Single Leg Circles in 4 Steps

The Single Leg Circle exercise may look too easy. Maybe like a throw-away workout that one may feel they wouldn’t get much from. Should I say it? Does it look too…girly? It’s ok, I gotta admit it. I thought that in the back of my mind at first too! Once I gave it a try and began to understand the concepts of this exercise in my mind and in my body, I began to see that Single Leg Circles exposed my weak points. Even still today! This made it possible for me to start working on and strengthening my imbalances. I recognized that Pilates is a continued life’s work to keep the structures of my body supported and stable from my 20’s to my 70’s and even further down the path of life.

This week’s #KNOWTHISTERM on Instagram is: “Dynamic Stability.” Dynamic Stabilization is a concept that applies to every exercise, but it is especially true in Single Leg Circles! In my opinion, this exercise is a quintessential example for demonstration! Head directly over to the post and give it a read!

---

Video’s Summary to Follow Along!

1. Understanding Dynamic Hip Stabilization: Prep Movements

   • Eve Gentry Knee Stirs

     • Feel your femur bone making smooth circles inside your hip Socket. Understand where the movement of your leg is coming from.

   • Bent knee - Table Top

     • Your palm is no longer holding your leg’s weight as previously! So we have to use our stabilizers to do the work for us! The deep belly muscles play an important role through your Belly Scoop.

   • Hug one knee, small leg stirs

     • When the supporting leg is bent, it takes away having to manage TWO straight legs. It simplifies the exercise and you can put more focus into hip stabilization as you circle your femur at the hip joint.

   • Tik Tok Legs - 2 Versions

     • Side to side & Up and Down. This is not an official Pilates exercise, and therefore, why it’s placed here with the pre/prep exercises. I included these two directions/version as they both help in giving me a more complete understanding of where and how I lose deep abdominal support within my leg circles.

     • As you take your leg away from your center and midline, make sure to keep deepening the work of your belly scoop! Don’t let your leg fall out of you muscular support and let gravity win!

   PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

   -Doing the Leg Circles-

2. Version 1

   • Leg Bent, foot on floor, circle!

3. Version 2

   • straight legs, full circles

4. Version 3 (Advanced)

   I’m adding this one in here so you can have a full vision of where this exercise is ultimately headed! Work on the previous steps if you wish to successfully arrive to this point. For guaranteed success and safety, let’s start Pilates together!