Exercising with Gliding Discs

Are you looking to spice up your workout routine and challenge your muscles in new ways? Take a look at gliding discs – the secret weapon to taking your workouts to the next level. Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or just starting your fitness journey, incorporating gliding disc exercises into your routine can add variety, intensity, and effectiveness to your workouts.

Gliding discs, also known as slider discs, are simple yet versatile pieces of equipment that can be used on various surfaces such as carpet, hardwood floors, or gym mats. They’re typically made of smooth materials like plastic or rubber, allowing for seamless movement across the floor. They are a very portable piece of equipment, and easy to use at the home and the gym, but they can really change the intensity of your workout.

So, how exactly can gliding discs enhance your workouts?  Here are some of the key benefits of gliding discs

1. Enhanced Core Engagement: One of the primary benefits of using gliding discs is their ability to engage your core muscles more effectively. During exercises like mountain climbers, plank variations, or pike slides, the instability created by the gliding discs forces your core muscles to work harder to maintain balance and stability.
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2. Improved Strength and Stability: Gliding disc exercises target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, helping to improve overall strength and stability. Movements like lunges, squats, and lateral slides challenge your lower body muscles while also engaging your core for balance, resulting in a more comprehensive workout.
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3. Increased Range of Motion: The smooth gliding motion facilitated by the discs allows you to achieve a greater range of motion during exercises like leg curls, hamstring slides, and side lunges. This increased range of motion not only helps to improve flexibility but also enables you to activate muscles more effectively throughout the entire movement.
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4. Low-Impact Option: Gliding disc exercises are generally low-impact, making them suitable for individuals of all fitness levels, including those with joint pain or mobility issues. Because the discs reduce the amount of stress placed on the joints, they provide a safe and effective way to strengthen muscles and improve overall fitness without risking injury.

 

Here are some exercises that use gliding discs to their full potential:

Glider Reverse Lunge

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This exercise works the quads and glutes

If you don’t have a glider, just use the lid of a plastic container and do this move on a carpet. Or wear socks and try it on a wood floor. 

• Use a light (1kg ) weight to counterbalance.. Push this out in front of your chest as you perform the lunge
• Engage abdominals and glutes 
• Slide disc back while dropping into a lunge. 
• Drive off the front heel and return to the starting position.

 

Glider Frontal Lunge 

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This exercise works the hamstrings and glutes…. as you slide your leg back to centre, your inner thigh (adductor) does all the work.

if you don’t have a glider, just use the lid of a plastic container and do this move on a carpet. Or wear socks and try it on a wood floor. 

• Stand with your feet a few inches apart, with your right foot on the plastic lid or glider. 
• Use a light (1kg) weight to counterbalance.. Push this out  in front of your chest as you perform the lunge
• Put weight into your left leg, and as you slowly bend your left knee and squat down, slide your right foot out to the side. 
• Slowly straighten your leg, slide the right foot back in. 
• Most of your weight remains in the leg that’s not moving.

 

Glider Ice Skater

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This exercise works the quads and glutes and hamstrings 

If you don’t have a glider, just use the lid of a plastic container and do this move on a carpet. Or wear socks and try it on a wood floor. 

• Use a light (1kg ) weight to counterbalance.
• Engage abdominals and glutes 
• Put weight into your left leg, and slowly slide your right foot out behind
• Straighten your leg sliding the right foot back in. 
• Most of your weight remains in the leg that’s not moving.

 

Glider Plank Reach/ Rotation 

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This exercise works the core and the arms

• Start in plank position with a disc under your hand.
• Reach the arm out, then bring it back to starting position, under the shoulders. 
• Slide the disc out in different planes / rotating under the body
• Try not to drop that side of the body down. 
• Keep the core tight, with shoulders engaged and pelvic floor engaged 

8-10 reps each side 

 This video shows the glider exercises in sequence