Four-Point Kneeling – Exercise of the Week

The four-point kneeling exercise makes use of a stretching movement to target and train your core and also to help strengthen your lower back (an area where quite a lot of people can suffer from pain). It also brings benefits to your overall balance too – helping your body by strengthening each side of it. While it may look and seem like a simple exercise, the movement it uses can be quite challenging and makes for an exercise that you will really feel working! See how to complete it here, complete with pictures and instructions from inside our premier fitness facility.

Four-Point Kneeling

To begin, you may want to put an exercise mat down on the floor first. Get down on all fours as seen at the picture above – making sure to keep your back straight (do not let your hips sag) and placing your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders. If you have neck pain or are prone to niggles in the neck, it can be recommended to look straight ahead (instead of down to the floor) to keep your spine and kinetic chain in correct alignment. Get used to being in this position and maintain balance as best as possible before beginning the movement.

When ready, lift your right hand off the floor and hold it straight out in front of you. At the same time, lift your left foot off the floor and hold this straight out behind you. You should feel a stretch in your lower back as you do this – while your core may naturally brace and tense up in response to the movement as it works to keep your balance. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite hand and foot and this is then one repetition (rep) complete.

The four-point kneeling exercise can be used to mobilise your back as part of your warm-up / cool down, or even built into your workout as a back and core exercise. If you need any help at all or would like this demonstrated to you, please ask any of our friendly fitness team who are always happy to help! They also can recommend the ideal amount of reps and sets for you to complete – along with advising on how many seconds you should hold the movement for as you build up a stamina the more you progress and complete it.

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