Would you be motivated to do a bodyweight exercise that develops your balance, improves your posture, and strengthens your heart? If so, try doing turning kicks! It turns out they are not only easy to follow, but also make you feel really good like you’re kicking excess fat out.
Benefits of Turning Kicks
Turning kicks hit multiple muscles in your body. Specifically, they help tone your:
- side hip flexors
- glutes
- quads
- hamstrings
- calves
And, they’re not just about kicking but also keeping your balance while you kick. They also tone your core, lateral abs, and lower back. They can even boost your cardiovascular system as well as your aerobic performance.
In other words, turning kicks can help strengthen your heart!
How To Perform A Turning Kicks
So, how does this move differ from any other kick? Well, the idea is to twist your core a bit as you power the kick.
Starting Position
To begin, position yourself as in the left image above. Practice this stance first before you proceed to the kicking proper.
- You may start either with your left or right foot. Suppose you’ll be standing on your left, as illustrated above.
- Raise your arms and fold them as drawn. They will help you keep your balance.
Turning
- Bend your right knee and lift your right leg.
- As you do, allow your upper body to turn, twist and move sideways to keep your balance.
Kicking
- Unbend your right knee as you kick your right foot in a snap.
- At the same time, bend your upper body (sideways to the left) to balance out the force you’re releasing to the right.
- You may also stretch your right arm to further help you balance.
Do all these using the other side of your body, too. Practice good form and then make a few reps each day. It’s up to you to keep them slow to boost your stamina, fast to sharpen your reflexes or fast with as many reps for greater cardiovascular strength.
Do Some Turning Kicks Today
If you think this is the bodyweight exercise you’ve been looking for all along, then I challenge you to do a few reps today. When you finally master your form, be sure to include this move in your body weight workout. Have fun turning kicks today!
Here’s a short video demo for this exercise:
Credits: DAREBEE/YouTube
