PILATESOLOGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Side Kicks Up Down
EQUIPMENT
Mat
LEVEL
Intermediate | Advanced
GOALS & BENEFITS
- Strengthens the legs, seat, and hips.
- Strengthens and stabilizes the torso.
- Builds flexibility and range of motion in the hip.
- Balances strength in the leg and hip muscles. Especially important for people who don’t do lateral movements such as runners.
TIPS & CUES
- Keep the upper body still throughout the exercises.
- Keep the upper hip stacked on top of the lower hip and don’t roll back.
- Start with a range of motion that can be controlled and increase as strength increases.
- Always control the weight of the leg. Resist the weight of the leg coming down as if you are squeezing the inner thighs.