What Is the Donkey Kick Exercise? Technique Benefits and Common Mistakes

Donkey kick exercise is called so, as it imitates the animal's movement, but it also helps you create a great lower body physique. When done correctly, this exercise isolates the gluteus maximus, the largest and bulkiest glute muscle in the body.

This classic exercise, which rose to prominence during the age of leg warmers, is still a popular fitness technique, as it's both effective and convenient. This is also a low-impact, bodyweight workout that doesn't necessitate jumping.

The gluteus maximus, or 'rear butt', is the target of the donkey kick exercise. It's also excellent for improving stability and control in your shoulders and core, as the action requires you to activate your upper body muscles.

Correct technique: How to do the Donkey Kick Exercise?

A donkey kick exercise is a Pilates exercise in which you bend your knees and extend your hips while on all fours. Make sure you're doing this exercise correctly to make it as effective (and safe) as possible.

For basic donkey kick exercise, follow these step-by-step instructions:

Get your hands and knees on the floor. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and knees should be directly under the hips.
To help produce a solid pelvis and strong back, engage your abdominal muscles. Maintain a flat back of the neck by keeping your chin slightly tucked and your gaze facing out and down.
Lift your right leg up and behind you towards the sky, maintaining the 90-degree bend in your right leg and flexing your right foot using your glutes (give them a squeeze to engage them).
Lift till your lower back arches (scoops down), or your hips spin or tilt.
Your hips should be level with the ground, and your back should be neutral and firm. Avoid hurrying the motion so you can complete it in full range and correct form.
Lower the right leg to the starting position, and do the same with the other leg. Switch to the left side once you've completed all the repetitions on the right side.

Benefits of Donkey Kick Exercise: What does this exercise do to your body?

Now that you know the correct technique, you may want to think of reasons to do the donkey kick exercise. Here are some reasons why should do it:

1) Strengthens your glutes

The gluteus maximus and medius are targeted with donkey kicks. You can use this workout without any equipment to tighten and tone your glutes and core, preparing you for more advanced variations (such pulses) and enhancing your overall fitness.

2) Boosts balance and mobility

Maintaining adequate body balance and mobility becomes increasingly difficult as one grows older. However, the body's deterioration in both areas is mostly caused by a lack of sufficient activity early on.

Donkey kicks help you activate your shoulders, cores and hip muscles. It's possible to improve your body's stability and range of motion by focusing on these specific regions.

3) Shedding extra pounds

Anyone looking to lose weight can do so by doing a donkey kick exercise. It's a move that can be performed by people of any fitness level. This complex workout can help you lose weight more quickly, as it targets numerous muscle groups at the same time while putting less strain on your joints.

Donkey kicks not only give you the peachy bum of your dreams, but they also strengthen your glutes. They can improve your physical strength as well as your fat-burning ability.

Common Mistakes to avoid while doing Donkey Kick exercise

Donkey kick exercise may appear to be an easy one. Unfortunately, poor form can diminish the effectiveness of the donkey kick as a glute burner, overwork the wrong muscles or create pain (or, worst case scenario, even injury).

Here are some common mistakes you should avoid:

1) Rounding lower back

When you curve your lower back, you won't be able to completely stretch into the glute, which makes the technique ineffective for your buttocks. This position also puts the core 'off,' increasing the risk of spinal damage, especially if you're doing the kicks with weight or a stronger resistance.

Here's how to fix it:

Keep your spine in a neutral position during the action. If that is difficult for you, lay a yoga block in the middle of your back to provide key bio-feedback in helping you keep a long and neutral spine.

2) Too high or too low kicks

Your glutes will not fire as effectively if you kick too high or too low. Kicking too high causes overextension, which shifts the focus away from the glutes and into the lower back muscles, according to Cates. That not only reduces the booty-burning effects of the donkey kick, but it can also cause lower back pain.

Here's how to fix it:

It is advised that keeping your range of motion as small as possible is always preferable. When the leg is extended too far, the lower back arches; returning to a neutral spine can assist you in maintaining your body's desired range of motion.

3) Not engaging your core

While doing the donkey kick exercise, not engaging your ab and core muscles reduces glute firing and can lead to hip and spinal imbalance (which can lead to injury) and a weakened core.

Here's how to fix it:

Wrap your transverse abdominis muscle around your torso like a corset or band before lifting your leg for a kick. Keep this core engagement throughout, allowing each exhalation to reconnect you to this core engagement.