Wall Sits

How to Do a Wall Sit Exercise
  • Start with your back against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and about 2 feet
    from the wall.
  • Engage your abdominal muscles and slowly slide your back down the wall until your
    thighs are parallel to the ground.
  • Adjust your feet so your knees are directly above your ankles (rather than over your toes).
  • Keep your back flat against the wall.
  • Hold the position for 20 to 60 seconds.
  • Slide slowly back up the wall to a standing position.
  • Rest for 30 seconds and repeat the wall sit three times. Increase your hold time in
    five-second increments as you increase your strength.
What Muscles Do Wall Sits Work?

Wall sits are an effective exercise for building isometric strength and endurance in the quadriceps, glutes, and calves.

Benefits of Wall Sits

Wall sits primarily target the quadriceps, helping to build muscular endurance and strength. They are often used to improve pre-season leg strength for sports like skiing, hockey, and running. Strengthening the quads helps balance muscle groups, especially for activities that engage the hamstrings. Wall sits can delay fatigue and improve performance, making them beneficial for athletes. They also support everyday activities such as standing up from a chair and walking downstairs, making them valuable for non-athletes as well. For sports conditioning, wall sits should be combined with other quad exercises.

What are Variations of Wall Sits?

Wall Sits with an Exercise Ball: Since wall sits can be intense, you may need to adjust your position or reduce the duration of the hold when you first attempt the exercise. Modifying your approach is perfectly fine and still helps build strength as you progress toward holding a full wall sit. For added comfort, you can place an exercise ball between your back and the wall.

Add Dumbbells to Wall Sits: For those who like to multitask, try holding a dumbbell in each hand while in the wall sit position. You can perform exercises like bicep curls, lateral raises, and shoulder presses. Holding weights during wall sits increases the intensity by adding more resistance.

Single-Leg Wall Sits: To increase the challenge, try single-leg wall sits. From the standard wall sit position, extend one leg in front for a few seconds, then return it to the floor and extend the other leg. Make sure your thighs stay parallel to the floor and your knees are aligned with your ankles.

Source:

Verywell Fit. (n.d.). The wall sit: A quad exercise. Verywell Fit. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.verywellfit.com/the-wall-sit-quad-exercise-3120741