

Slowly lower them in a controlled manner squeezing your core until your feet are hovering about six inches above the mat. Begin in the same starting position as the scissor kick, with your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Leg raises are similar to scissor kicks, however, keeping your legs together instead of moving them individually makes it easier to lower and raise them. These four moves will help strengthen the muscles that will support you when performing scissor kicks. Repeat for about 15 repetitions, and make sure not to speed up as you go.Ĥ exercises that will help you perform scissor kicks better.Continue to alternate, moving your legs in a flutter motion. Lift one leg up as your lower the other to the floor.Squeeze your core and lower both of your legs 6-12 inches down to about a 45-degree angle.You can also place your hands under your butt for increased stabilization. Let your arms rest down at your sides.Lie on your back with your legs straight up toward the ceiling.Flutter your legs up and down slowly, keeping the distance small. Use your abs to slowly lower your legs only slightly lower than a 90-degree angle. If you’re looking for a modification, I recommend starting with your legs straight up towards the ceiling. So to decrease the difficulty of the move, keep them closer to the 90-degree angle we start in (instead of moving them closer to the floor) and move your legs a shorter distance up and down.

What makes the scissor kick difficult is the amount of leg movement and the angle of the legs. Modified scissor kicks are actually not much different from the full exercise, making the transition from one to the other pretty simple. The movement should be slow and controlled focus on the core, not quickening the pace of the legs. Keep your arms still throughout the move for more stability.Remember to keep your core engaged and your back pressing into the floor. If you still have question on how to perform this exercise safely and effectively, reach out. If done right, flutter kicks are an effective way to challenge your core and lower abdominal muscles. Static Leg Raises – Instead of fluttering your feet, you find a challenging height and hold for time.Instead of a 3-6″ inch movement, your legs have a much larger range of motion. Again, this is something to talk to your doctor about. So, talk to your doctor first.Īs your pregnancy continues it’s advisable to avoid flutter kicks as you enter your second trimester and the remainder of your pregnancy. But, don’t I’m not a doctor and I don’t know your circumstances. That is if you are having a healthy pregnancy. Flutter kicks are an effective strength builder for your ab muscles and are considered safe for mothers in their first trimester. Having a strong core helps minimize the occurrence of low back pain. More than 60% of them report low back pain at some point in their pregnancy. But It’s especially common for pregnant women. Flutter Kicks and PregnancyĪlmost everyone experiences back pain at some point in their life. Make sure you’re including exercises to hit your core from every angle. Therefor, it’s just one part of your core development. When flutter kicks are done properly they hit your abs and to effectively works your abs these are the muscles worked.Īs with any isolation exercise, the flutter kick is limited in the muscle groups involved. What Muscles Does the Flutter Kick Exercise Work MAINTAIN a posterior pelvic tilt THROUGHOUT the ENTIRE set. If you let your hips “sag”, this decreases ab recruitment, causes your low back to arch, and low back flair-ups. Think slight crunch with the abs contracted and the low back flat on the floor. Warning: Your hips need to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt.
