Exercising With A Friend - Partner Leg Press

It's Valentine week. Each post this week will show a fun way to improve health with a friend.

The Partner Leg Press strengthens your legs, hips, and posture muscles, and practices balance and good body position. It can be safely done with children too.

1. Partner 1 lies face up on the floor with both feet raised.
2. Partner 2 positions themselves facing down, with Partner 1's feet on their chest or abdomen, and holding their body straight (photo 1).
3. Partner 1, on the floor, bends knees to lower and pushes legs almost straight, in a leg-press action.
4. Repeat the leg pressing many times, trying for at least 10 presses, then switch places.
5. Be careful. This one is so much fun that Partner 2 may drool on, or fall on Partner 1 by accident (or purpose). Have fun on Valentine's Day.
6. Then try the Partner Leg Press with Partner 2 face up (photo 2). Start by partially sitting with Partner 1's feet on your back, and "walk" your feet away for straight positioning. Do several presses, then switch places.

Even when you're on your own, you don't need weights or machines to strengthen your legs. Past posts have shown how healthy bending during daily life strengthens legs in the same way as squats in a gym:
Free Exercise and Free Back and Knee Pain Prevention - Healthy Bending
and
How Good Would You Look From 400 Squats a Day - Just Stop Unhealthy Bending

As you do the fun Partner Leg Press, you adjust your balance and positioning for the other person. Working with a partner practices cooperation and empathy - important and often ignored aspects of health.

Why tell a loved one or child you can't spend time with them because you need to go exercise? Instead of making exercise isolating and separating, and something you have to stop your life and disrupt your family to do, make it unifying, friendly, and fun. That is health.

More partner exercise can be found in the book Healthy Martial Arts.