If you want to strengthen your core without spending ages doing crunches, the side plank with leg raise is a great exercise to have in your toolkit.
It combines the challenge of a side plank with a controlled leg lift, so your core, hips and glutes all have to work together while your supporting shoulder helps keep you stable. It also asks quite a lot of your balance and coordination.
And this is one exercise where bigger isn’t necessarily better. You don’t need to lift your leg as high as possible or hold the plank for as long as you can. A smaller, controlled movement is often much more effective than trying to force your way through it.
Good form comes first.
For women over 40, exercises like this can be a useful addition to a balanced strength routine, particularly if you’re looking to maintain strength, stability and confidence in everyday movement.
As a qualified nutritional therapist and health coach, I encourage my clients to look at exercise as part of their overall lifestyle. You don’t need punishing workouts or hours in the gym. Finding movement that fits realistically around work, family, and everything else you have going on is far more likely to become a habit you can stick with.
What is a side plank with leg raise?
The side plank with leg raise is a progression of the traditional side plank.
You support yourself on one forearm and the outside edge of your lower foot, keeping your body lifted and aligned. From there, you slowly raise your top leg before lowering it again.
The added leg movement makes the exercise more demanding because your core and hip muscles have to keep your body steady while the leg is moving.
You can also perform a side plank with a straight supporting arm. However, the forearm version is often a more comfortable place to start.
What muscles does the side plank with leg raise work?
The side plank with leg raise is primarily a core and hip stability exercise, but it involves several muscle groups at once.
It works:
- Your obliques – the muscles running along the sides of your abdomen.
- Your glutes – particularly the muscles that help stabilise your pelvis.
- Your hip abductors – including the gluteus medius, which helps control the position of your hip.
- Your abdominal muscles – helping you keep your trunk steady.
- Your shoulders and upper body – particularly the supporting shoulder and arm.
- Your legs – including the supporting leg, which helps you maintain the position.
Exactly how much you feel each muscle working will depend on your technique, the variation you’re using and your individual movement pattern.
The important thing is that you’re not simply lifting one leg. You’re asking your body to stay stable while that leg moves.
That’s one reason I like exercises that combine strength with coordination and body awareness, rather than focusing solely on how many repetitions you can do.
Benefits of the side plank with leg raise
1. It challenges your core stability
The side plank asks your trunk muscles to work while you maintain a relatively fixed position.
Your obliques and other core muscles help you keep your torso and pelvis steady rather than allowing them to collapse or rotate.
Side planks are commonly used to challenge lateral core stability, and ACE recommends maintaining alignment through the head, spine, hips and feet when performing side-plank variations.
2. It works your hips and glutes
Once you add the leg raise, the muscles around your hip and glutes have more work to do.
This makes the exercise a useful option if you want to include some lateral hip and glute work in a bodyweight strength routine without needing any equipment.
3. It requires balance and coordination
Holding your body in a side plank while moving one leg isn’t as straightforward as it looks.
You need to coordinate the leg movement while keeping your trunk and pelvis relatively stable. Over time, practising movements like this can help you become more aware of how your body is positioned and moving.
4. It works several areas in one exercise
You’re combining core, hip, glute and upper-body stability in a single movement.
That can be particularly handy when time is limited. A short, well-chosen strength session can still be worthwhile; you don’t need a long list of exercises to make every workout count.
5. It can be part of a balanced strength routine
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend muscle-strengthening activities involving the major muscle groups on at least two days each week. They also emphasise that doing some physical activity is better than doing none.
The side plank with leg raise is just one exercise that could form part of that overall strength work. It isn’t a complete workout by itself, so think of it as one useful piece of a much bigger picture.
How to do a side plank with leg raise
The quality of your starting position makes a big difference here. Take a few seconds to set yourself up before you start moving.
Step 1: Set up your side plank
Lie on your side on an exercise mat.
Place your supporting elbow directly underneath your shoulder. Extend your legs, with your feet stacked one on top of the other. If stacking your feet feels unstable, you can stagger them slightly.
Keep your head in line with your spine rather than letting it drop forwards or backwards.
Step 2: Lift your hips
Gently engage your core and lift your hips away from the floor.
Think about creating a long line through your body. Try not to push your hips forwards or allow them to sag towards the floor.
Keep your supporting shoulder stable rather than allowing it to collapse towards your ear.
Step 3: Raise your top leg
Once you feel steady in your side plank, slowly lift your top leg.
You don’t need a huge range of movement. In fact, if lifting the leg higher causes your hips or torso to rotate, you’ve probably gone further than you can currently control.
Aim for a smooth, deliberate lift.
Step 4: Lower the leg slowly
Bring your top leg back down towards the starting position, taking your time rather than letting it drop.
The lowering part of the movement matters too, so try to stay in control from beginning to end.
Step 5: Change sides
Complete your repetitions on one side, then repeat on the other.
Don’t worry if one side feels stronger or more coordinated. Most of us have some natural differences between our left and right sides.
How many side plank leg raises should you do?
If you’re new to this exercise, start with less than you think you can do and see how your body responds.
A reasonable starting point is:
- 5–8 controlled leg raises per side
- 1–2 sets
- Rest between sides or sets whenever you need to.
If you can do those repetitions while maintaining good technique, you can gradually work towards:
- 8–12 repetitions per side
- 2–3 sets
You could also use a timed side plank and add a few controlled leg raises during the hold.
There’s no need to chase a particular number. If your hips start dropping, your torso begins to rotate, or you find yourself using momentum to lift your leg, that’s a good indication that you’ve reached your limit for that set.
Rest, reduce the repetitions or try an easier variation.
Should you hold a side plank with leg raise?
You can, but there’s no particular need to.
