Food & Fitness Friday: Leg Raises

Your deep core is one of the most important areas of your body to protect your spine as you age. The muscles of your core are the building blocks to everything else the body does, so it’s important to keep them strong! The hip muscles are also incredibly important because they stabilize your hip girdle. Good alignment & strong muscles come together to protect every joint in your body, helping you stay aligned. The lower abs and hips are also areas that can be challenging to lose excess fat. That’s where leg raises come in— this quick, effective move not only tones your deep core, protecting you back & all the connector muscles that make your back strong, they also tone your hips. This move can be done anywhere with no equipment. What’s better than that? A workout regimen that does not require the use of equipment or a trip to the gym, lets you get your burn on no matter where you are!

To do a leg raise, lay down on your back and ensure that your lower spine stays glued to the floor as you lower your legs. Only go as low as you can keep your spine in neutral to protect your lower back. Keeping good form will produce a stronger deep core overtime and protects your sensitive lower back muscles from being injured.

Why am I such a fan of leg raises? Well, here’s a few stellar reasons!

Strengthens core muscles

Leg raises strengthen your lower abdominal muscles. Hanging leg raises target your lower and upper abdominal muscles while floor leg raises burn fat in your lower abs. Although these are challenging exercises for beginners, repetition gets you faster results.

The recommended procedure in performing the two exercises is by swinging your legs back and forth in a slow momentum. Repeating this routine regularly willl strengthen abdominal muscles and hip flexors.

Improves flexibility

All leg raise exercises improve the flexibility of both your abdomen and hips area since they involve constant joint movements. This lets you stretch muscles to their maximum potential without feeling strained when climbing stairs or performing lunges. They also improve your posture since every leg workout adds support to your mid-section.

Burns calories fast

In performing leg lifting exercises, your rectus abdominis is isolated from your body. They tone your muscles, improve your form and burn a good 58 to 65 calories for every 10- to 15-minute leg raise workout. As a result, fat in the belly area is burned faster. 

Lowers risk of back injuries

Leg raise also lowers the risk of back injuries. While every routine appears to focus on the abdominal area, back support is actually also improved. When this happens, your back muscles are more equipped to support greater weight and the strained feeling when you lift heavy objects is addressed.

Raise your hand if you’re ready for some leg raises?

Happy Friday, birdies! See y’all next week

<3

the little chef with the big heart