“Why do I feel like I’m falling back when I back my weight over my heels?” or “Why are my quads gripping when I back myself up?” These are questions I get quite a bit, so I decided to answer it in a video post.
Notice how my pelvis untucked naturally (not by force) when I backed my hips up into the plumb line. Once your pelvis is in alignment, your gluteus will be able to fire correctly and balance you out so you don’t feel like you are falling. But the first step for you may be to release the psoas and posterior leg muscles.
See Plumb Line in Red.
To find the greater trochanter (the rough prominence at the upper part of the femur): If you put your hand on the side of the upper femur and abduct your leg, you can feel it easily. Plumb-line should fall from there through the midpoint of the knee and ankle.
Want more information about backing up correctly? Below you will find a video post I did a while back explaining how to back your hips up to align your body.
Want more homework? Check out the Alignment Snacks Leg Goes Forward, Leg Goes Back, Frankie Says Relax the Psoas, Quads and Hams, and Stretching the Standing Muscles
How do you determine where the “center” of the hip is to see if it is over the ankle?
Hi Pam, If you put your hand on the side of the upper femur (greater trochanter) and abduct your leg, you can feel it easily. See this post for an image of the alignment points, http://www.alignedandwell.com/katysays/alignment-matters/
Thansk so much!
I still fall back and have to hold myself up, especially with hips back.
i’ll keep trying.
This seems so hard!