Core · Bodyweight
Alternating Ankle Touch
How to do the alternating ankle touch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand with your feet wide and arms out to the sides. Bend at the waist and reach one hand down toward the opposite ankle, then rise and repeat to the other side at a steady, rhythmic pace.
- 1Feel your obliques contracting as you crunch down toward each ankle
- 2Keep your legs mostly straight and hinge from your waist
- 3Move at a controlled, steady tempo and breathe with each reach
Common mistakes
- Do not round and yank through your lower back to reach down
- Avoid bending your knees deeply to cheat the reach
- Do not hold your breath; exhale as you crunch across
Muscles worked
The alternating ankle touch mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, lower abs, and hamstrings assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the alternating ankle touch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.