No one goes to look into the mirror to check out how strong their shins have gotten… It’s almost funny to even think about. But smaller muscles like your shins, hips and lower abs are all extremely important. Small muscles like these help to stabilize the larger ones we love to show off. When these are too weak, we tend to over use and over work the larger ones which can lead to injury and wear and tear. The small muscles keep us functional and when these become strong enough to work on their own, it allows us to strengthen the larger ones even more! And luckily, strengthening them is super simple!
Here are three key exercises to help you strengthen your smaller muscles:
Side Leg Lifts
Lay on one side and make sure your body is directly stacked on top of itself
Lift your top leg into the air. Control the motion going up and down
You should feel this in your top hip
Do about 3×15 on each leg
Flutter Kicks
Lay on your back and put your hands either behind your head or to your sides
Press your lower back into the ground
Lift your legs and switch between which is up and down
Do about 3×25 counting each leg as a rep
Make sure to stretch it out when you finish!
Shin Lifts
Find a weight plate and place it on top of both feet evenly (I have a 45lb weight)
Lean against a wall to support yourself and raise and lower your feet while being in control
You should feel this burn in your shins
Do about 3×20 reps
Although these small muscles aren’t as glamorous as the large ones we love to show off, they are just as important!
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Let me know if you try out any of these exercises and how it went!
