This fabulous leg exercise can also be practiced at home using the back of a sofa.
(PRWEB) May 16, 2014
Called Karate Kick, the exercise is available to view on YouTube under the title Adelaide Barre Leg Exercise. Although under normal circumstances the exercise would be performed in a Barre studio with equipment, it can be performed at home using a kitchen bench or even the back of a nearby sofa.
Gollan, a former professional dancer turned Pilates and Barre coach, said: “This is a fabulous leg exercise and if you can practice it in your own home on a regular basis then you’ll really tone and strengthen the area of your outer thighs and butt. Not only that but you are guaranteed dramatic results within even just a few days if you’re doing it correctly.”
After grabbing onto the bench or sofa with one arm and facing sideways, the exercise is performed properly only when the foot is parallel to that obstacle. The next step in the process is to bend the knees a little, push then kick away from the body as high as possible. In fact, the higher the legs stretch, the more effective the exercise becomes.
It is important to square up the hips when kicking and to try and refrain from twisting the body. In other words, both hip bones should be stacked up in a similar fashion. The kicks should be done reasonably quickly and it often helps to carry out the exercise to music with a fast beat so that the moves are rhythmic.
After kicking for several minutes it’s then time to pause. Ensuring that the bottom is tucked under and the pubic bone pushed forward, the body should then be moved in a pulsating fashion. Meanwhile the shoulders should be down and the neck held in a relaxed manner.
When carried out correctly this exercise should work one leg while stabilising the other. Ideally 15 kicks and 15 pulses should be achieved. Then it is a case of circling the leg up to 15 times both clockwise and anti-clockwise. In reality, there are many variations of this exercise which can be performed easily and effectively. This ensures variety as well as additional toning.
If done properly there should also be a sense of tension through the oblique muscles.
For those interested in carrying out the exercise, detailed instructions, as well as access to the YouTube video, can be found on the Inner Strength Pilates website blog titled Barre Leg Exercises for Toning the Outer Thighs and the Butt. After the routine has been performed with one side of the body it is then a case of swapping sides and carrying out the same steps and number of reps for the corresponding side.
Gollan adds: “To sum up, what you are doing is first carrying out the karate kick by bending in and kicking out, then you’re carrying out a pulsating movement through pushing out the pubic bone.
“After that it’s the circles where again you should find yourself bending in and pushing away. Personally I am a big fan of this exercise because although it’s not difficult and doesn’t actually take up a lot of time, it really can achieve some very impressive results.”
More information on this exercise and other similar types of Barre routines can be found on the Pilates and barre classes pages of Inner Strength Pilates’ website. It is possible too to book a class in advance and at a time that suits by checking out the timetable of classes. Alternatively pop into the studios which are based in Adelaide’s King William Road area.
Further questions and answers on the type of classes the company offers can be seen on their FAQ page or through contacting a member of staff via the instant ‘live chat’ feature on the company’s website.
