Mummy Kicks Exercise Guide: A Great Exercise for Your Lower Body

Are mummy kicks underrated as an exercise routine?

Well, there’s more to the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout than what we already know. Did you know that when executed correctly, HIIT, you can burn 13 calories per minute?

Incorporating mummy kicks in your workout will ensure you have strength and endurance, as any elite trainer desires.

The good news? The workout is not space demanding, takes a considerably shorter time to execute with resting intervals in between.

Like all other exercises, there’s one rule that applies to them all, form and consistency.

Speed in completing your reps is as important as the k in knife, you feel me?

You need to take your time to properly execute the routine, as working against a timer will do more harm to your muscles than good.

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s get to the mummy kicks exercises and learn more about it.

What Are Mummy Kicks?

Mummy kicks are a great cardio workout exercise that work on shoulders and calves

Mummy kicks are a great cardio workout exercise as they also get to work on your shoulders and calves. They are preferred among athletes as a warm-up exercise. However, the exercise can be incorporated in any part of your workout program and tags along with several modifications.

Mummy kicks are high-intensity aerobic workouts that train your cardio and tone your muscle power, and build grit. In athletes, it helps in the hamstrings, enabling them to gain pace and run faster.

The routine involves the hamstrings, the glutes, and quads, and the blend of the muscles helps in their dynamic stretches. Since the arms area is also involved, they are also worked upon, including the core and the back.

You need to be careful on working out and here’s a video to illustrate the workout;

How To Do Mummy Kicks Exercise – Step By Step Instructions

Fitness trainer showing how to properly execute the mummy kicks

Stand with your arms straight in front, one foot in front of the other.

The arms should be in front of your chest and crossed.

For efficiency, your chin should be up and ensure the core is engaged.

Jump, alternating both feet when landing. The arms should also alternate such that the one on top goes under the other.

Repeat the steps at a fast controlled pace.

Recap

Mummy kicks tone a number of muscles including shoulders, glutes, and quads.

Muscles worked upon: Shoulders, chest, glutes, calves and quads.

Necessary equipment: None

Incorporation: cardio, balance, warmups

Pro Tip:

Mummy kicks helps tone shoulders and helps alleviates pain

The routine fires the body’s muscles to life and tones your shoulder. Get to activate and engage your core by squeezing it.

How Long Should I Do Mummy Kicks At A Time?

Engage in the exercise for close to a minute or so

When working out using the routine, ensure you are at your own pace, completing as many repetitions as you can. This doesn’t mean you stay in your comfort zone; you need to push yourself to see progress and feel a little muscle strain.

The exercise can be executed for around 15 seconds between alternative workout exercises or solely for around 40 seconds.

Execute the routine on non-consecutive days, preferably four per week. On off days, stretch as an alternative to ensure your fluidity. Don’t forget warming up before any exercise is as crucial as the exercise itself.

How Do You Do Jump Rope Mummy Kicks?

Jump rope is added to spice up the mummy kicks

Mummy kicks are simple to master and enjoyable. If you want to spice up your exercise, consider adding a jumping rope to your arsenal.

Jumping rope is a wonderful method to get in shape, whether your skill level is sophisticated enough to perform a few criss-cross movements or you're just getting started. In addition, integrating jump rope circuits into a strength training program or sprinkling them into a high-intensity interval training session may raise your heart rate and burn many calories.

One of the primary benefits of using a jump rope for workouts is its portability. It is lightweight and portable, allowing you to exercise both indoors and outdoors. To work out with a jump rope, you just need a 3-by-4-foot space. This means that whether you're touring the world or travelling a lot, you can simply pack your rope and bring it with you.

The calves are the primary muscles engaged when jumping rope mummy kicks; however, fitness trainers also claim that the shoulders, hamstrings, and quads also receive a good workout. Because this form of training engages most of your muscles, it also helps to keep you stable and improve core body strength.

To efficiently use the jumping rope in mummy kicks and avoid injuries, ensure your knees are slightly bent and balance your weight on your feet’s balls.

Maintain a straight neck and a forward gaze. Your elbows should be closer to you and make tiny circular movements with your wrists to spin the rope. Your toes should be pointed to the ground as you rise off the floor, and as you land, be ready to jump again so that your heels do not contact the ground.

Here’s a video demonstrating how to perform the exercise perfectly;

Muscles Worked With Mummy Kicks Exercise?

Mummy kicks target your cardio system and shoulders

As earlier stated, mummy kicks are high-intensity aerobic exercises and target the cardio system, including your calves and shoulders.

This powerful motion strengthens your hamstrings and glutes while also acting as a dynamic stretch for your quads. Pumping your arms while executing mummy kicks also works the muscles in your core, arms, and back.

Other exercises that target the same muscles areas include, the standing leg curl, burpees, leg presses or hack squats.

Mummy Kicks Common Beginner Mistakes To Avoid

Perform the exercises at your pace and not in a hurry to complete reps

The exercise targets several muscles, and it’s essential to maintain the required form when working out. Injuries may happen, including sprains, muscle strains or joint injuries.

Ensure you follow the safety hacks below;

Begin slowly before quickening your speed.
Check to see that you have engaged your core; the chest is open and spine neutral.
Land softly on the balls of your feet rather than your heels.
Instead of pushing off the ground, try tightening your hamstrings while elevating your leg.
Warm-up to fire up the muscles before engaging in the exercise.
Consult with your trainer if you are still having trouble executing the move.

Benefits Of Mummy Kicks Exercise

Here are a few benefits you get by doing mummy kicks.

