Exercise
ALTERNATING REACH AND CATCH
Stand
Squat
Form cues
Keep your feet flat and your lower back gently pressed into the mat
Reach both hands along your thigh toward the knee with a controlled crunch
Exhale fully as you crunch; inhale as you lower back down
Alternate which thigh you reach toward for oblique activation on each side
Keep the movement slow and deliberate — do not use momentum
This is an accessible crunch variation that is easy on the neck
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend both arms along your thighs.
Brace your core. Exhale and curl your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, sliding both hands along your right thigh until you reach the knee.
Hold briefly, feeling the crunch in your abs and right oblique, then slowly lower back to the floor.
Repeat reaching toward the left knee. Continue alternating sides for the desired reps.
The alternating reach and catch is a low-impact core exercise that targets the rectus abdominis and obliques without placing strain on the neck or hip flexors.