottom position, slowly rotate body outward then back to centre
  • Round back
    • Cue "Pinch shoulders back"
    • Cue "Push hips back"
  • Rotating too quickly
    • Cue "Wait until you reach the bottom of the hinge (chest facing the floor) before starting to rotate outward"
  • Knee collapsing inward
    • Cue "Drive knee out towards pinky toe"
  • Neck extension (looking up)
    • Cue "Look up through the eyebrows"
  • Dynamic balance
  • Ankle stability
  • Knee control
  • Hip-dominant movement targets posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings)
  • Reinforces safe, neutral spine position