Flutter Kick Guide: How to Do Flutter Kicks With Perfect Form

Flutter kicks are a bodyweight cardio exercise. Perform flutter kicks by lying on your back and lifting your legs off the floor slightly. While bracing your core muscles, alternate lifting one leg and lowering the other for several repetitions. Flutter kicks activate your hip-flexor muscles, lower-back muscles, and quads, while targeting your lower abdominal muscles more than other core workouts like sit-ups and crunches.

With proper form, flutter kicks can increase your heart rate, promoting cardiovascular health. Although the traditional flutter kick requires no equipment, consider enhancing the exercise by wearing ankle weights. For an advanced variation, lift your upper body so it forms a V shape with your lower body during the exercise.

For flutter kicks, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 10–20 repetitions on each side. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Start by lying face up on an exercise mat with your legs straight. Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down, or place your hands under your glutes. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
2. 2. Your pelvis should be slightly tucked and your ribs should be down. Engage your core as you lift your legs 4–6 inches off the ground and point your toes away from your body. All repetitions should begin from this position.
3. 3. While maintaining your alignment, raise one leg slightly higher than the other while lowering the opposite leg. Continue to move your legs in a controlled, alternating fashion until you’ve completed the desired number of repetitions.
4. 4. While maintaining your alignment, bring your legs together and lower them in a controlled manner back to the floor.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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