Wakeout pack — 13 exercises
Fun Kicks
Playful kicking movements that energize your legs and promote lower body circulation.
standingliving room / deskmiddaydo anywhere13 exercises
30-second preview
Reach for this when…
Legs feel sluggish and need a playful cardio burst, standing.
Why this happens
Legs go sluggish for two reasons: circulation and engagement. Prolonged sitting or standing pools blood in the lower limbs because the calves stop pumping it back up. The calves are literally called a 'second heart' in circulatory physiology for this reason — rhythmic contraction of the gastrocnemius and soleus is what drives venous return when you're upright but still. Kicking solves both problems at once. Each kick fires the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris), activates the quads and hamstrings, and the landing phase engages the calf pump that pushes blood back toward the heart. It's also more interesting than marching in place, which matters because sustainable movement is movement you'll actually do. This pack is a short cardio burst aimed specifically at the legs — playful kicks at varied heights and angles, standing, no equipment. Think afternoon circulation reset, not a real workout.
About this routine
Best when your legs feel heavy, numb, or sluggish — typical after a long meeting block, a flight, or a sedentary morning. Needs a bit of standing space, no equipment. Skip if you have a current knee or hip injury, or if kicking with any force aggravates a lower-back issue. Pregnancy-safe at low intensity, skip high kicks if balance is affected. Not medical advice; this is what the legs are asking for when they go sluggish.
Use this pack when you need to…
Built for these moments
Boost Energy
Mostly movements of high intensity, both sitting and standing. Usually movements that are performed at the desk—the places where users will feel low energy and need a boost. So sitting boxing, sitting kicks, sitting movements, and any movement that gets the person to move generally in an office or home office setting.
Why this pack: Pack explicitly targets energy_boost and serves users looking_energy, with blood-pumping kicking movements that can energize users during work breaks
Make Me Stand Up
Generally, standing up movements that will force the user to stand up to move. Standing desk and sit-to-stand movements also count. Of a more intense nature.
Why this pack: Standing kicking movements that get blood pumping perfectly match the need for intense standing exercises that force users to stand up
Activate My Legs
Leg-specific movements that are more intense in nature. Can be sitting or standing but have to be specifically for legs. Leg activation, kicks, sitting to standing, and even office chair movements that require high usage of legs count.
Why this pack: Perfect match - features kicking movements and leg-energizing exercises specifically designed for leg activation with intensity to get blood pumping
Engage My Hips
Any movement that utilizes legs, hip movements, or leg stretches. Stretches, hip exercises, Pilates, kicks, and leg movements count.
Why this pack: Pack features kicking movements and leg-energizing exercises that directly engage legs and promote lower body mobility, matching the hip engagement requirements
Gain Mental Clarity
We will accomplish mental clarity for our users with more intense cardio-focused movements—movements that pump oxygen into the blood. Punching, kicking, jumping, desk pumps, and exercises that require more physical movement.
Why this pack: This pack's kicking movements and blood-pumping focus directly match the requirement for cardio-focused exercises that pump oxygen into the blood for mental clarity
Improve Mood
These are fun packs that are to be done in the places where bad mood may happen, like in the workplace. These packs contain either dancing or pretend activities like punching, kicking, or playing with the office chair. Generally of a more playful nature.
Why this pack: Pack features playful kicking movements (explicitly mentioned in requirements) with a fun approach that serves joy and stress release needs
Frequently asked
What people ask about fun kicks
How does kicking actually help leg circulation?
Each kick contracts the calf and thigh muscles, which compresses the veins and pushes blood upward against gravity — the mechanism is called the skeletal-muscle pump. When you're still for long periods, this pump stops working, blood pools in the lower limbs, and the legs feel heavy or numb. Rhythmic kicking restarts the pump and clears the pooled blood within a couple of minutes. It's the same mechanism behind 'walk around every hour' advice on long flights.
Why kicks specifically instead of squats or marching?
Kicks move through a bigger range than marching and fire the hip flexors more aggressively — those are the muscles that shorten most from sitting. Squats are great but load the knees more and aren't always desk-friendly. Kicking covers the specific deficit created by long hip-flexed positions while also getting heart rate up quickly. If you're not in a kicking mood, funrobics or afternoon_recharge work too; the point is interrupting stillness with leg-specific movement.
Is funKicks good for people with knee issues?
It depends on the issue. Low, controlled kicks at small ranges are usually fine and may even help — controlled movement through a painless range typically beats immobility for most knee conditions. High, forceful, or ballistic kicks can aggravate patellofemoral pain or meniscus problems. If kicking at any range produces sharp pain, stop and try kneePainRelief instead, which is built for current knee discomfort rather than cardio.
How often can I do this in a workday?
Once or twice per half-day is a reasonable baseline — mid-morning and mid-afternoon, roughly the points where leg sluggishness tends to set in. It's short enough that you could do it hourly without overdoing it, but most people don't need that. If your job has you standing or sitting without variation for long stretches, funKicks on any cadence beats not moving; the only wrong frequency is zero.
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Want the full routine?
Three minutes, guided by audio, in the iOS app. Or add Wakeout to Chrome — every new tab becomes a tiny movement break.