For some people, holding the top leg raised for a few seconds adds an interesting stability challenge. For others, controlled repetitions are more comfortable and easier to perform well.
If you’d like to try a hold, start with around 5–10 seconds, provided you can maintain good alignment.
As you become stronger and more comfortable with the movement, you can gradually increase the duration.
But don’t feel that you need to compete with a timer. Being able to hold a plank for several minutes isn’t the goal. Good-quality movement is far more useful.
Common side plank with leg raise mistakes
This exercise looks relatively simple, but there are a few things that can make it much harder – and less effective – than it needs to be.
Lifting the leg too high
It’s tempting to think that a higher leg means a better exercise. Not necessarily.
If you have to rotate your pelvis or lean your body to get your leg higher, reduce the range. Keep the movement within the point where you can remain stable.
Letting your hips drop
As you get tired, your hips may gradually sink towards the floor.
When that happens, take a break rather than trying to squeeze out a few more repetitions. You can always return to the exercise after a short rest or use a modified version.
Rotating your torso
Try to keep your chest facing forwards rather than allowing your upper body to twist as you lift your leg.
The leg should be doing the moving while your trunk stays relatively steady.
Placing your elbow too far from your shoulder
Your supporting elbow should be underneath your shoulder, rather than too far forwards.
This gives you a more secure base and can make the position feel considerably more comfortable.
Holding your breath
Concentrating on a challenging exercise can make you forget to breathe.
Try to keep your breathing natural and steady. You don’t need to brace so hard that you end up holding your breath.
Chasing repetitions instead of good technique
If you’re rushing through the last few repetitions and losing your position, they’re probably not adding much.
I’d much rather see eight well-controlled repetitions than twenty rushed ones.
Side plank with leg raise for beginners
The full exercise is fairly demanding, so don’t worry if it doesn’t feel right straight away.
There are several ways to build up to it.
Beginner option 1: Modified side plank
Bend your knees and keep your lower knee on the floor as you lift your hips.
This reduces the amount of body weight you’re supporting and lets you get comfortable with the side-plank position first.
ACE also recommends a modified side plank as a starting point before progressing to a full side plank.
Beginner option 2: Side-lying leg raise
Lie on your side with your head comfortably supported.
Keeping your hips stacked, slowly lift your top leg and lower it again.
This lets you practise the hip movement without also having to hold the side plank.
Beginner option 3: Side plank without the leg raise
Another simple approach is to master the side plank first.
Once you can hold the position comfortably without your hips dropping or your body rotating, introduce the leg lift.
There’s no need to master both parts of the exercise at once.
How to make the exercise easier
If the full movement feels too challenging, try:
- Keeping your lower knee on the floor.
- Staggering your feet rather than stacking them.
- Reducing the number of repetitions.
- Holding a side plank without the leg raise.
- Taking a little more rest between sets.
- Using a smaller range when lifting the top leg.
Modifying an exercise isn’t a sign that you’re not fit enough.
It’s simply a way of choosing a version that matches your current ability. As your strength and confidence improve, you can decide when you’re ready to progress.
How to make the side plank with leg raise harder
Once the basic version feels comfortable and you can maintain your position throughout the movement, you can gradually make it more challenging.
For example, you could:
- Hold the raised leg for a few seconds.
- Add a few more controlled repetitions.
- Increase the duration of the side plank.
- Try a straight-arm side plank if it feels appropriate for you.
- Include the exercise within a wider strength circuit.
Progress doesn’t always mean making an exercise harder.
Sometimes progress is simply being able to perform the same movement with better control, less fatigue or greater confidence.
Is the side plank with leg raise good for women over 40?
It can be a useful exercise for women over 40 who already have a suitable level of strength and want to work on core and hip stability.
But there’s no particular exercise that you have to do simply because you’ve reached a certain age.
As we move through midlife, maintaining strength and physical function becomes increasingly important. Current UK physical activity guidance recommends regular strength work alongside aerobic activity and encourages us to reduce long periods of inactivity.
A balanced routine might include:
- Strength training
- Walking or other aerobic activity
- Mobility work
- Balance exercises
- Activities you actually enjoy
The most useful routine is one that’s appropriate for your current ability and realistic enough to keep doing.
How to include side plank leg raises in your workout
You could include side plank leg raises towards the middle or end of a short home strength session.
For example:
Simple core and strength circuit
- Squats – 8–12 repetitions
- Glute bridges – 10–15 repetitions
- Side plank with leg raise – 5–8 per side
- Wall or incline push-ups – 8–12 repetitions
- Bird dog – 6–8 per side
Rest between exercises as needed and repeat the circuit once or twice.
This is an example rather than a personalised exercise programme. Your repetitions, rest periods and choice of exercises should reflect your current fitness, experience and any individual considerations.
Final thoughts
The side plank with leg raise is a challenging bodyweight exercise that brings together core stability, hip strength, balance and coordination.
You don’t need to lift your leg as high as possible or hold the plank for an impressive length of time.
Instead, focus on:
- Good alignment
- Smooth, controlled movement
- Steady breathing
- A comfortable range of motion
- Gradual progression
- Paying attention to how your body feels
And remember, one exercise doesn’t have to do everything.
A sustainable approach to health is about bringing together regular movement, nourishing food, recovery, stress management and habits that work with your life rather than against it.
Looking for support with your own healthy routine?
If you’re finding it difficult to balance exercise, nutrition, work, family and everything else on your plate, sometimes the answer isn’t more information. It can be helpful to have someone look at the bigger picture with you and help you work out what is realistic.
As a qualified nutritional therapist and health coach, I help clients make sustainable changes to their health and lifestyle without relying on extreme programmes or all-or-nothing thinking.
If you’d like to talk about your own goals, book a free discovery call and we can explore what personalised support could look like for you.