Airplane

The Airplane is a bodyweight mobility and stability exercise that involves performing a single-leg hip hinge with arms extended to the sides. It primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings while challenging core strength and balance.

Exercise movement reviewed by:Marie Braga, PT, DPT, CSCS
How Iridium Helps

Since balance relies heavily on central nervous system freshness, the AI analyzes your sleep quality and HRV to predict your stability levels before you even start. By tracking your RPE and duration, the app determines if your glute medius is stabilizing correctly or if fatigue is compromising your form, allowing it to recommend regressions or recovery-focused alternatives when your readiness is low.

Form Cues

Do
  • Hinge at your hips while lifting one leg behind you
  • Extend your arms out to the sides like wings
  • Keep your standing knee soft but stable
  • Drive your heel toward the wall behind you
  • Maintain a neutral spine from head to heel
Don't
  • Don't lock your standing knee
  • Don't round your lower back
  • Don't let your hips rotate or tilt excessively
  • Don't look straight down at your feet
  • Don't rush the movement

Common Mistakes

  • Rounding the upper back
  • Locking the standing knee
  • Rotating the pelvis open
  • Losing balance due to speed
  • Looking forward instead of neutral

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily engages the gluteus maximus and hamstrings to extend the hip, while the gluteus medius works intensely to stabilize the pelvis on a single leg. The erector spinae and deep core muscles act as stabilizers to maintain a flat back and prevent rotation during the hold.

Primary

GlutesHamstringsGeneral Core

Secondary

Erector SpinaePosterior Deltoid

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