Strengthened Muscles

leg muscles are involved when performing the kicks and this strengthens them

Strong muscles throughout the supporting muscle groups are required for good balance and posture. A mummy kick, for example, emphasises the strength and stability of your standing leg as much as the force of the muscles that perform the kick.

Bodyweight exercises, including moderate kicking methods, all assist in building a variety of muscle groups.

Explosiveness

Being an anaerobic High intensity interval training, mummy kicks prepares you for other workouts

Explosiveness is produced by anaerobic HIIT training and pushing the muscles to failure with workouts.

Fluidity

Muscles are worked out during mummy kicks and this helps in flexibility

Flexibility is required to improve speed and liberate the muscles' range of motion. There are several flexibility workouts you may do here. Flexibility is always a post-workout activity, and some of your sessions should be just about flexibility.

Tendon Strength

Kicks help in hip swing and leg movement and helps tone the muscles involved.

Tendon strength exercises are used in a variety of bodyweight workouts. Tendon strength exercises the front and side hip flexors, which are necessary for quick kick execution. Leg swings assist in creating the necessary tendons while also strengthening other muscle groups.

Other notable benefits include;

It improves your posture and allows you to be more flexible. It flexes virtually every lower-body muscle.
It also helps with your lower back, including alleviating back pain.
It increases your leg strength by strengthening and tightening your lower body muscles.
It tones your thighs.
It sculpts your core, helps improve your frame, and the softening of your lower tummy.

Is Mummy Kicking Exercise Useful To Keep Up The Heart Rate?

Mummy kicks helps lower blood pressure to the optimum level hence lowers the heart rate in the process.

This shuffling exercise with extended arms is simple but hard, and it will make you look like a walking zombie from an apocalypse. Engage in the mummy kicks for close to 30 seconds, then give your time to rest. By then, your heart will be threatening to rip your rib cage out.

Mummy kicks help keep the heart rate up, and this is what happens and its importance. With the routine exercise, your heart gets to pump blood more, with a larger stroke volume ensuring it gets stronger.

A stronger heart is a conditioned one and has a greater diameter as its muscles are trained. This translates to more blood filling in the heart chambers, which is a good thing as blood circulation is efficient and effortless.

This translates to a larger stroke volume, meaning the heart pumps flowers but still meets the exercise demands. This is why seasoned athletes have low resting heart rates and take considerably less time to be back to normal.

As for us, we would need electrolytes, water and an hour to come back to normal. The difference? Consistency is key when working out.

Mummy Kicks In Weight Loss

Mummy kicks increase metabolism which leads to burning of calories resulting in weight loss.

The energy our muscles need is fat and carbohydrates. The difference between the two is that fat is demanding; it has 9 calories per gram, but carbohydrate only has 4, so you receive more energy and go further on a gram of fat than a gram of carbs.

You need to get rid of the excess fat; your body needs efficient fuel, a win-win situation.

The catch is that because fat is denser than carbs, it requires more oxygen to burn. The good news is that regular aerobic exercise improves your body's ability to use oxygen and burn fat; as I previously stated, your heart pumps more blood, and your muscles use more oxygen.

Mummy kicks do help in weight loss. Kick and burn. That’s the mantra.

FAQs About Mummy Kicks Exercise

Now we answer a few common questions about mummy kicks.

Is Jump Rope Mummy Kicks Better Than Regular Mummy Kicks?

Mummy kicks and jump rope mummy kicks is not a matter of which is better rather than a transition in exercise. Mummy kicks are fun-filled and easy for beginners. If it gets comfortable, you may add the jump rope as a variation to still enable you to attain your fitness goal.

What Are The Benefits Of Kicks?

Kicks, including mummy kicks, are great for warmups. They get to fire up your legs and glutes. The hamstrings get more flexible, and heart rate increases, more calories burned and increased core strength.

What Are Mummy Kicks Good For?

If you are after a great cardio workout, mummy kicks should top that list of named exercises. It also engages your hamstrings and shoulders.

Why Am I Gaining Weight Even After Working Out?

If you are new to working out, you may exert pressure on your muscles and thus lead to tears or even inflammation. These muscle fibre conditions are responsible for you gaining weight even when working out.

Is 2 Hours In The Gym Too Much?

2 hours seems like a lot to be occupied in the gym. Inasmuch as you are after results, 2-hour intense workouts will only predispose you to injuries and muscle pains rather than do you good. It is recommended that a minimum of 30 minutes is key for your overall health. Remember, consistency is key in maintaining that form.

What Happens When You Exercise For 30 Minutes?

For 30 minutes, you get to sweat and burn the recommended calories. It is proven that 30 minutes of intense workout daily produced an almost closer result and even better than working out an hour a day. Just ensure you don’t skip leg day when you’re feeling under the weather.

Is 2 Hours Of Cardio A Day Too Much?

There is no set limit to the number of hours you may engage in cardio workouts, whether daily or on a weekly basis. However, if you are testing yourself to the limits with each workout session, skip a few days; maybe one or two may help your muscles recover and avoid injury risks and burnout problems.

Can I Gain Weight By Too Much Cardio?

Yes. When performed ‘too much’, Cardio routines raise cortisol levels associated with weight gains, especially in the central areas. Incorporated circuit-style strength training and blend it with cardio routines to keep your heart rate up.

What Happens To Your Body When You Start Exercising?

As you start working, your body stimulates and prohibits other psychological processes to enable you to work out efficiently. When working out using the mummy kicks, the cardiorespiratory processes increase above normal when the body is at rest, and the digestive system slows down.

Mummy Kicks Exercise Guide

What Are Mummy Kicks?