Alignment Snacks: Adductor Madness

Katy Bowman's "Alignment Snacks" are short (20-30 minute) downloads which focus on body alignment. In each "snack," Katy leads an unseen (but not unheard) class through an alignment session consisting of various stretches and/or gentle exercises. These movements are performed while Katy provides information on proper alignment. The snacks currently cost $5 each; you can find them on her website (katysays.com or restorativeexercise.com) under the "Move" tab.

This review is for Adductor Madness, a 31 minute alignment session which primarily targets the lower body. The class also includes some upper body work at the end, although it is brief. The exercises are all done on the floor, either lying on your back or on all fours. Katy says that you'll work harder in this one than in the other snacks, and I agree. I'd almost classify this as a beginner strength workout. I liked it.

You start the class on your back with your feet up in the air. If you can't get your legs to a 90 degree angle, then you'll likely need a bolster under your glutes to help stabilize your back. After a 2.5 minute assessment / alignment check, the class does some inner thigh exercises with a block between the knees, then a series of leg lifts. There are several rounds of these, interspersed with some nice stretches for the adductors and the periformis muscles. Katy calls one of these "Twisty Knot," which seems close to a cross-legged version of a figure 4 stretch.

Katy switches to the upper body for the last three or four minutes. This consists of two rounds rhomboid and tricep pushups separated by some deep shoulder stretches. The class ends with a stretch that looks like a modified dolphin pose (forearms on the ground, thumbs up, and chest down, done on the knees). Very nice!

Equipment used: a mat, a half dome/pillow, and a block

What I Liked / Things to Consider

The primary purpose of the alignment snacks is to provide alignment information and then put it into practice through motion. Any strength or flexibility gains are almost secondary, in my view. However, this one had a lot of strength-related exercises, so I could see using it as a workout for a light day or as a beginner workout. Given the comments / sounds from the class, they didn't find it that easy.

I've done many of the sessions in this series, and I've liked some more than others. I think that this is one of the better ones. It's nice to have some strength-related assessments along with the alignment tips. One of these is to take your bent leg off (or almost off) the floor in the leg lifts; when you do this, it's easy to see how much you are compensating by using the (theoretically) non-working leg.

Also, the stretches in this session felt really good to me. I particularly liked "Twisty Knot" and runner's lunge (one of my long-standing favorites). The modified dolphin pose was a feel-good (but work hard) way to end. Two thumbs up for this one!