Flutter kicks are done lying on your back with both straight legs lifted off the floor. You kick them up and down in small, quick, alternating movements, a bit like swimming, while your stomach muscles keep your lower back on the mat. The muscles at the front of the hips (hip flexors) move the legs, and the stomach muscles hold the trunk still.

How to do the flutter kicks

Lie on your back on a mat with your legs straight and your arms by your sides, palms down, as in the video. Keep your head resting on the mat.
Gently tighten your stomach so your lower back settles onto the mat. It should stay there for the whole set.
Lift both legs off the mat with your knees straight. The video holds them well clear of the floor, at roughly 30 to 45 degrees. The higher the legs, the easier it is to keep your lower back down. The closer they get to the floor, the harder it gets.
Kick the legs up and down in small, quick, alternating movements, one rising as the other lowers. Neither foot touches the floor.
Breathe steadily. When you finish, bring both legs down to the mat with control.

What you should feel

Work low in the stomach and at the front of the hips. Your lower back should feel supported, not achy.

Common mistakes

Letting the lower back arch off the mat, often as the legs tire and sink lower.
Lifting the head to watch the legs.
Holding your breath.
Pressing hard into the floor with the arms to stay still.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 rounds of 15 to 30 seconds, resting between rounds, a few days a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Lower back pain, or pain, tingling or numbness spreading down a leg.
Neck pain or strain.
Sharp pain at the front of the hip or in the groin, or a bulge in your stomach.

From the clinic

If your lower back starts to lift, try the option from the voice guide: slide your hands, palms down, under your buttocks. Many people find that helps the back stay down. Raising the legs higher or softening the knees a little also makes it easier. The dead bug and leg raises train the same back control at a slower pace.

Keep your head on the mat. Holding it up to watch your feet puts load through your neck for the whole set, so if you have neck pain, leave it down and put a thin folded towel under it if that feels better.

Ongoing lower back pain, a hernia, or recent stomach or back surgery are reasons to check with your physio before you start. The same goes for a gap in the stomach muscles after pregnancy (diastasis recti): stop if a ridge or dome pushes up along the middle of your stomach. If you are pregnant, this one is usually left out, because it loads the stomach muscles hard and, from about halfway through pregnancy, lying flat on your back for long can make you feel faint. Ask your physio or midwife for an alternative.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Flutter kicks