Legs
Skate & Reach
A low impact skater with a reach: step side to side, reach down toward your front foot, then stand tall and reach both arms overhead. It works your glutes and legs and gets your heart rate up without the pounding.
- Works
- Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet hip width apart, knees soft and chest up.
- 2Step wide to one side and bend that knee, sweeping your other foot behind you, and reach your opposite hand down toward your front foot.
- 3Stand tall and reach both arms up overhead.
- 4Step across to the other side and repeat. Keep moving side to side.
Cues
- Sit into your hip as you reach.
- Keep your back flat on the way down.
- The back foot just taps.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back to reach. Hinge from your hips and reach only as low as your back stays flat.
- Knee caving in. Keep your standing knee over your middle toes.
- Leaning on the back foot. Keep your weight in your front leg. The back foot is only there for balance.
Easier
Make the step smaller and reach only to your knee or shin.
Harder
Stay lower and move faster, or turn it into a jump and land softly on one foot each time (that's a skater).
Try it: 3 rounds of 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off.
Are skaters low impact?
Regular skaters are a jump, so no. Skate and reach keeps one foot on the floor the whole time, which makes it a low impact way to get the same side to side work.
