How to do it

Stand tall, feet hip-width apart. Rest your hands on your hip bones.

Exhale and lift one knee to about hip height. Pause for a moment.

Inhale and lower slowly. Swap sides.

10 reps each side. Start on your weaker one.

The three cues

Hands on your hip bones. If one hip hikes up or drops as the knee lifts, the movement is too big. Make it smaller.

Don't lean. Most of us tip to the opposite side to get the knee higher. Stay stacked over both feet.

Hip height is plenty. Lower is fine. Controlled beats high, every time.

If you wobble

Hold a wall or counter lightly. That isn't cheating — it means balance isn't competing with your core for attention.

One hip dropping?

Completely normal. Most of us have a weaker side and have never noticed it. Start every set on the weaker one and give it two extra reps.

Stop if

Your belly rises into a ridge up the middle. That's doming — the load is more than your midline can hold today. Make the lift smaller.

Not failure. Information.