All about the Wall Sit exercise
(Legs)
BENEFITS & MUSCLES WORKED: Posture, lower body strength, core stability, balance
START POSITION: Stand with your back to a wall about 25 cm away from the wall. Lean backwards with arms straight down at your sides. When your back and arms are flat against the wall, slide down gently by bending your knees until the thighs are almost horizontal and the lower legs are roughly vertical. Your feet should point straight forward or slightly outward, and they should be about hip-width apart.
NOTES: Difficulty Rating: 44%
Hold this position for as long as you can, as if you are sitting on an imaginary chair.
The Wall Sit is a very easy-to-learn exercise that can be done anywhere with a flat, vertical wall. No equipment is needed. It feels relatively easy to start, but quickly becomes more uncomfortable as the quads become engaged.
Wall Sits can be incorporated into any Warm-up session, and the intensity is easily adjusted by how long you hold the position for. Beginners may only have this position for a few seconds. By regularly incorporating the Wall Sit exercise into your daily routine, you will quickly become more proficient at it, and soon you should be able to hold the position for around 60 seconds. A 30-second hold is perfect for most people.
Do this exercise after you have warmed up properly. The Wall Sit is a Static exercise (or Isometric exercise), and you will find it works better to do two sets. The first set should be short and easy – about half of the time you think you can do. The second and last set should be held as long as possible. This technique is similar to the Two-Cycle Stretch Technique, which I discuss on my page about flexibility and stretching.