Exercise of the Week: Leg Lifts with Rotation on the Ladder

The Ladder and it's updated version, the Archway, let you do movements that would be practically impossible to do any other way. Having the shoulder girdle be the static part of the body allows freer lower body movement. And having your pelvis up on the bolster lets your legs have a larger range of motion than you could do on the floor.You can do motions similar to this in yoga and there's a cool full body stretch I used to do in traditional personal training, but you don't have the range of motion the Ladder allows.

While the legs make the largest motions, the upper body isn't static. You're moving from a gently flexed spine to an extended spine, from a small arch to a curl. You're also strengthening and stabilizing your shoulder girdle when you use your hands to keep your shoulders stable and parallel to the ground.