Knee Pick-up

Why do this?

This is a stability exercise. It engages the oblique muscles, strengthens the abdominal muscles and balances the actions of the strong hip flexors. It will help you move your legs without moving your pelvis and spine. You want your pelvis and spine to be stable in the saddle when you move other body parts.

What it does for me:

The Knee Pick-up is the basis of strengthening and stabilizing your body's trunk. Your trunk must be stable and strong as a rider. I "stayed" with this exercise for a long time before going on to other related exercises. Give yourself the latitude to begin at the beginning.

Remember, the controlled release or lowering of the knee is as important as the contracting flex and raise of the knee. Our muscles must have a chance to relax completely or else they will fatigue. Go for the quality of each movement, not the quantity.

Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.

Breathe - inhale through your breastbone and exhale through the bottom of your shoulders.

Encourage a neutral, not arched, spine.

Lock your pelvis by pulling your belly button towards your spine.

Make a fist with both hands, point the thumbs up as if hitch hiking and the little fingers of your
hitch hiking fists on the bony tips of your hipbones. If your thumbs remain quiet throughout the motion, your pelvis and low back are probably quiet. That's what you want.
Pull your belly button towards your spine.
Make sure your pelvis remains straight, even and balanced without any rotating or drifting.
Make sure your pelvis remains flat, not arched, on the floor.
Hold that position for 3 seconds.
Lower the raised, bent knee so both feet are back on the floor.
Release the lock in your pelvis and relax muscles for 3 seconds.
Thumbs should remain quiet throughout movement. (Quiet thumbs mean stable, not drifting
or rotating, pelvis and neutral, not arched, spine flat on the floor.)
Repeat.

Start with one set of 20 pick-ups on each side.
If you can only do 5 pick-ups on each side when you begin, do those 5. Increase by 1 or 2 until you get up to 20.
Congratulate yourself.