How to Kick Higher
Certain sports and events require kicking as high as you can and holding the position without difficulty. To accomplish this, you need to refine your workout routine and include exercises that develop muscles for supporting high kicks. Contrary to what you may think, aside from the legs, more muscle groups are utilized in kicking to the perfect height. With enough practice, time and dedication, you can increase the height of your kick.
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Instructions
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Stretch your legs by doing flexibility exercises for the hamstring and ankles. This gives you a greater range of movement to lift up your legs higher. Stretches like the active hamstring helps improve the height and strength of your kicks. To do the active hamstring stretch, lie down on your back and extend one leg out. Hold the back of your thigh for support and bend the raised knee slightly. Start straightening your knee until the the thigh is fully extended up in the air. Keep your lower back on the floor and then grasp the raised leg with both hands and pull slowly toward the nose. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Add ankle stretches by pointing, rotating and flexing the ankle while the leg is extended up in the air. Increase intensity by rotating the leg clockwise to open the hip joint.
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Improve core strength. Conditioning the core muscles improve overall stability and fitness, allowing you to execute high kicks better. Do situps, lunges, pushups, squats and weight training to build core strength. Develop a regular workout routine for your core muscles, especially during off season, so you can avoid injuries and show up fully prepared for a high-kicking sport, such as soccer, dancing or tae kwon do.
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Practice kicking high. The proper high kick technique varies depending on the sport. The high kick for dancing has a different body formation compared to one for tae kwon do. Keep practicing the correct form including shoulder alignment, leg position, angle, height and toe points to perfect your high kick.
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References
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