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04. Lateral Weight Shift Standing Opening-Closing

This technique focuses on your body’s inherent movement pattern of opening and closing. However, it does so with a bias towards you being grounded primarily on one side. This helps to reinforce the appropriate neuromuscular stabilization patterns you need to optimize your postural system.

Standing Opening with Left Lateral Weight Shift

Standing Closing with Left Lateral Weight Shift

Standing Opening with Right Lateral Weight Shift

Standing Closing with Right Lateral Weight Shift

Instructions:

  1. Stand with your feet a bit wider than your hips and your arms overhead and out to the side. 
  2. Press your feet down into the ground as you extend your arms up and out as if your arms and legs are creating an X symbol. Your knees should have a little give or a slight bend in them and not be locked out.
  3. Elongate the crown of your head up to the sky.
  4. Shift your body weight over your left foot so that your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle create a straight line that is perpendicular to the ground. Sense the weight going directly through your left heel and ankle.
  5. Inhale softly, slowly and fully through your nose feeling your rib cage expand. 
  6. Exhale through pursed lips as you bend/flex your torso, hips, knees and ankles, folding your arms across your chest while bringing your right foot next to your left foot. Continue to maintain most of your weight through your left leg.
  7. Inhale softly, slowly and fully through your nose as you open your body up again while still maintaining most of your weight through your left foot and stepping out again with your right leg as you return to your initial X position.
  8. Exhale performing the same flexed/bent position with your weight primarily through your left leg. This time cross your arms the opposite as you previously did. 
  9. Perform 5 cycles while maintaining the majority of your weight through your left leg. 
  10. Then perform 5 cycles while maintaining the majority of your weight through your right leg.
  11. Finish with 5 more cycles of left weight-bearing. Always start and finish with left weight-bearing. 

Perform 1-3x/day. *Unless otherwise directed. 

    • Optionally, use your testing technique to determine your optimal frequency and duration to perform.

 

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