Horizontal movements, or lateral movements, in sports and daily activities are not as common as other movement patterns, such as moving forward and back or turning. Therefore, training in this plane of motion can help you reduce your risk of injury in your lower body, especially in your knees and ankles, suggests physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance."
Benefits
Horizontal movement patterns teach you how to move yourself to your left and right while facing your body and focus forward. This requires your joints, muscles and tissues to move in coordination with each other while keeping your upper body and pelvis aligned together as well. If you can move in one direction well, but not so well the opposite way, then you need to consistently practice on the less coordinated side in each training session until moving in either direction is equally and easily achieved, suggests Cook. With enough practice, you can avoid unnecessary injuries in your knees and ankles that are caused by twisting or straining.
Side Lunges
A side lunge is stepping to the left or right side of your body with your legs in standing position, wider apart than your shoulders, and lunging down onto one of your legs. This exercise requires stability in your knees and ankles to keep your knees and feet pointing forward. Tightness in your groin or weakness in your buttocks can cause your knees and ankles to move out of alignment or prevent you from lunging deeply when you perform a side lunge. To do a basic side lunge, stand with your feet together and step to your left side with your left foot. As you lunge down on your left leg, keep your right leg straight and both feet planted on the ground. You may extend your arms forward to keep your balance and bend forward at your waist slightly. Do not round your spine as you lunge. Exhale and push yourself back to the starting position.
Lateral Shuffle
Shuffling sideways is an action often called for in some sports and activities, such as dance, martial arts, football and soccer. You can practice this movement pattern by standing with your legs about shoulder width apart and with both feet pointing forward. Bend your legs slightly and shuffle to your right while keeping your feet and body facing forward. You can do a slow shuffle by stepping to your right with your right foot and placing your left foot where your right foot was. Shuffle to your right and left, 10 to 20 times in each direction.
Lateral Hip Swings
Lateral hip swings involve moving your hip joints, one at a time, each within its full range of motion. It improves stability in your hips and spine while increasing mobility in your hips in a horizontal plane. This exercise is an example of active stretching, in which you move joints and muscles repetitively in one direction to increase neural stimulation and elasticity. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends that you perform active stretching before your training to prepare your body and mind to move better. To do this exercise, put your hands on a wall and lift your left foot off the ground. Gradually swing your left leg to your left and right with your knee slightly bent. As you swing, keep your torso in place with minimal rotation in your lower spine and hip.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael Clark; 2007
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
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