Spring Break is just around the corner
Quick low impact stability exercises
Feb 8, 2019, 7:41 am
Quick Low Impact Stability Workout
It's hard to believe we are just about one month away from Spring Break. That means it's time to get right, and get tight. If you're tired from running on the treadmill or your mundane New Year's exercises, here are some quick stability exercises to rejuvenate your routine.
Since these are body weight exercises you will do more reps than normal. Doing 15-20 reps of each exercise with a total of four rounds each will be a great quick workout. Most of these are stability exercises, but you will definitely feel these arms and shoulders. On the abductors side leg raise, you will do 15-20 on each leg.
Shoulder Taps: These aren't your ordinary should taps. Your body will be in a plank position, but while your feet are flat against the wall. It's different, low impact, but you will feel the burn in the arms. Be sure to try not to move your hips side to side
Abductor side leg raise: Grab a bench at the gym. Put your body in a table top position over the bench. Straighten one leg and lift slowly and back down slowly (video is sped up), 15-20 reps on each side.
Wall inch worms: Starting in a plank position, however with feet flat against the wall. Inch worm your way up the wall and then back down. You will not only feel this one in your arms, but your gluteus maximus.
One arm, one leg, alternating hip dips: I would suggest to watch the video above on this one (:42 seconds in).
Knee to elbow: Back to your non-traditional plank position. Plank position with feet against the wall and holding your body up right, tuck to elbow, same knew to same elbow, repeat 20 reps. You're going to love your arms at the end of this entire workout.
Hip bridge with alternating adductor lifts: This triple threat is a great exercise to end on. This exercise will actually help strengthen your adductors (inner thigh) as well as your abductors (outer thigh). And even better your CORE.
Be sure to check out my video above to get a peek on these exercises. All you need is a wall and a bench and you're set!
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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