Founder- A Powerful Foundation Training Exercise

Foundation Training uses a combination of powerful movements and diaphragmatic breath work to activate the core and decompress the spine. When practiced regularly, your pain diminishes, your resistance to injury increases, and your body comes to life.

A "Founder" is one of the most basic and most powerful exercises within the Foundation Training series.

Stand with feet about hip width apart but you can also stand with a more narrow stance, or a wider stance.

• Think about pulling the floor up with your feet and then isometrically pull your heels toward each other, this is your anchor
• Take a few big breaths up and then as you exhale, draw the belly button in, this is decompression breathing
• While mainating a long neutral spine, hinge back putting more weight in to your heels while still maintaing your anchor
• Keep your neck inline with your spine
• Arms come togther and fingers press together into a "sphere of tension."
• Hold this position for 3-5 decompression breaths and as you get stronger you can hold for longer.
• Feel the work in your lower back and glutes
• It should feel like work but should not be painful.  If you feel pain, stop and see your doctor.