Standing leg raises are often overshadowed by fancy exercises like hip thrusts and burpees, but if you want to build strong lower body strength, it’s time to familiarize yourself with this simple but effective move.
Standing leg raises are easy to do anywhere. So even if you can’t go to the gym, you can still do a few sets in your living room.
Exercises for raising legs in a standing position: step-by-step instructions
- Stand tall with your hands on your hips and your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Shift your weight to your right foot and slowly raise your left leg straight out in front of you, as high as you can comfortably. Keep your core tight and your left leg bent. Avoid bending your knees or rotating your ankles outward.
- Lower your legs back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete all repetitions on one side, then switch to the other side.
Which muscles work when you stand and raise your legs?
Standing leg raise exercises target and strengthen the hip muscles. Specifically, the adductor muscles along the inside of the thigh and the gluteus medius muscle at the top of the outside of the pelvis.
Because you use your hip muscles when walking, running, and balancing, this exercise is especially useful for maintaining stability during aerobic and strength training exercises such as sprints, squats, and lunges.
Standing leg raises also work your rectus abdominis muscles (also known as your “six pack”). The cross-body action of the side variation emphasizes your obliques (the muscles on the sides of your lower back).
Variations of standing leg side raises
One variation of standing leg raises incorporates hip abduction, or the movement of the legs away from the body. Here’s how:
- Stand tall with your hands on your hips. Cross one ankle over the other so your top foot is floating above or lightly touching the floor.
- With your legs bent, lift your top leg as high as possible to the side without bending your knee. You should feel a slight pressure on your lower back as you work. Be careful not to rotate your feet outward as you lift. During the movement, the feet should be kept parallel to the floor, with the toes pointing forward.
- Lower your legs back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete all repetitions on one side, then switch to the other side.
Ready to add standing leg raises to your next leg workout? Hannah Viva, a NASM-certified personal trainer at Fit Body Boot Camp, recommends maintaining a steady tempo so you can complete every rep with control and consistency.
If you want to make standing leg raises even more difficult, add resistance loops or ankle weights around your ankles.
