Sit to Stand

Execution

1. Fold your arms across your chest, or reach them out in front if you need the balance.
2. Lean your torso forward until your nose passes the line of your knees, shifting your weight onto your feet.
3. Exhale, press both feet into the floor and stand all the way up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
4. Inhale, push your hips back and lower over 2-3 seconds, touching the seat lightly before standing again.
5. Sit all the way down and rest if you feel dizzy or unsteady, instead of forcing the set to the end.

Quick cues

• Nose past the line of your knees.
• Press your whole foot down.
• Touch the seat softly.
• The chair is a target, not a rest.

Common faults

• Fault: Dropping and flopping down onto the chair

  Fix: Count three beats on the way down and put a cushion on the seat for the first week.

• Fault: Pushing up from the thighs or the armrests with the hands

  Fix: Fold your arms across your chest and raise the seat with a cushion until you can stand without the hands.

• Fault: Feet parked too far forward, so it takes a swing to get up

  Fix: Draw both heels back under your knees before you start the stand.

• Fault: Staring at the floor the whole time, so the torso folds

  Fix: Pick a spot on the wall at eye level and look at it as you stand.