Gliding Discs may seem like simple tools, but they offer significant benefits for various fitness levels. This portable and versatile equipment can increase intensity, engage muscles differently, and enhance stability during workouts. From improving strength to adding variety to your exercise routine, gliding discs are a powerful addition to any fitness program.
1. Low Impact, High Engagement
One of the primary benefits of Gliding Discs is their ability to provide a low-impact workout that’s easy on the joints while still being highly effective. Unlike exercises where you lift your feet off the ground, gliding discs allow you to maintain contact with the floor, reducing the stress on your knees, hips, and ankles. This makes them ideal for people who need to minimize joint stress, whether due to injury, age, or personal preference.
Gliding Discs require significant muscle engagement despite the low impact, particularly in stabilizing muscles. As you slide in and out of different movements, your core, hips, and other stabilizers must control the motion, strengthening these often underused muscles. This not only improves overall strength but also enhances balance and coordination.
2. Increased Core Activation
The Gliding motion required for Gliding Discs makes them an excellent tool for core workouts. Whether you’re performing mountain climbers, plank variations, or Gliding lunges, controlling your body through dynamic movements forces your core muscles to work harder. Unlike traditional static exercises, gliding discs require continuous engagement of the core, particularly the deeper stabilizing muscles like the transverse abdominis.
For example, a traditional mountain climber performs without sliders and focuses on hip flexion and extension. But when you introduce Gliding Discs, the movement becomes smoother, and you must use your core muscles to control the Gliding motion, amplifying the challenge. This increased engagement makes it easier to develop a strong and stable core, essential for overall fitness, injury prevention, and improved posture.
3. Versatility and Full-Body Workouts
Gliding Discs are incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into nearly any type of workout—strength training, HIIT, Pilates, or even yoga. With just a small pair of discs, you can perform various exercises that target the entire body.
For lower-body strength, you can use Gliding Discs for lunges, squats, and hamstring curls. These exercises take on new dimensions with Gliding Discs, as they introduce an element of instability, requiring greater focus on form and balance. In the upper body, exercises like Gliding push-ups or chest flies challenge your muscles in new ways, forcing them to stabilize while moving through a wider range of motion.
For example, a Gliding lunge requires you to focus on the lunge movement and control the leg gliding on the floor. This adds a stability challenge to your core and engages muscles throughout the body, making a simple exercise more dynamic and effective.
4. Improved Flexibility and Mobility
Because Gliding Discs require a full range of motion, they can improve flexibility and mobility over time. During exercises such as lunges, squats, and even stretches, the Gliding movement encourages the body to move deeper into each position. This can be particularly helpful in improving hip and hamstring flexibility and enhancing joint mobility.
For those who struggle with traditional static stretches or have a limited range of motion, Gliding Discs provide a smoother way to ease into movements and gently increase flexibility. They can also be used for active recovery days, allowing you to stretch and strengthen your muscles in a low-impact, controlled way.
5. Portability and Convenience
Another huge advantage of Gliding Discs is their portability. They’re lightweight and compact, making them perfect for at-home workouts or taking with you while traveling. They work on hardwood, carpet, or tile surfaces so that you can use them in almost any environment. This makes incorporating Gliding Discs into your fitness routine easy, no matter where you are.
Gliding Discs are ideal for fitness enthusiasts on the go or those with limited space at home. They provide a full-body workout without bulky equipment and can be stored easily in a drawer, gym bag, or suitcase.
6. Engages Multiple Muscle Groups Simultaneously
Using Gliding Discs challenges multiple muscle groups simultaneously, helping you build strength and endurance more efficiently. For example, during a Gliding lunge, you’ll work your quads and glutes and engage your hamstrings, calves, and core for stabilization. This multi-muscle activation helps you get the most out of each exercise, making your workouts more efficient and effective.
Since Gliding Discs engage stabilizer muscles and primary movers, they’re excellent for building functional strength that translates to real-world activities. This is especially beneficial for athletes and anyone looking to improve their overall movement quality.
Gliding Discs may be small, but they pack a powerful punch to enhance your fitness routine. Whether you’re looking for low-impact, joint-friendly options or want to challenge your strength and stability, these discs offer a versatile and effective solution. By incorporating them into your workouts, you’ll improve core strength, increase flexibility, engage multiple muscle groups, and enjoy a convenient, full-body workout that’s fun and challenging.
Ready to expand your library of Gliding Discs exercises? Join Gliding® creator Mindy Mylrea for our Gliding Disc Certification. Mindy will show you how Gliding Discs can take exercises to a new level, provide guidance on proper form, and teach you how to incorporate Gliding in your favorite class formats. This course presents video content designed specifically for fitness professionals, personal trainers, group-x instructors, and fitness enthusiasts. Register today using the coupon code “Power” to save 20%.