Hip flexors exercise
Leg Swings (Front to Back)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Hip flexors, Hamstrings
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Leg Swings?
- Stand side-on to a wall and rest your near hand on it for balance.
- Put your weight on the inside leg with a soft knee.
- Swing your outside leg forward and then back behind you, keeping it nearly straight.
- Start with small swings and let them grow higher as your hips loosen.
- Do 10–15 swings, then turn round and swap legs.
Cues
- Stand tall, chest up.
- Swing from the hip.
- Smooth, not kicked.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back as the leg rises: keep your chest tall and lower the swing.
- Arching your back on the back swing: tighten your stomach and keep it short.
- Kicking hard: keep every swing smooth and controlled.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Standing side-on to a wall with the left hand flat on it at shoulder height for balance (the hand nearest the wall), swinging the right (outside) leg forward and back, leg nearly straight, right hand on the hip. Holding a wall or fence with the inside hand is the common supported version in BYU and Special Olympics guides and keeps the trunk steady.
Starting position
Stand tall with the left side 40–50 cm from a wall, left palm on the wall at shoulder height, left elbow slightly bent. Feet hip width, weight on the left foot, left knee soft (5–10° flexion). Right hand on the right hip. Right leg hangs straight under the hip, knee soft, foot relaxed, just clear of the floor.
The movement
Swing the right leg forward and up in a smooth pendulum arc from the hip, then let it swing back behind the body, passing close to the standing foot each time. The knee stays nearly straight; the swing gets a little higher each rep but stays controlled. The trunk stays tall and facing forward, the pelvis level, the standing leg and the wall hand still.
Breathing
Breathe easily and rhythmically; do not hold the breath.
Tempo
About 1 s forward, 1 s back. Real sets: 10–15 swings per leg, then turn round and switch hands and legs.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Right knee 5–10° flexion throughout; ankle relaxed near neutral.
- Path: a vertical arc around the hip joint in the sagittal plane; the foot clears the floor by 3–5 cm at the bottom.
- Trunk stays within 10° of vertical; pelvis does not tuck hard on the front swing or arch on the back swing.
- Left knee 5–10° flexion, left foot flat throughout.
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
