Pilates Double Leg Kick: How to Do It and Muscles Worked

How to do the Double Leg Kick

Lie face down on your mat with your head turned to one side, hands clasped behind your back high on your shoulder blades, and your legs together. Let your elbows drop gently toward the floor.

1. Bend both knees and kick your heels toward your glutes three times in a pulsing motion.
2. Press your feet down to the mat while keeping your legs pressed closely together.
3. Extend your arms straight back toward your feet, keeping your hands clasped.
4. Lift your chest and head off the mat to move into a spinal extension.
5. Look straight down or slightly forward to keep your neck long as your chest opens.
6. Lower your chest back down to the mat and turn your head to the opposite side.
7. Bend your elbows to return your hands to your upper back and relax your shoulders.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but a common pattern is to exhale sharply with each of the three kicks. You then inhale deeply as you extend your spine and reach your arms back.
• Where you feel it. You should feel your hamstrings and gluteus maximus working during the kicks, and your spinal extensors, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids engaging as you lift. You should not feel sharp pinching in your lower back or neck.
• How many. 3 to 5 repetitions per side

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back. Focus the spinal extension in your upper back and keep your abdominals drawn in to support your lower spine.
• Straining the neck. Keep your gaze down rather than throwing your head back as you lift your chest.
• Letting the knees drift. Squeeze your inner thighs to keep your legs close together during the kicking phase.
• Failing to engage the arms. Reach your arms actively backward to engage your posterior deltoids and rhomboids.
• Rushing the kicks. Make each of the three kicks distinct and controlled rather than bouncing wildly.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Perform the kicks without the upper body lift, keeping your forehead resting on your hands.
• Practice the upper body extension alone, leaving your legs straight on the mat.
• Keep your arms straight by your sides instead of clasping your hands behind your back.

Harder

• Hold the extension phase for a full breath cycle before lowering back down.
• Keep your thighs slightly hovering off the mat during the kicking phase to increase the challenge for your hamstrings and gluteus maximus.

Who should be careful

• Back extension can irritate some conditions, such as spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. Keep the lift small or skip it if it brings on back or leg symptoms.
• Lying face down is not suitable later in pregnancy, and can be uncomfortable after recent abdominal surgery.

Related exercises

• Single Leg Kick Beginner to intermediate
• Neck Pull Advanced
• Control Balance Advanced
• Quadruped Arm and Leg Reach Beginner
• Jackknife Advanced

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your lower back during the extension.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your legs.
• Sudden pain in your neck or shoulders when lifting your chest.
• A popping sensation or sharp pain in your knees during the kicks.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your own clinician before trying new exercises.

How we put this page together. Exercise data (type, level, equipment and muscles) was compiled by our editors from the classical mat order in Joseph Pilates’ 1945 book and from commonly taught mat repertoire. Muscle lists are a general anatomy guide; cueing differs between teachers. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Editorial Team. See our editorial policy. Last checked October 2026.