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Exercise guide
Hero Pose
A kneeling seat with the hips settling between the heels, which lengthens the quadriceps and the front of the ankles while the spine stays tall.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- quadriceps · erector spinae · hip flexors
- Goals
- mobility
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Category
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- beginner
Demonstration
Step 1
How to perform the movement
- Kneel with the knees together and the feet slightly wider than the hips, tops of the feet flat.
- Sit the hips back and down between the heels, using a block or cushion if the floor is out of reach.
- Stack the ribs over the pelvis and rest the hands on the thighs.
- Hold the seat for the prescribed time, keeping the weight even on both sit bones.
- Come out by pressing into the hands and straightening one leg at a time.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Sit on a block whenever the knees complain; the height is a normal part of the pose.
- Roll a towel under the ankles if the front of them feels strained.
- Keep the feet pointing straight back rather than flaring out to the sides.