One of our go-to exercises at BIM is the active leg lower.
Why we love it:
This is a great exercise for the core, supports hamstring mobility, and helps to improve the active straight leg raise pattern. We often use this exercise in conjunction with the Passive leg lower which you can view HERE.
What to do:
Lie on your back and rest one heel on a wall keeping both legs straight (doorways work great for this). You may have to distance your body from the wall if you have restricted hip mobility. Set your neutral spine and complete a few passive leg lowers, raising and lowering your heel to the floor without losing your neutral. To see how to set a neutral spine, click HERE
For the active leg lower, hover the top heel just off of the wall and complete the leg lower keeping your hovering leg as still as possible and continue to maintain your neutral spine. You might have to move back from the wall again if you are unable to keep your legs straight in this position.
Have fun!