Clam Shell

No Band

-Lie on your side with your head supported by a pillow or yoga blocks. Be careful not to have the height of the pillow or blocks to be to high as this can place your neck in poor alignment.

-Flex your hips (as shown in animation) to approximately 50-70 degrees.

-Place arms in front of you (as shown).

-Lift your top knee toward the ceiling while keeping your feet in contact with each other.

-DO NOT allow your hips to roll backwards during the exercise, as this will decrease the effectiveness of the exercise.

-Brace abdominals throughout exercise.

Common Mistakes

-The biggest mistake individuals make is roll their hips back when top knee moves toward upward. If you have the luxury of a trainer, have him/her place hands on anterior hip. Trainer attempts to push top hip backwards while you push forward, this will engage your core and keep hips from moving backwards.