Fitness: Get Ready for the Sky High Heel

Six exercises to help keep your legs, back, and core in optimal shape for wearing fall’s mile-high heels. In a fashion season that’s both redefining extremes—Derek Lam and Alexander Wang’s bathing-suit-inspired bottoms have shown us that the line between shorts and underwear is a thin one––and celebrating endless legs, it’s not altogether surprising that high heels have reached previously unimagined, skyscraping heights. So while stepping into a pair of vertigo-inducing heels might seem unavoidable this fall, you can at least minimize the damage those Balenciaga fur boots inflict on your body, particularly the lower half, by being physically prepared. We checked in with trainer Melissa DeLancey of CLAY Gym & Spa in Greenwich Village to find out what can be done to prep those all-important hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles. As for keeping your balance, you’re on your own.

1. Jump Rope With a rope (or faking it with your hands), do jump rope intervals. Try for 50 jumps in a row (or until you trip) and then take a 30 second break; repeat until you’ve completed 500 jumps. This is great for your calves, and it’s also a cardiovascular and plyometric workout, which means that it burns a ton of calories and is good for your bones.

2. Reverse Lunge to Balance Standing on your right leg, step backward into a lunge, flexing your back foot and bending both knees deeply. Push off your back toes, propelling yourself forward,  and return to your standing balance. Do fifteen lunges, and then switch legs. This works all the major muscles of your legs, especially your glutes.

3. Single-Leg Bridge Lie on your back. Hug one leg into your chest while the opposite leg is bent with your heel on the floor, both feet flexed. Push your hips as high off the floor as possible then lower them down till you are just above the floor. Push up again. Repeat fifteen times and then switch legs. In addition to strengthening your butt, hamstrings, and lower-back muscles, this will also provide an active stretch in your ankle and hip flexor. 

4. Barefoot Sideways Step Up to Balance Take your shoes off and find a stair step or a block that is slightly below the height of your knee. Stand beside it and take a lateral step up to balance on one leg. With control, lower yourself back down to the floor. Repeat fifteen times and then switch legs. This exercise helps develop stabilization in the knees, hips, and ankles, while also working the large muscles of the legs.

5. Squat to Calf Raise Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and your arms at your sides. Keeping your weight centered in your butt and heels, slowly lower yourself backward as if you were going to hover over a chair. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, hold for a second and then push back up, passing through your standing stance to balance on your toes. Hold for just a moment and repeat for fifteen reps. This exercise works your whole lower body chain, including your core. 

6. Seated Single-Leg Calf-Hamstring Stretch Seated on the floor, place one leg straight out at a 90-degree angle and bend the opposite leg, placing the foot to the inside of the straight leg’s thigh. Turn your upper body to face the straight leg and exhale as you reach for your toes. If you can reach your foot, try to pull the top of your foot back so your heel is off the floor. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds on each leg.

Tip: To avoid major calf cramps at night, stay hydrated and get lots of potassium. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day plus coconut water or a banana.