Reverse leg lifts involve lying on your stomach and lifting your legs towards the ceiling to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings.
Here's a breakdown of how to perform reverse leg lifts:
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Starting Position: Lie face down on a mat or comfortable surface. Keep your legs straight and your arms either extended overhead or alongside your body. Your forehead can rest on the mat.
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Engage Your Glutes: Before lifting, consciously squeeze your glutes and engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine.
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Lift Your Legs: Keeping your legs straight (a slight bend in the knees is okay if needed), lift them off the ground towards the ceiling. Focus on using your glutes and hamstrings to power the movement, not your lower back. Avoid arching your back excessively.
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Controlled Movement: Lift your legs as high as is comfortable without straining your back.
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Hold Briefly: Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your glutes.
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Lower Slowly: Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
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Repetitions: Aim for 10-15 repetitions on each side, if doing one leg at a time, or 10-15 repetitions lifting both legs together.
Important Considerations:
- Breathing: Exhale as you lift your legs, and inhale as you lower them.
- Lower Back Pain: If you experience any lower back pain, stop the exercise immediately. Consider placing a small pillow under your hips to reduce strain.
- Progression: As you get stronger, you can increase the difficulty by adding ankle weights.
