"The Pallof press is so versatile that it's pretty high on my list," Dr. Vera said. There are many variations to choose from, but most importantly, "this movement was designed for anti-rotational strength, which can be useful in sports involving quick changes of direction or swinging a racquet, club, or bat," he said. Those same muscles are important in runners, because they help to control movement between the hips and spine, the rotation of your spine that takes place, and the posture of your back as you fatigue." He recommends performing this exercise two times a week.
- Lower the carriage of a cable machine so that it's about chest height, and attach a D-handle to the pulley. Adjust the weight so that it's at 10 pounds. If this is too heavy or too light, feel free to change the weight.
- Standing with the left side of your body closest to the machine, grab the handle with both hands and take two or three steps out so that there's tension on the cable. Hold your hands at your sternum, and make sure that your body is square. If you feel like you're getting pulled to the left, this is an indicator that you should lighten the weight.
- On an exhale, press the cable straight out in front of your body. Be sure not to rotate toward the machine. Hold for three seconds before returning to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
- Complete three sets of eight reps on each side.
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