Build Incredible Leg Strength – 3 simple steps for busy people

Building leg strength while watching TV and eating dinner. 😉

Developing and maintaining leg strength is an important part of many martial arts including Tai Chi. Leg strength is also a key part of staying mobile and active as we all get older. Unfortunately modern life is fighting us at every turn. We sit down to drive to work, we sit in the office all day, we sit in front of the T.V. or at the computer. The less we use our legs the weaker they get, and soon we can’t even get up out of a chair without effort.

Here are 3 simple ways to build incredible leg strength that even a busy person can fit into their schedule.

1. Lower and Slower. When you practice your forms start doing them lower and slower. If you are not dripping with sweat by the end of your form you are not going low enough or slow enough. (Don’t go so low that you cannot keep good structural alignment. If you go to low to soon you can injure yourself.)

2. Spending 1 or 2 minutes to do a squat should be easy to work into even the busiest persons schedule. The key is to do 1 every day no matter what and go slow. Use at least 1 full minute for one squat. 30 seconds down and 30 back up. Keep your back straight, stay relaxed, never stop moving and breath. Never do more than 1. Just work on going slower and slower.

3. Use your legs every chance you get. Pay close attention to what you do during each day and look for any times that aren’t using your legs when you could be. Never lean over to reach something. Instead do a squat. Stop sitting down to eat, watch TV, work on the computer or whatever. Instead pick a low stance, any one you like, and use that instead for as long as you can.

There are many many other exercises that you can use in addition to these if you have the time, but for busy people these 3 will build an incredible amount of leg strength while only taking up a few extra minutes of your day.