Single Leg Lateral Side-Kicks

The single leg kick outs is an exercise I incorporated into my workouts as a way to improve my balance as well as strengthen the abdominal core muscles such as the external obliques as well as the core muscles of the outer hip and quadriceps, including the tensor facia latae and vastus lateralis.  Of course I didn’t go into it thinking that I needed to focus on these muscles specifically but rather as a way to add strength and balance to help manage the occasions when I am trying to maintain control from a lost ski or loss of balance.

For the single leg kick out, start with the torso in an upright standing position with your feet approximately shoulder width apart.  From the upright position, bring raise the knee up in front of your body until it is about waist high.  From this position, extend the leg out and to the side.  The motion through to the exercise should be slow and controlled.  With leg fully extended to the side, pause for a second before retracing the steps by bringing the leg and knee back to the frontal position and then lowering the foot back to the ground. Repeat the exercise for a total of 8 reps before switching to the opposite side.