Adductors exercise
Leg Swings (Side to Side)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Leg Swings?
- Face a wall and put both hands on it at shoulder height.
- Stand on one leg with a soft knee, standing foot pointing at the wall.
- Swing your other leg out to the side, then back across in front of your standing leg.
- Keep your body still and let the swings grow a little bigger each time.
- Do 10–15 swings, then switch legs.
Cues
- Hips and chest face the wall.
- Toes pulled up on the swinging foot.
- Smooth pendulum, not a kick.
Common mistakes
- Twisting your body with the swing: keep your hips square to the wall.
- Turning your standing foot out: keep it pointing at the wall.
- Kicking too hard: start small and build up gradually.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Facing a wall with both hands on it at shoulder height, the right leg swinging out to the right side and back across in front of the standing left leg, foot flexed, trunk still. Hands on the wall in front is the standard set-up in the Special Olympics guide and the University of Sussex sheet.
Starting position
Face the wall with the feet 50–60 cm from it, hip width apart, standing foot pointing straight at the wall. Palms on the wall at shoulder height, shoulder width apart, elbows slightly bent. Stand tall, stomach braced. Shift the weight onto the left leg (knee soft, 5–10°) and let the right leg hang just clear of the floor, knee nearly straight, ankle flexed (toes pulled up).
The movement
Swing the right leg out to the right in a smooth arc, then let it swing back across the front of the body, passing just in front of the left foot, and out again. The leg stays nearly straight and moves from the hip in a pendulum that runs side to side, a few centimetres in front of the standing leg. The swing grows a little each rep. The trunk, hips and hands stay square to the wall; the standing foot keeps pointing at it.
Breathing
Breathe easily and rhythmically.
Tempo
About 1 s out, 1 s across. Real sets: 10–15 swings per leg, then switch.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Right knee 5–10° flexion; ankle flexed about 90° throughout.
- Pelvis side tilt no more than about 5–10°; trunk rotation 0°; left knee 5–10° flexion.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Leg Swings is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
