Side leg swing – good
Name: Side Leg Swing. Also known as: (If you know these by any other name, please leave a comment below). Main muscles used: Bum, adductors, abductors. Other muscles used: Top tips:
- Stand tall, straight and still, using a wall for balance if needed.
- Keeping your leg straight all the time, swing it out to the side. Only as far as your hip will allow.
- Actively return the leg to the start, crossing it in front of the supporting leg, again, only as far as your hip will allow.
- Keep your hips, belly, chest and shoulders pointing square to the wall in front.
- Keep all your toes on both feet pointing straight forwards to the wall at all times.
- Repeat with the other leg.
Side leg swing – bad
Common mistakes:
- Twisting and bending your hips, belly, chest and shoulders towards the swinging leg.
- Bending the swinging leg.
- Pointing the toes of the swinging leg up to the ceiling.
- Sticking your bum out and back, or “jack-knifing” in the middle.
- Twisting so out of shape the side leg swing turns into a bad front leg swing.
Comments: This is a good hip mobility exercise. You can use it during your warm ups to increase the mobility in the hips and to learn to distinguish hip movement from spine movement. Most of the common mistakes come from trying to get the foot artificially higher by twisting the bending the hips and spine.