How many reps of the single leg stretch should a beginner do?

Eight to ten switches per side, so sixteen to twenty total leg exchanges, is a common starting set. Progress by lowering the extending leg closer to the floor as control improves, always stopping the moment the low back wants to lift.

How do you make the single leg stretch easier or harder?

To make it easier, keep the head down on the mat instead of curled up, and keep the extending leg high and bent slightly. To make it harder, lower the extending leg further toward the floor, or slow the exchange so each position is held for a full breath.

What is the single leg stretch for, and when is it not a good starting point?

It is the first move of the Pilates stomach series, building abdominal endurance and coordination between opposite limbs, an accessible entry to core control. It is a poor choice for someone who cannot yet keep the low back flat on the mat during a simple curl-up, since that basic control should come first.

Beginner

Single Leg Stretch

The first of the Pilates stomach series, Single Leg Stretch builds abdominal endurance while coordinating opposite limbs. Keeping the chest curled and the pelvis stable as the legs switch is the challenge, and it teaches you to keep the deep core braced through limb movement. It is an accessible entry point to core control.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Pilates, Strength
Browse by muscle: Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Lie supine, draw both knees to the chest, and curl the head and shoulders off the mat.
2
Place the hands on the shin of one leg while extending the other leg long at an angle you can control.
3
Keep the lower back pressed into the mat and the upper body lifted throughout.
4
Switch legs, drawing the extended leg in and reaching the bent leg out in a smooth exchange.
5
Exhale with each knee draw and keep the elbows wide and the neck relaxed.
6
Continue alternating for the desired reps without dropping the chest or arching the back.

Tips

Lower the extended leg only as far as you can keep the lower back glued to the mat.
Keep the chest lifted the entire set rather than bobbing up and down with each switch.
Draw the shoulder blades down the back so the neck stays long.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hands pull hard on the shin to drag the knee in, using arm strength to assist the switch instead of the abs driving the leg exchange.
The switch between legs speeds up until it turns into a fast bicycle, trading the controlled hold-and-exchange rhythm for momentum.
The extended leg drifts out to the side instead of staying in line with the hip, changing which muscles have to control it.
The elbows collapse in narrow toward the ears instead of staying wide, letting the arms round the neck forward instead of framing the head.
Breath gets held across several switches instead of exhaling with each knee draw, building tension in the neck instead of the deep abdominals.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the single leg stretch should a beginner do?: Eight to ten switches per side, so sixteen to twenty total leg exchanges, is a common starting set. Progress by lowering the extending leg closer to the floor as control improves, always stopping the moment the low back wants to lift.
How do you make the single leg stretch easier or harder?: To make it easier, keep the head down on the mat instead of curled up, and keep the extending leg high and bent slightly. To make it harder, lower the extending leg further toward the floor, or slow the exchange so each position is held for a full breath.
What is the single leg stretch for, and when is it not a good starting point?: It is the first move of the Pilates stomach series, building abdominal endurance and coordination between opposite limbs, an accessible entry to core control. It is a poor choice for someone who cannot yet keep the low back flat on the mat during a simple curl-up, since that basic control should come first.

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