I have been noticing that a lot of us have the tendency to forget about True Cueing during Glute Work (this mostly applies to Glute Work outside of Glute bridges). I’ve noticed that often we will call out the posture, set it up, hold, then immediately start moving. We are missing the kinetic cueing portion of True Cueing, which is so important for body awareness! I have listed out two examples below. Remember to slow down and move through the kinetic chain before you start moving. 🙂 

Side Diamond

• Call It: We’re headed into Side Diamond starting on our right side (directional cues are so helpful! for quick transitions). 
• Set Up: Grab your ball and tuck it under your right ribcage. Glue your legs together, lift your feet off the floor, open your knees, and…
• Hold: HOLD.
• Kinetic Cue (what a lot of us are missing): Your feet are pressed together. Knees and hips are stacked on top of each other. Use your core to lift off the ball, and make sure your right elbow is under your shoulder. 
• Movement: Let’s start with a slow large range movement. Close your knees for two, open for two…do 2ish times then speed it up to tempo.
• Modify: If you need more stability through the hips, bring your feet to the mat and lift and lower from here. If you have a shoulder or neck injury, tuck the ball under your head like a pillow (good to add personal anecdotes here: “This is my favorite modification because it takes out the distraction of the upper body and helps me lift my feet higher.”)
• Don’t forget to walk around the room to correct and also re-cue based on what you see. Don’t stay in Glute Work with them the whole time. Examples: “I like to hold onto my top hip to ensure my hips aren’t rocking forward and back as I lower and lift.” “The higher your feet, the more resistance you’re putting into your side seat.” “Glute work can feel monotonous, but glutes can be hard to activate, so repetition is key.” 

Head to Barre

• Call It: We’re going into Head to Barre. 
• Set Up: Turn to face your barre, standing a few inches away. Hinge at your hips, place your forearms and forehead on the barre, lift your right leg, and..
• Hold: HOLD. 
• Kinetic Cue (what a lot of us are missing): Your left foot is directly under your hip, toes pointed toward your base board. Soften your leg knee and square your right hip to the floor. Spine is long, and core is engaged. 
• Movement: Let’s start with a small bend and reach. 
• Modify: If you need to take some weight out of your low back, work with your right leg closer to the floor. For even more stability, you can work in standing glutes, walking all the way into the barre (good to add personal anecdotes here: “This is a great option if you’re expecting.”)
• Don’t forget to walk around the room to correct and also re-cue based on what you see. Don’t stay in Glute Work with them the whole time. Examples: “There should be a long line from your toes to your head.” “Check in with your hip alignment, hips shoulder remain level like you’re wearing a seatbelt.” “This is a tiny movement – relax the muscles in your glute max to create the soft bend, then contract the muscles to lengthen your leg.” “Pair your breath with your movement to get the most out of this exercise – inhale as soften the knee, exhale as you extend.”