# **BIG Exercise 6: Forward Rock and Reach**

## **Purpose**
This exercise trains forward weight shifting with amplitude, helping clients improve gait initiation, posture, balance, and confidence when stepping or reaching forward in daily life.

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## **Setup**
– Stand tall with feet hip‑width apart.
– Keep a soft bend in the knees.
– Arms rest comfortably at your sides.
– Engage your core and lengthen your spine.

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## **How to Perform**
1. **Rock Forward**
– Shift your weight toward the balls of your feet.
– Keep your heels lightly grounded and your spine long.
– Allow your torso to lean forward slightly without collapsing the chest.

2. **Reach BIG**
– As you rock forward, sweep both arms forward and slightly upward in a wide, powerful arc.
– Open the chest and reach long through your fingertips.
– Think “forward, tall, BIG.”

3. **Pause at Full Extension**
– Hold the reach for **1–2 seconds**.
– Maintain balance and tall posture.

4. **Return to Center**
– Lower your arms with control.
– Shift your weight back to the middle of your feet.
– Reset your posture before the next repetition.

5. **Repeat**
– Perform **8–12 BIG forward rocks**, focusing on amplitude and smooth transitions.

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## **Key Cues**
– “Shift forward with purpose — reach BIG.”
– “Keep the chest lifted and the spine long.”
– “Reach forward, not down.”
– “Move with intention, not speed.”

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## **Common Mistakes**
– Leaning too far forward and losing balance
– Rounding the back instead of staying tall
– Keeping the reach small or timid
– Rushing through the pause at full extension

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## **Options & Modifications**
– **Chair‑Supported Version:** Stand behind a chair and hold lightly with one hand while reaching with the other.
– **Seated Version:** Sit tall, rock forward through the hips, and reach forward with amplitude.
– **Reduced Range:** Use a smaller forward shift if balance is limited, focusing on posture and control.

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## **When to Use This Exercise**
– As part of an LSVT BIG amplitude routine
– Warm‑ups for gait training and posture
– Daily practice to reinforce confident forward movement patterns