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Heel touches
Heel touches are a common fitness exercise that helps strengthen your abdominal muscles. They are often confused with toe touches, even though these are two entirely different exercises. An informal term for this exercise is the heel strike.
The execution of this movement is straightforward, allowing beginners to easily incorporate heel touches into their workout routine. Additionally, no equipment is needed. There are various variations of heel touches. In the following section, we present the classic performance of the heel strike to help you maximize the potential of this exercise in the future.
Muscles targeted during heel touches When engaging in heel touches, the focus is on working the oblique abdominal muscles (musculus obliquus abdominis). Supporting muscles include the rectus abdominal muscle (musculus rectus abdominis) and the pyramidal muscle (musculus pyramidalis).
Execution of heel touches Heel touches are a common exercise for training the oblique abdominal muscles. To make this exercise effective, we provide all relevant information here regarding the correct body position and optimal execution of the movement.
Body position
To begin, lie on your back on the floor. Bend your legs in front of you, and the exact angle is not crucial. It's more important that you feel comfortable in this position, and your feet are firmly planted on the ground to ensure stability. Keep your gaze upward, and your head forms a natural extension of the spine. Next, engage your abdominal muscles to start with the heel touches.
Movement execution
Lift your upper body slightly so that your head and shoulders are in the air, ensuring tension in your abdominal muscles. First, move your upper body in one direction. Your arms are at the sides of your body, slightly elevated in the air. Move your hands toward your feet, ideally touching the heel with your fingertips. Then, retract your upper body and rotate your body in the other direction. Alternately, each arm should reach towards your heels. Keep your upper body off the ground at all times during this exercise to maintain the necessary tension in the abdominal muscles.
Stressed muscles and common mistakes
The heel strike exercise is suitable for athletes at every stage of training. Nevertheless, there are specific pitfalls that you should definitely avoid if you want to achieve the optimal training effect.
✅ Unusual head position: The head forms an almost natural extension of the spine. Make sure not to tilt it too far forward or move it backward into the neck. This strains the neck and the cervical region.
✅ Strongly curved back: The back should be mostly straight. A slight curvature in the upper area is acceptable. However, be careful not to form a strong hunch. Upper body lowered: During execution, the upper body is not laid on the ground. Move your body from one side to the other without loosening the tension.
Alternatives and similar exercises to heel touches
For those seeking variety in abdominal exercises, alternatives are available. In the following section, various exercises are introduced that either differ in execution or target muscle engagement.
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