Pilates Exercise: Single Leg Stretch

The Single Leg Stretch is a classical Pilates exercise for strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles. It trains the abdominals to initiate movement, and to support and stabilize the trunk as the arms and legs are in motion.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Strength.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lying flat on the floor, bring your head up and your chin to your chest. Bend your right leg into your chest, placing your right hand on your right ankle, and your left hand on your right knee.

2. Lift the left leg a few inches of the mat.

3. Switch legs, pulling your left knee into your chest and stretching your right leg straight in front of you, keeping it off the mat.

4. Repeat 10 times for 5 sets.

Tip: Keep the hip and shoulders square, with a flat back and hips, knees, and feet in alignment.

Modification: If you have knee pain, place your hands under your knees. For back pain, bring your legs higher.

Advanced Challenge: Try to touch the mat with your toes when extending the leg for deeper abdominal work.

Transition: Bring both knees into your chest to prepare for the Double Leg Stretch.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: Rolling Like A Ball

Rolling Like a Ball is an original Pilates exercise which requires core strength to move your body smoothly, like a ball rolling back and forth. The flow of movement develops abdominal strength as well as control and balance. This rolling exercise also stimulates the spine and tunes you into the inner flow of movement and breath in the body.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Control.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. From a seated position, bring your knees close to your chest.

2. Holding onto your ankles, bring your head down to your knees. Stay in a tight ball by keeping your feet close to your buttocks and the stomach pulled in.

3. Inhale. Roll back to your shoulders and exhale. Roll back up to sitting, holding the position on the up. Balance on your sitting bones for two counts.

4. Repeat 6 times.

Tip: Keep your head close to or between your knees.

Modification: If you have knee pain, try it with your knees bent, holding on to the backs of your thighs.

Advanced Challenge: Place your right hand on the left ankle and the left hand on the right wrist. Hold your feet close to your buttocks.

Transition: In a sitting position, place your right hand on your right ankle and your left hand on your right knee. Then lower your torso down to the mat while keeping your knee close to your chest for the Single Leg Stretch.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Exercise: Single Leg Circles

Single leg circles are one of the best Pilates exercises for testing your core strength. The abdominal muscles must work hard to keep the shoulders and pelvis stable despite the movement of the leg in the hip socket. The single leg circle also tones and stretches the thighs.

What You’ll Need: A Pilates mat or a cushioned place to lie on the floor.

Level: Beginner.

Emphasis: Mobility.

Time Required: 5 minutes.

Here’s How:

1. Lying flat on your back with your arms by your sides.

2. Reach one leg up to the ceiling, while the other leg reaches straight down the centerline of your body on the mat.

3. Slightly rotate the leg, reaching for the ceiling out from the hip. Begin to make circles, first crossing your body with your leg.

4. Start and stop the circle at your nose — the center of your body — and work within the frame of your body (the box).

5. Repeat five times, then reverse the circles five times.

Tip: initiate the movement from your hip and keep your leg loose. The energy of the circle is on the way up.

Modification: If you feel any strain in the back of your knee, keep it slightly bent.

Advanced Challenge: You can make bigger circles as long as the hips our steady.

View the video below for a visual demonstration.

Pilates Principles

Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk. In addition, Pilates increases circulation and helps to sculpt the body and strengthen the body’s “core” or “powerhouse” (torso).  If you do Pilates regularly, you will develop better posture, be less prone to injury, and experience better overall health.

The essence of Pilates is found in six principles that make up the foundation on which Pilates is built: breathing, centering, control, concentration, fluidity and precision. Their application to the Pilates method of exercise is part of what makes it unique in the fitness world.  These basic principles infuse each exercise with intention and fullness of expression:

• Breathing: Joseph Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. He advocated thinking of the lungs as a bellows – using them strongly to pump the air fully in and out of the body. Proper breathing creates endurance and energy, while encouraging relaxation.

• Centering: Physically bringing the focus to the center of the body, the powerhouse area between the lower ribs and pubic bone, results in a stable pelvis. A balanced pelvis will support the lumbar spine and keep the feet and legs in alignment.

• Control: Pilates is best described as a combination of stretch and strength with control. When body and mind operate together, a movement is executed most effectively by using control. Every Pilates exercise is done with complete muscular control. No body part is left to its own devices.

• Concentration: Concentration is the focus needed to achieve quality movements. If one brings full attention to the exercise and does it with full commitment, you are able to visualize a movement and carry it out to the best of your body’s ability.

• Fluidity: Pilates exercise is done in a flowing manner. Smooth and agile movements create an even, flowing routine that is performed without rushing. Fluidity, grace, and ease are goals applied to all exercises. The energy of an exercise connects all body parts and flows through the body in an even way.

• Precision: In Pilates, each movement must be precise due to the fluid nature of the Pilates routine. In Pilates, quality rules over quantity. Thus, fewer precise movements produce the greatest results.

The Pilates principles may sound a bit abstract, but the integration of these principles accounts for the balance, grace, and ease that one can experience as a result of practicing Pilates.