The scissors exercise is a bodyweight movement performed while lying on the back (supine) designed to build strength and endurance in the entire core musculature. This exercise involves a continuous, alternating leg motion that resembles the opening and closing blades of a pair of scissors.
How to Perform the Scissors Exercise
To begin the standard scissors exercise, lie flat on your back on a mat with your legs extended straight out. For stability, place your hands flat on the floor beside your hips, or slide them slightly underneath your glutes for additional lower back support. Engage your core muscles by gently pressing the small of your lower back firmly into the mat to prevent it from arching.
Next, you will lift both legs simultaneously off the floor to a height of about six to twelve inches, or roughly a 45-degree angle from the floor. This raised position places the abdominal muscles under immediate tension, maintaining the isometric contraction necessary to stabilize the pelvis throughout the movement. The movement itself starts by slowly lowering one straight leg toward the floor while simultaneously raising the opposite leg slightly higher toward the ceiling.
This alternating leg motion should be controlled and rhythmic, mimicking the up-and-down action of a pair of scissors. Maintain the low hovering position for both legs, never allowing either one to fully rest on the floor until the set is complete. Breathe continuously and smoothly throughout the set, often inhaling as one leg lowers and exhaling as the other leg rises.
The continuous tension and synchronized leg movement challenge the deep abdominal muscles to maintain pelvic stability against the dynamic load of the legs. Perform the exercise with deliberate control, not speed, to maximize the time the core muscles spend under tension. Repeat the movement for a set number of repetitions or for a specific duration of time.
Targeted Core and Hip Muscles
The primary muscles activated during the scissors exercise are the hip flexors, including the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and sartorius. These muscles initiate the lifting and lowering motion of the legs against gravity. Since the legs are held away from the body’s center, the hip flexors are heavily involved in sustaining the movement and maintaining the leg position.
The entire abdominal wall works to provide stability, especially the rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” muscle). The lower portion of the rectus abdominis and the deeper transverse abdominis are heavily recruited to prevent the lower back from arching away from the floor. The oblique muscles, located along the sides of the torso, assist in stabilizing the pelvis as the legs alternate, ensuring the body remains steady and balanced.
Safety Tips and Exercise Variations
The most important safety consideration when performing the scissors exercise is protecting the lower back from strain. Before beginning the leg movements, actively draw your navel toward your spine to engage the core and press the lumbar spine flat against the mat. If you notice your back beginning to arch at any point, it signals that your core stabilizers are fatiguing, and you should stop the set immediately.
For beginners or those with developing core strength, several modifications can reduce the intensity. Instead of keeping the legs completely straight, bending the knees slightly shortens the lever arm, which decreases the load on the hip flexors and core. Another simpler modification is to only lower the legs a short distance from the ceiling, keeping them closer to a vertical position, which significantly reduces the resistance placed on the core muscles.
Horizontal (Crisscross) Variation
A distinct variation is the horizontal or crisscross scissor, where the legs are initially lifted and then move laterally away from each other before crossing over in a continuous, cutting motion. This horizontal movement places greater emphasis on the adductor muscles of the inner thigh. It also requires a high level of core control to stabilize the torso against the lateral leg movement.