How to Do
How to Do Stork Single Leg Balance With Bodyblade
The stork's single leg balance with the bodyblade should begin with a good posture to avoid injury. Brace the spine by drawing your lower abdomen inward. Your core muscles should be activated to support your posture as you perform the exercise.
If any pain is experienced, immediately stop the stork's single leg balance with the bodyblade.
Beginning
Beginning Stork Single Leg Balance
1. Maintain good posture throughout the exercise with shoulder blades back and down, good stability through the abdomen, and neutral spine angles.
2. Perform exercise without shoes (if possible), and grip the toes of the planted leg on the ground.
3. Maintain a high level of awareness of core activation as increased demand for core stability is required.
Movement
Stork Single Leg Balance Movement
1. Start in the stork stance, you should be very proficient with the stork stance (see Stork Stance exercise for description).
2. While maintaining level hips, bring one arm overhead with the body blade, and the other hand is by the side externally rotated.
3. Bend the stance leg to approx. 15 - 20 degrees and hold.
4. Continue engaging the core and oscillate the blade overhead.
5. Stop the exercise when you see: fatigue, excessive curving inward of the lower back, side to side distortion in the kinetic chain, and or uneven hips.
Benefits
Stork Single Leg Balance Benefits
The standing stork test tracks an athlete's progress in maintaining balance in a static position. This test measures an athlete's balance because the more balance an athlete has, the better he or she can perform on the field and the less injuries they are likely to experience.
