Stances develop tremendous ankle strength and flexibility while promoting integrity of the knees, groin, and inner leg. They strengthen body alignment and posture while heightening awareness of weight distribution and balance. All of this is accomplished by strengthening more than just major muscles. In other words, the body is a biomechanical machine made up of levers that are each designed to move through a specific range. If one lever doesn't move through its entire range correctly the other levers must compensate for this diminished function, which places undue stress upon them.
Good posture requires that the workload be evenly distributed and that the body be properly aligned.
There is less stress on the body when all the levers are working and posture is sound. For this article, I have selected two of the eight classic stances and added a third, which is an adaptation of a skiing-specific posture. First, I'll describe the stances and then present an appropriate workout that incorporates them. It's a good idea to incorporate stances into your normal stretching routine. Stretches and stances go together like soup and a sandwich.