Alignment Snacks: All Around the Thighs We Go!

Katy Bowman
Year Released: 2013

Categories: Athletic Stretch , Instructional / How To Videos , Special Health Conditions


I have only recently started trying a few of Katy Bowman's "Alignment Snacks" downloads from her web site, restorativeexercise.com. These are 25-35 movement-focused classes offered for $5 each. Katy is teaching live in front of a live class (who you sometimes hear but never see).

After trying several of Katy upper-body focused classes (which I loved--and you can try her "Can't Get Enough of Shoulders" free on her web site), I decided to try several for lower body, as I wanted to work in particular on my psoas and hamstrings. All Around the Thighs We Go is the first snack I have done that is mostly standing. You will need a mat a yoga block (Katy uses a half dome).

Katy begins standing with the feet wide. She shifts back and forth towards either hip, then repeats this movement leaning forward with the back straight. Next is a standing Figure 4 stretch. This is followed by a calf stretch with the ball of one foot on the block (or the half dome); she then repeats with the balls of both feet on the block. Katy then does a standing quad stretch (heel to buttocks) on either side. The next move is more challenging: holding the block in one hand, she repeats the standing quad stretch on the opposite side as she moves the block to the floor. (This is a bit like half-moon pose in yoga.) This is repeated several times, and then Katy returns to the hip shifts back-and-forth as a recovery move.

Katy then comes down to the knees for a runner's lunge. She performs several variations (switching sides each time), including adding a twist and twisting with the back knee off the floor. After relaxing briefly on the stomach, she has you come to the hands and knees, spread the knees wide, and push the hips back--this is a bit like child's pose, but you are keeping the hips elevated and mainly stretching the shoulders. There is a brief relaxation to finish this practice, which was 35 minutes long.

I liked this snack, although I didn't find that it had a lot of hamstring work. (I choose it because customer service on Katy's web site suggested that it would be one of the best snacks for hamstrings.) However, the lunges were nice to stretch the psoas, and it would probably make a great post-workout stretch for runners, bikers, and anyone else needing to stretch the legs.

Instructor Comments:
Katy is rather goofy, but I like her! She's not above giving mini-lectures about alignment or other issues she feels strongly about, and she tends to go off on little tangents at times, but I don't mind this myself; she is VERY low-key.

Beth C (aka toaster)

07/06/2015