Quad rockers are the perfect lower back exercise – here’s how to do it

Welcome to our Move of the Week series. Every Monday, we’ll be sharing one of our favourite exercises with you – how to do it, what muscles it works and why it should be a regular part of your workout regime. This week: quad rockers.         

If you run or cycle a lot, the chances are that you’ve got super-tight quads. Quad rockers is a brilliant stretch for loosening up those powerhouse muscles while also helping to ease laptop-ravaged lower backs, strengthening the pelvic floor and mobilising the shoulders. It’s super-low impact and requires minimal coordination – making it the perfect move for a10 second mid-morning shake-out or late night stretch. 

It’s also a great one to add to your pre-run warm-up, especially if you are feeling a little stiff first thing in the morning.

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What is a quad rocker? 

A quad rocker is a stretch that involves moving your glutes towards and away from your heels.

This exercise is great because:

It can be done at any time: it’s a perfect stretch to add to your morning routine, your yoga or pilates practice or after work.

It can help ease lower back pain: it gently moves your spine through a decent range of motion.

It targets your powerhouse muscles: this is a great one for any runners and cyclists who tend to be quad-dominant and are in need of a good stretch out.

What muscles do quad rockers work? 

A quad rock stretches and strengthens various muscles, including:

  • Quads
  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Lower back
  • Inner thighs

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How to do a quad rock

  1. Start in table top position, hands and knees on the floor 
  2. Tuck your toes and start to move your bum back to the heels – hands staying in the same place so that your arms begin to stretch out ahead
  3. Now move to bring the glutes forward to form a straight line from knees to shoulders
  4. Keep moving between both positions

Images: Stylist

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