Pilates: Single Leg Stretch

Step 1: To prepare

Lie down on your mat with your legs bent and arms down by your sides.

Let's begin by practising the coordination of the exercise. Gently pick your feet off the floor and bend in your knees. Now stretch one leg forwards keeping the other bent and change sides. This is the action of the legs.

Now to add the arms, place both hands at either side of the bent knee, then change the legs and hands simultaneously.

Coordinating this is the most tricky part of the exercise.

Step 2: The exercise

Keeping your knees bent, inhale and lengthen the back of your neck, then as you exhale lift your torso off the mat.

Inhale hold, exhale and lengthen one leg away, inhale bend both knees in then exhale and lengthen the other leg.

Repeat this 6 times with each leg then to finish, inhale to bend both your legs in and exhale to return your upper body to the mat.