Alternating knee lifts

Alternating knee lifts are meant to not only warm up your entire body but also to give you a great dynamic stretch in your hips, buttocks, thighs, and lower back.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet together and your hands to your side.
2. Inhale and as you exhale, lift your left knee toward your chest (see Figure a).
3. Grab underneath your knee with both hands to lift your leg a little higher. Actively use your hands to lift your knee as close to your chest as possible. Lifting your knee a tiny bit higher stretches your buttocks and hamstrings a lot more.
4. Lower your leg down to starting position and repeat the exercise on your other leg (see Figure b).
5. Repeat the stretch for 16 to 20 repetitions. For a simple variation, lift your knees to the side rather than forward. As you become more advanced, try to raise up on the toes of the foot on the floor.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do stand up tall and bring your knee to your chest, not your chest to your knee.
• Do exhale every time you lift your knee.
• Do keep your chest lifted and shoulder blades down.
• Don’t grab the top of your kneecap.
• Don’t tilt your pelvis under.
• Don’t yank or forcefully pull on your knee — the movement should be smooth.