Pelvic List

Begin in the aligned stance: toes pointing straight ahead, outside edges of the feet lined up parallel, weight in the heels.

Press down through your right hip and the outside of your right leg into the right foot. The left leg floats off the floor.  

Keep both legs straight.

Keep the torso upright. Your waist is mobile and flexible. Don't tip over to the side, even though your pelvis is "listing" up on the left side.

List up and down a few times feeling the work in your glutes and hips. If you don't feel it, shift the hips back so the weight is in the heels. Now you do!

Switch legs and do it again several times.

When you are ready to take it up a level, practice the pelvic list on a block (as seen in the photo)..

"The Pelvic List is also an element of every step you take—it’s the part of a gait cycle where all your weight is on a single leg, being held by the muscles down the outside of the standing leg. This move fully loads your hip joint (thinking about bone density? This is an excellent exercise to learn and put into every step) and offers more control of your whole-body positioning when you’re on one leg (if you wobble a bit, the large muscles of the legs can keep you stable). The Pelvic List can quickly change the loads to a knee joint, and it also creates a gentle, stabilizing tension on the sacrum (so if you’re working on balancing the forces of the pelvis, including the pelvic floor, this can be key)."

Read more of this post by Katy Bowman and watch a video of her teaching the Pelvic List.

Find more ideas for better movement in my twice-a-month emails. And learn about classes, workshops and individual coaching at Your Movement Project.