The supine leg raise is a basic exercise found in many fitness routines and is a great way to train the abdominal muscles and stretch and activate the hip flexors.
However, although the leg lifts are apparently simple to perform, it is quite common to make mistakes that affect their effectiveness, not giving rise to any results.
In the worst case scenario, it is also possible that performing this exercise incorrectly will lead to injury or injury.
and the lower back firmly fixed to the ground.Variant: single leg lift
A less strenuous variation of this exercise is to lift one leg at a time, rather than both at the same time.
- Lie on the ground on your back, with your legs straight and your arms at your sides.
- Keep your core and lower back firmly fixed to the ground.
- Lift one leg towards the ceiling so that it is perpendicular to the floor.
- Slowly lower the leg, stopping the foot a few inches off the ground.
- Do the number of repetitions appropriate for your training level, then repeat the same movements with the opposite leg.
Additionally, this arching increases strain on the joints and ligaments of the lower back, which over time can contribute to pain or injury.
How to avoid it: The first step to perform the leg lift correctly is to push the lower back towards the ground and maintain concentration for the duration of the exercise. This ensures that the central abdominal muscles remain engaged and active in the exercise. work.
To practice keeping your back firmly on the floor, you can do exercises that will also help increase core strength.
Put your hands under your hips
One of the myths to dispel but which sometimes recurs when it comes to lifting the legs is that it is correct to place the hands under the tailbone during the exercise, because they would give support during the execution phase. However, although this trick makes the exercise more easy, often leads to an extremely harmful detachment of the lower back from the ground.
In fact, when abdominal involvement is lost and the lower back begins to arch away from the ground, the effectiveness of the exercise for the abdominal muscles is reduced and the risk of pain and injury from overuse is increased.
How to avoid it: if you feel tired or unable to perform the exercise, instead of putting your hands under your hips and thus creating a bad posture, it is advisable to decrease the number of repetitions or perform a variation of the exercise more simple.
To make the leg raises less demanding, you can perform the same movements with the knees bent, decrease the range of motion of the legs or raise the legs alternately.
Flex the neck
Another common mistake is to flex the neck, lifting it off the ground during the effort. However, doing so is very wrong because it could potentially cause excessive strain on the muscles of this part and lead to soreness or pain.
How to avoid it: keep your concentration as much as possible on the abdomen and hip flexors, so as not to give in to the temptation to lift your head from the ground.
Moving too fast
Performing the leg raises very quickly is not a symptom of skill and, above all, it does not mean that you are doing the exercise correctly. It is likely that you are using momentum rather than the muscle in charge to complete the movement and this leads to greatly reduce the benefits.
How to correct it: Avoid swinging your legs up and down too quickly, but lift them at a slower pace to ensure that you get maximum hip flexor and core activation.
