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Leg raises are one of the best exercises for strengthening your core and leg muscles. There are various styles of leg raises to choose from, depending on your health status and the difficulty level you'd like to work with. To learn how to do leg raises for a firmer, stronger body, follow Step 1 below to begin.
Steps
Vertical Leg Raise
Lie flat on your back with your legs extended straight. Keep your legs hip-width apart. Stretch your arms out at your sides, palms facing down.
- You may use a yoga mat or an exercise mat for more comfort.
- If you occasionally experience back pain, roll up a towel and place it under the curve of your lower back, just above your hips.
- Alternatively, lying on a bench instead of the floor can increase your range of motion, allowing you to raise and lower your legs further.
Bend your knees and raise your legs. Your calves should be parallel to the ground while your thighs remain perpendicular. Keep your toes pointing upward during the exercise, and tighten your core. Your thighs should form a right angle to your body, while your shins stay parallel to it.
- Engage your core to push your lower back into the floor, ensuring there’s no gap between your lower back and the ground. This position targets your core and protects your spine.
- Avoid looking down at your legs to prevent neck strain. Instead, focus on the ceiling. If your head and neck move forward too much, slightly lift your chin to correct your posture.
Extend your legs until your feet point directly upward. Point your toes and slowly raise your legs as high as you can. Ensure that your lower back does not arch off the floor; otherwise, you risk injury and won’t fully benefit from the exercise.
- If Step 2 becomes easy without lifting your lower back, increase the difficulty by skipping Step 2 and lifting your legs straight up without letting them bend.
Slowly lower your legs back down. Drop your legs as low as possible while keeping your lower back pressed to the floor. The goal is to lower your legs until they’re about 2 cm above the floor. Don’t just let gravity pull your legs down; control the movement. Keep your arms steady, but use them for support as you lower your legs.
- Resist the urge to let your legs touch the floor to maximize the benefits.
- Press your lower back into the ground to activate your core and protect your spine. The exercise becomes harder as your feet approach the floor, so lower your legs only as far as your back stays flat. If you feel your lower back arching, don’t lower your legs too much. As your core strength improves, you’ll be able to lower your legs further while maintaining proper form.
- Most importantly, don’t forget to breathe! Many people hold their breath while doing this exercise.
Slow down the pace if this exercise feels too easy. To make it harder, straighten your legs and lift them while counting to ten, then lower your legs slowly while counting to ten as well. This method will intensify the workout, making it more challenging but beneficial for your core.
- For an even greater challenge, try lifting your legs 20% at a time, holding for a second each time, then raising them another 20%. Keep repeating this process until your legs reach their final position. You can lower your legs in the same segmented manner.
Repeat the exercise 3 times with 10-20 reps per set. Start with 3 sets of 10 reps each, and gradually increase to 20 reps per set.
Leg Raises with a Ball
Lie flat on your back on the floor. Keep your legs extended with your arms resting by your sides. Using a yoga or exercise mat will make the position more comfortable.
Place a ball between your feet and lift your legs. Using a medicine ball or exercise ball can add resistance, making the exercise more challenging. Simply place the object between your feet, squeeze it tightly, and begin raising your legs until they form a right angle with the rest of your body. This is the vertical leg raise with added weight.
Lower your legs as slowly as possible. The slower you lower your legs, the longer you’ll resist gravity, forcing your muscles to maintain control. This exercise is great for your core, although it requires more effort than a regular leg raise.
Do leg raises with the ball 3 times, with 5-10 reps per set. Since these exercises are more difficult, start with fewer reps until you build enough strength to increase the intensity. Eventually, you can perform 3 sets with 10-20 reps per set.
Increase the difficulty of the exercise. If you prefer, you can lift the ball with your foot while simultaneously touching the ball with your hand.
- Lift your arm and leg at the same time so that you can use your hand to hold the ball and move it behind your head. Then, repeat the movement with your arm and leg, passing the ball between your hand and foot.
- Use your foot to bring the ball to the ground and then lift it again to pass the ball to your hand once more. This challenging leg lift will definitely work your abs and arms, leaving them sore.
Practice hanging on the bar while lifting your legs
Hang from the pull-up bar using your hands. Slightly widen your grip beyond shoulder-width. Grip the bar firmly and look straight ahead to avoid straining your neck. Keep your body stable and stationary, with your feet together. Your fingers should face forward.
- If you are at a gym, the pull-up bar might have handles to assist with your grip.
Lift your legs until they are perpendicular to your body. Point your toes forward while doing this. Initially, you may not be able to raise your legs as high as you want. Keep your back straight and avoid bending your torso along with your legs.
Slowly lower your legs down. Once your legs have reached their maximum height and your core muscles are fatigued, gently lower your legs. Try to lower your legs as slowly as possible so that your muscles work harder.
- Ensure that you control the descent of your legs, so you are doing the work rather than letting gravity take over and drop them.
Repeat 3 times with 10 reps per set. Once you are comfortable with the movement, you can increase to 20 reps per set.
- Hanging leg raises are a better variation for those with back issues because they don't put as much pressure on the back as lying leg raises do.
Reduce the difficulty of the exercise if needed. If the leg raise exercises are too challenging, you can perform them with your knees bent. For this variation, bend your knees and keep your legs together as you raise them as high as possible, nearly to your chest. Then lower your legs and start over. This variation requires less abdominal effort.
Side lying leg raises
Lie on your side with your head resting on your hand and your elbow supporting your body. Lie on your side and use your elbow to support your head and neck. Keep your gaze straight ahead to avoid straining your neck.
- Extend your other arm forward with your palm facing down.
Slowly lift your top leg as high as possible. You should aim to raise your leg at least 30-60 cm. You can place your free hand on your hip or the floor in front of you to maintain balance. Always keep your gaze forward, not downward at your leg.
- Ensure your hip is perpendicular to the floor and keep your upper body steady.
Gently lower your leg down. Keep your body steady, except for the leg that needs to be raised, and slowly lower your leg until it touches the other one. Remember to maintain a straight spine and avoid leaning forward when raising your leg.
- To increase difficulty, lower the raised leg, but keep it about 2cm above the other leg to feel more fatigue.
Perform 15 reps for each leg. Once you finish the exercise with one leg, switch to the other leg and repeat the same movement.
- This is an excellent leg exercise for both sides of the body and a great way to improve your glutes! Most leg raise exercises focus on the front of the body, making this a great way to work the back of your body!
Advice
- Exercise within your limits. Pushing yourself too much by lifting the leg too many times or starting with a difficult leg lift (and too heavy a ball) could lead to muscle injury, interrupting your training in the future.
- If you plan to use a medicine ball during your workout, start with a smaller ball, like a 3kg ball. Then, gradually increase the weight, such as moving to a 5kg ball.
Warning
- If you want to use an additional exercise ball, make sure you can securely hold it between your legs. It would be very painful if the ball falls onto your body.
- If you start feeling dizzy or lightheaded, stop exercising and consult a doctor. If the dizziness persists, you should seek treatment.
