PRO | Side Lying Leg Circles

Pull all the way back. Go down to one half spring now. We're gonna get onto our legs again. We're gonna come all the way down. Now what I'm gonna ask you to do is just put this out the way just so it doesn't get in the way.

You're gonna have your head rest up, and we're gonna come all the way down. Grab your little strap and push all the way out. So I'm on one half spring. If you want to make a little bit more challenging, you can take it up to one spring. Alright. So, hands is here.

We're gonna lift that leg up, and we're gonna circle it around and take it back. So we go up, circle around. So be mindful that your hips are stacked and around. And up and down. So again, a lot of hip mobility here, but also we're walking through the glutes, your hamstrings, the legs, and forwards. If you wanna help a little bit, you can put your hand on your hip and lengthen out that way so you're not hiking that hip is a nice cue here to keep that length.

Alright. Should we reverse it now? So we go forwards and lift. Now you're only as big as your hip will allow. Flexibilities or specific to your joint. So remember, if it's only small, that's totally fine.

You're still getting a huge amount of benefit doing this. And as we do it more, we'll get more flexibility, more strength. And up and around. Keep that lift out of the mat. Do one more.

Now go diagonally forward, externally rotate it, forwards. We go straight towards your ear, and then you press down. So think of your hamstring, pressing down here. Keep the hand on the hip if you want or hear whatever you feel most comfortable, and we inhale, bring it towards your ear, press down. Inhale up, exhale down. In that external rotation, and exhale down. Up towards your ear, and then down.

Couple more. Breathe and down. One more. Breathe and down. This time, we're gonna bring it up.

Hold it here. Grab it. And enjoy that stretch. See if you can pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. There you go. A little bit more. Come on. That's it.

You got it. Just a little bit more. Hold that stretch. And release. Let's take that strap down. Remember Pilates is all about flexibility. So we don't want to skimp out on that flexibility component.

We're gonna take our foot into the strap here. And reach the leg out. Make sure the underneath leg is bent, and we're gonna lift up and into our circle them down. So you can make these circles smaller or if you've got the flexibility and the stability within your pelvis to make it bigger, you may have the flexibility, but do you have the stability to be able to do it? So find your perfect circle for you, for your body and let's work on that circle and get in that nice full range of motion.

If you wanna put your hand on the hip, remember to lengthen out that hip, kind of helps a little bit just to open up that waist so we're not hiking that hip. Feels so good. Alright. And let's reverse it so we're gonna go forwards. This specific exercise is a lot.

In my practice, personal practice because I find the benefits of this have really helped me as of age to keep flexibility and keep pain at bay within my hips. So I hope you'll like it as much as me because I do feel that it's important to keep that flexibility. You don't use it. You will lose it. That famous saying.

Okay. Let's do one more. Last time. Beautiful. Now take that leg diagonally out externally rotate it. We go up up. Now press with the hamstring down down. I'm diagonally forwards of the reformer as they come up, and then I press down with the hamstring.

There we go. Watch. You don't hike the hip as you lift the leg. It's all specific to your hip. Maybe put your hand right here. Stop it from lifting.

There we go. Put your hand on your hip and depress it. Push that hip down as you lift the leg up. There you go. Awesome. Let's do a couple more. Feel that hamstring.

Alright. Can we do one more? Your glutes are on fire too, and let's lift it up and pull. So holding that stretch. Fantastic. And let's release it and bring it down. Oh, now your legs feel like jelly now.

That's a good sign. And let's step up. And step up. We're gonna come all the way up.