Difficulty: Medium
Impact Level: Normal
Target Body Parts: abs, lower back, quadriceps
How to do Scissor Kicks
Back to ExercisesInstructions
Start off lying down on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down pushing into the floor for support. Brace your abs and keep your lower back flat against the floor.
From here, lift both legs up to about a 45 degree angle from the floor, keeping them as straight as you can. Then, with control, lower one leg towards the floor as you lift the other leg up over your hips, as if your legs are the open blades of a pair of scissors. Slowly switch legs up and down in a scissor motion for the duration of the exercise.
If you find your lower back arches away from the floor during this exercise, you will need to work through some easier lower abdominal exercises to build up core stability first.
How to make Scissor Kicks easier
Make this exercise easier by performing it with a 90 degree bend at both knees so that your legs are bend. This shortens the lever and so reduces the load placed on your core and lower back. Also try exercises such as our Supine Bicycle and T Raises
How to make Scissor Kicks more challenging
Progress from this single leg core exercise to our Leg Lifts which uses both legs and also our Leg Spreaders exercise to work the core in a similar but different direction.
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