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Are You Doing Leg Lifts Properly? Here's How + Tips To Remember
Looking for a new exercise to try come abs day? Leg lifts can be a great addition to the mix—just make sure you're doing this move properly. Also known as leg raises, this exercise is ideal for strengthening your core—the lower abdominals—and it doesn't take many of them to start feeling the burn. It's crucial to mind your form with this one, though, as doing them incorrectly can put pressure on your low back. Here's how to do them properly, as demonstrated by certified personal trainer Suki Clements.
How to do leg lifts:
- Lie on your mat, with legs straight out in front of you. Press the low back into the ground. Place your hands underneath your seat for extra support if needed, but keep your low back imprinted.
- Engage your core and lift your legs until they form a 90-degree angle with your body.
- Slowly lower them back down until they're hovering over the ground (or as far as you can go without your back peeling off the mat).
- That's one rep. Continue for 30 seconds.
Modifications to try.
If you're looking to make this exercise easier, you could try something like knee catches or single-leg stretch variations. With knee catches, you'll stack your knees over your hips at a 90-degree angle and then alternate hovering one foot down at a time while engaging the core. With single-leg stretch variations, you set up the same way you do for knee catches, but instead of alternating hovering the feet, you alternate extending the legs out straight at a 45-degree angle.
To make leg lifts more challenging, you can try V-ups, which add an upper-body challenge to the leg raise movement. As you lift the legs, you also perform a situp, extending your arms up straight toward your feet. If you have access to a workout bar, you can try hanging leg raises, as well.
You can also add ankle weights, to test your core strength even more. For a different challenge, you could place a block or a mini exercise ball between your thighs or ankles—this will help target and engage your thigh muscles, too, particularly your abductors.
Things to keep in mind to do this exercise safely.
Do:
- Keep your low back imprinted on the ground to effectively target the core.
- Keep the legs together and active the entire time.
- Relax your head and neck and keep the head on the ground.
- Move slowly and mindfully with intention.
Don't:
- Let the low back arch, as it will put pressure on the low back instead of the core muscles.
- Let your legs separate.
- Strain your neck and lift the head off the ground.
- Rush through it.
We're all for simple yet effective moves that don't require any equipment, and leg lifts are certainly a standout exercise. With modifications to make them easier or more challenging, it can be accessible to everyone, and there's no doubt you'll see improved core strength with regular practice. (And for a routine that features leg lifts, try this 10-minute, full-body floor workout.)
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