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Pilates on the Mat

Single Straight Leg Stretch

Start Position

Begin to lie on your back with your leg extended toward the ceiling and heels are touching.

Workout

Inhale deeply to prepare.
Exhale, pull in the abdominals, and curl the chin and upper body up off the mat. The tips of the shoulder blades touch the mat.
Put the hands on an ankle, or below the knee if you have tight hamstrings, and stretch the other leg out at a 45 degree angle.
Inhale to prepare and exhale to switch legs (scissors).
Try to keep both legs straight.
Repeat 6-10 times.

Tips

Modifications for this exercise include leaving the head down, bending the knees slightly, and increasing or decreasing the distance between the legs.

You can adjust the angle of the outstretched leg to make the exercise more or less difficult. The lower the leg, the harder the abdominals have to work to maintain alignment.
If you choose to increase difficulty by lowering the outstretched leg, you must be able to use your abdominals to keep your lower back from popping up off the mat.

Try to get a nice smooth rhythm going with the breath and the switching of the legs.

Benefits

Works the abdominal muscles endurance and stretches the backs of the legs (hamstrings and calfs).

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