One of the best exercises you can do for your legs and core is absolutely free, requires no equipment, and can be done at home in front of the TV. Additionally, no movement is required, you don’t add extra weight, and there’s no stress on your joints. This makes it perfect for beginning exercisers, seniors, and those with joint issues that prevent them from doing other forms of exercise.
The wall sit is a great exercise and, in my opinion, very underrated. People often use it in the run-up to a ski vacation as it prepares your legs and glutes to assume that crouch position. I used it a lot during COVID when all the gyms were closed and I got bored of bodyweight repeat squats, so I started doing a daily wall sit challenge: four sets of one-minute holds each day for two weeks.
As a result, it made my core and legs a lot stronger, and while you don’t have to do the full four minutes a day like I did, a week of wall sitting would be a perfect way to get started Get ready for ’23 fitness journey.
Wall sits belong to a family of movements called “isometric” exercises. Isometric movements are workouts that don’t involve movement: instead, you strike challenging poses to create tension in your muscles. For example, you could take a plank position to work your abs. In a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab)Isometric exercises like these have been shown to be beneficial in improving muscle strength in people with limited mobility, perhaps even more so than traditional “dynamic” strength training.
Because your knees and hips don’t move at all, no extra weight to put on your back, and your feet don’t hit the ground like running or jumping exercises might, it’s incredibly forgiving and a great way to get started. However, it’s still a tough workout, and although you may not be taking steps on yours best fitness trackeryou’ll probably still be able to see your heart rate peak after a few sets.
To get started, simply lean your back against a wall and slide down. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart in front of you and your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Touch your shoulders to the wall and look straight ahead. The TV is an excellent focal point (and a welcome distraction).
Well, here’s the tricky part: you have to hold the position for a certain amount of time. If you’ve never tried this before or are new to strength training, 15-30 seconds might be an achievable goal for you. Once you get to that position, it’s pretty fiddly to play with your phone and set up the timer, so I just used that Amazon Echo Dot in my living room to ask Alexa to set a one minute timer. Then simply hold the position for the required time.
Easier said than done. Very quickly, your quads, glutes, and hamstrings will light up. For an added benefit, make sure you’re looking straight ahead, place your hands behind your head or stretch them out in front of you, slightly pull in your stomach, and tighten your abs.
I won’t lie to you, it sucks. Every time I heard Alexa’s soft tones say, “Okay, one minute from now,” I gritted my teeth in anticipation of the hard time ahead. The gentle alarm tone at the end of that minute was a lifeline, but it felt like it would take forever to get there. It had gotten to the point that I was starting to dislike Alexa’s voice for associating it with those gloomy wall seats.
However, it’s still far more effective than messing around with a timer and rushing to get into position, and any little hack that removes an obstacle to exercise, no matter how small, is a win in my opinion. I found it much easier to set timers with a simple voice command.
Once I got back to the gym, I found that even after my long absence from the squat rack, I hadn’t lost much strength in my legs and glutes. All Those Wall Sits Improved My Running, Too: Research Published in the Journal Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise (opens in new tab) suggests that stronger glutes and quads are a factor in maximum running speed. A strong core also helps maintain good running posture.
Coincidence or not, I did a personal best half marathon at home after training with this unconventional, underrated method. Now that I’m training for a full marathon taking place in April 2023, I will be adding the wall sit back to my regular fitness routine.
If you ever think you really should get some exercise while watching Netflix at home, try three sets of 30-second wall sits to get you started. Just don’t blame me if you start getting angry about it smart speaker later.
Initial release: May 2022.
