The wall sit exercise is a real quad burner, working the muscles in the front of your thighs. This exercise is generally used for building isometric strength and endurance in the quadriceps muscle group, glutes, and calves.
The wall sit is not a complicated exercise, but many people get it wrong. You know that you are performing the wall sit properly if you form a right angle (90 degrees) at your hips and your knees, your back is flat against the wall, and your heels are on the ground. You should be able to feel a slight pulling of the quad area. You can do this exercise as part of any lower body routine.
Wall sit is a good workout for your lower body, especially your thighs and calves. And you can achieve great results by performing a wall sit exercise only for 20 minutes a day. Also, this exercise is easier to do as you don’t need specific settings or accessories for this exercise.
Simple Wall Sit Exercise
• Stand straight with your back pressed against a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart
• Keep your head straight and rested against the wall
• Keep your hands by your side
It is the starting position
• Go down till your thighs are parallel to the floor and your calves make right angles with your thighs
• Here you will need to move your feet a few inches to the floor
• You can keep your hand straight or put them on your thighs
• Be comfortable in the sitting position
• Try to hold the position for at least up to 30 seconds
It is the workout position where you will feel pressure on your thighs, calves, and back
• Hold the position for as long as you can
• Start with 30 seconds and increase the holding time to 60 seconds or more
• Release the position and come to the starting position
• It is one rep complete
• Take a short break and get ready for the next rep
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps daily for maximum benefits
Advantages of simple wall sit exercise:
• Requires no weight or any other accessory
• Easy to do anytime anywhere
• Relies on body weight for maximum benefits
• Less exhaustive for beginners
• Keeps the body free from unnecessary pressure and injuries
Simple wall site exercise is good for beginners as it provides them ample time to understand the process and take control of the movement, especially the half-sitting position where you must maintain stability. Once you understand the movements, you can try the following variations for more benefits.
Leg Lift
- Raise your right leg until it becomes parallel to the floor
- Hold the position for as long as you can
- Press your hands against the wall to maintain balance
- Put the right leg down to its original position
- Repeat the exercise with your left leg
Benefit: It will build your muscles and stamina. Also, it will work on your abs and lower back.
Marching
- Raise your right leg to your chest and then put it down
- Do it with your left leg like you are marching forward
- Maintain a speed so you don’t feel tired or exhausted
- Try to march as long as you can
- Also, maintain the stability of the wall sit position
- You can put your hands on your thighs or against the wall
Benefits: Wall sit marching is a great exercise to tone your thighs.
Heel Lift
- Raise your heels after you are comfortable in the wall sit position
- Raise both heels and try to hold the raised position
- You can start with 5-10 seconds and go on increasing the position for as long as you can
- Release the position and repeat several times
- You can place your hands on your thighs or against the wall
Benefits: It works on both calves and thigh muscles.
Crossed Arms
- Come down to the wall sit position with your hands crossed on your chest
- Hold the position for a while and release
- Go to the starting position and do a few more reps
- Try to maintain balance without bending your back or legs
Benefits: It is a complete exercise as it works for almost the body. It is good for your thighs, belly, buttocks, and back.
Medicine Ball
- Place a medicine ball between your knees while in the standing position
- Come down to the wall sit position holding the ball with your knees
- Hold the position for a short while and go to the starting position
- Come down for the second rep with the ball between your knees
Benefits: This exercise will reshape your inner thighs by putting pressure on them.
Stability Ball
- Stand with a stability ball placed between your back and the wall
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart
- Come down to the wall sit position while rolling the stability ball on the wall
- Hold the position for 30 seconds and then release
- Move up with the stability ball with your back and come down for the next rep
Benefits: This variation is good for your thighs, hips, and legs.
Resistance Band
- Tie a resistance band around your thighs
- Come down on the wall sit in position
- Try to stretch the resistance band with the force of your thighs
- Widen your thighs as much as you can to stretch the band
- Go to the starting position to relax
- Come down for the second rep
Benefits: If you want to reshape your inner thighs, you can try this variation of wall sit exercise.
Lat Raise
- Come down to the wall sit position holding dumbbells in both of your hands
- Raise your arms until they are in line with your shoulders or parallel to the floor
- Hold the position for some time and release
- Go to the starting position and come down for the second rep
Benefits: This variation of wall sit exercise will strengthen your shoulders, back, and abs.
Bicep Curls
- Come down to wall sit position with dumbbells in both of your hands
- Fold your forearms to bring the dumbbells to your shoulder height
- Do it several times before releasing the position
- Go back to the starting position to prepare for the second rep
Benefits: It is a great exercise to tone your upper body and abs.
Should Press
- Come down to the wall sit position with dumbbells in both your hands
- Raise your hands until the dumbbells come parallel to the floor
- Hold the position for a short time and release
- Go back to the starting position and get ready for the second rep
Benefits: This exercise is good for your shoulders and upper back.
Disclaimer: The above information is for educational purposes only and the readers are advised to take necessary training and precautions before practicing this exercise.
