How to Do Butt Kicks

Start with your feet hip-width apart.

Keep your back straight and your knees slightly bent. Let your arms hang by your side or bend your elbows like you would if you were jogging.

Breathe in, then exhale as you kick back.

Take deep belly breaths through your nose. It’s important to breathe properly during any sort of exercise. As a rule, it’s best to exhale during the part of the movement where your muscles are doing the most work. Breathe in as you get ready to kick, then breathe out when you lift your leg up and back. Breathe in again as you lower your leg. If you have trouble remembering when to breathe, memorize the phrase “Exhale on Exertion.”

Kick up one heel towards your butt.

Bend your knee and swing your foot up and back. Try to touch your heel with your butt. If you can’t quite reach your butt, don’t worry—just get as close as you can! When you’re done, bring your foot back down to the floor. Touch down lightly on the ball of your foot. Keep your hips and shoulders square, and make sure your leg swings straight back instead of out to the side.

Switch to the other side.

Kick your other foot up to your opposite glute. Keep switching back and forth between your legs. Stick to a slow, easy pace at first so you can focus on form.

Pump your arms at the same time.

Swing your opposite arm forward as you kick up your leg. This will increase the intensity of the exercise a little. Bend your arms 90° at each elbow, just like you would if you were running or jogging.

Pick up the pace.

Gradually speed up until you’re at a jog. Do quick alternating steps for 20-60 seconds to get your blood pumping. Don’t forget to pump your arms at the same time! While you’re still learning how to do butt kicks, focus on proper form instead of speed. For example, you might do 20 or 30 reps without worrying about how long it takes to complete the set. As you pick up speed, keep focusing on form. Keep your back straight and your shoulders and hips square. When you’re using butt kicks as part of a dynamic warmup, aim to do them for about a minute before moving on to another stretch or exercise.

Turn it into a dance move by raising your arms.

This will increase the intensity and the fun level. Start out at a jogging pace with your arms bent at your sides. Then, alternate raising your arms to the ceiling and bringing them down to your sides with every kick. Turn on some lively workout music and kick along to the beat!

Vary the move by pulling your heel straight up.

Try this to improve your running posture and technique. Instead of swinging your heel up and around to kick the back of your butt, pull it straight up beneath you. Try to touch the bottom of your butt, where you feel your ischium (or “sit bone”). In this variant, your knee will stick out slightly in front of you as you complete the kick, rather than pointing down at the ground. Focus on letting each foot land softly instead of stomping down hard when you complete the kick.

Do butt kicks while jogging forward.

Turn your butt kicks into a dynamic running drill. Instead of standing in one place as you do your kicks, jog forward. As you lift each leg off the ground, bend your knee sharply to kick your heel back toward your glute. Land on the balls of your feet. Running butt kicks are a great way to get more spring in your step and improve the form of your footfalls for better shock absorption. This exercise is also great for strengthening your quadriceps (a group of muscles in the front of your thigh).

Incorporate butt kicks into a pre-running warmup routine.

Butt kicks work best when combined with other warmups. Before you start running or doing any other cardio exercise, spend 5 minutes doing dynamic stretches and exercises, including butt kicks. To target other muscles in your legs and improve your flexibility, try a routine that also includes about 1 minute each of: Rotation running. Jog straight ahead, but twist your torso around to look behind you every 2-3 steps. Walking or jogging backwards. High knees. Bring your knees up toward your chest as you jog forward or in place. Side shuffles. Stand with your shoulders and hips square and move sideways, springing lightly off the balls of your feet. Cariocas. Run sideways while alternately crossing your legs in front of each other.