I joke with my female clients that the kneeling lean-back is a good exercise to do before you go out wearing a mini-skirt, as it highlights the definition in the front of your thigh. It’s similar to a man pumping up his biceps to look good in a tight shirt. In all seriousness, though, this is an exercise that looks easy but packs a serious punch for your thighs.
The kneeling lean-back belongs to the Pilates repertoire of exercises and requires concentration to execute well. The deep muscles of the core, the pelvic floor, and the transversus abdominis need to be contracted while performing the exercise. This will ensure that your back is supported and your abdominals get a workout as well as the front of the thighs.
Getting Started
Start in an upright kneeling position with your knees and legs parallel to each other and a gap about the size of a tennis ball between the knees. Arms are relaxed with hands beside hips.
Inhale as you lean back, and lift your arms up to shoulder height. Keep your neck and shoulders completely relaxed.
Exhale as you bring your body back to the upright starting position, hands returning alongside your body. Repeat between 8 and 15 times and do two to three sets of repetitions
Key Points
The body remains in a straight line the whole time so knees, hips, rib cage, and shoulders are stacked on top of each other like building blocks.
In an effort to go back further in the lean-back, a common mistake is to let the ribcage lean back farther than the hips. This will put pressure on your back and won’t make any difference for the legs. You need to lean back from the knees. The further you go, the harder it will be. Start small and gradually start leaning back farther.
It is important to keep your deep core muscles engaged throughout the exercise. Your breathing will help with that, so don’t forget to breathe.
Modifications
You can make the exercise harder by adding new elements in when you’re in the lean-back part of the exercise:
1. Lean back, hold for 10 seconds, and then come back in.
2. Reach your arms one at a time over your head or out to the side four to eight times before you come back in.
3. Take both arms up or out to make the exercise more challenging.
4. Make small circles with your arms in front of you.
5. Rotate your upper body from your rib cage to add an oblique workout to the exercise.
This is an accessible, no-fuss exercise that will ultimately challenge your thighs and your core. It is a good idea to do this exercise in conjunction with one that works your glutes and hamstrings so your lower body is getting a balanced workout.
Try lying on your back, lifting your hips up into a bridge, and doing some glute squeezes up and down. Do one set for every set of kneeling lean-backs you do.
Emma-Kate Stampton certifies Pilates instructors and is a certified personal trainer. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.
