Next up we are focusing on the Single Leg Stretch.
This is good for
Strengthening the abdominal muscles. Developing pelvic and lumbar stability.
How to do the Single Leg Stretch
- Start supine with legs in tabletop position.
- Exhale into chest lift, bring left hand to left ankle, right hand to left knee.
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale press left leg into your hands as you stretch right leg away from you.
- Inhale to swap legs and hands to other leg
- Exhale as you reach right leg away
- Keep pelvis stable throughout.
Things to focus on
Maintain feet at knee level throughout (as if sliding your feet out along a table). The torso remains still – only the legs and hand position changes.
Challenges
- This is a great exercise for our clients who have been coming to Pilates for a while. Adding the element of the legs moving while in a chest lift position increases the challenge to the abdominals.
- You can get an extra dose of low abdominal work by creating additional resistance for yourself as you draw the bent knee back in to the start position – imagine your instructor is pulling your foot away from you and you have to actively resist them and work hard to pull your leg back in.
If you would like some expert direction from highly experienced instructors, try our Semi-private Equipment sessions.
Our Manuka studio is within easy access of Forrest, Kingston, Barton, Griffith, Red Hill, Narrabundah, Garran, Hughes, Curtin, Phillip, Mawson, Farrer, Pearce, and Torrens.
