What You Need to Know about the Single Leg CircleThe Single Leg Circle is the first asymmetrical mat-work exercise you learn in this series; in this exercise, your legs do two different things simultaneously. This asymmetrical way of moving challenges your mind, your nervous system, your stability, your coordination, and your whole-body awareness. It also reveals asymmetries-or imbalances—in your body’s skeletal and muscular structure. At the same time, this exercise engages both legs as they support and are being supported by the rest of the body Overall, the Single Leg Circle requires (and develops) more precise control and muscular balance.
Don’t be surprised if you discover that you can do this exercise more easily with one leg than with the other. This “side dominance” is typical for most people and results from a lack of uniform development. As you gain skill with the Single Leg Circle and other Pilates exercises, you will see these differences diminish.
What Is the Single Leg Circle?
When performing the Single Leg Circle, you lie flat on your back, arms extended along the mat close to your sides, with one leg stretched straight along the mat, and the other leg reaching up to the ceiling at a 90-degree angle from your pelvis. Keeping both legs long and both feet softly pointed, you move your raised leg to describe a circle about the size of a hula hoop in the air over your other leg. After a set number of circles, you reverse direction; then, you switch legs and repeat the circles.
What the Single Leg Circle Does
This exercise really shines in its ability to teach you to stabilize, anchor, and move various parts of your body in different ways simultaneously; to develop intense core strength; and to promote deep healthy breathing and strong circulation. The Single Leg Circle is a fantastic way to reveal imbalances in your hip joints and hamstrings. Short, stiff hamstrings prevent you from accessing full pelvic range of motion and stability, something that is vitally important to your overall physical health. The more you know about your particular restrictions and capabilities, the better able you are to make the Single Leg Circle-and all Pilates exercises—more effective for you. Here are some other benefits of this wonderful exercise:
• Improved range and efficiency of movement in your hip joints.
• Strong legs and hips, and a stronger, more stable lower back and spine.
• Balanced muscular use and strength of legs, hips, shoulders, and torso, to help avoid arthritis, tendonitis, and general degeneration of the hip and knee joints.
• A longer, stronger spine, resulting from Pilates’ unique way of building both power and length simultaneously. Imbalances in the way you stand and walk are big contributors to weak, painful hip joints—a common problem for the elderly.

The Single Leg Circle works in conjunction with other Pilates exercises to promote uniformly developed muscle and joint strength, and to eliminate the chronic wear and tear these imbalances place on our body’s structure.

Tips and Precautions for Doing the Single Leg Circle
The Single Leg Circle offers a wide variety of benefits, as long as you do it correctly Otherwise, you not only limit the benefits you gain from the exercise, but you might even strain certain muscles. Follow these general guidelines to keep the Single Leg Circle effective and healthy:

• Coordinated breathing is a must for all Pilates exercises, and the Single Leg Circle is no exception. As you lengthen your leg, air is pulled into your lungs, and as you circle the leg and return it to the center, the movement helps your abdominals squeeze the air from your lungs.
• Keep your pelvis level and stable. Don’t allow your pelvis to tuck under or rotate sideways as you extend your leg up into the air. These tendencies result from tight hamstring, inner-thigh, lower-back, or hip muscles.
• Use oppositional energy to elongate your whole body, so it feels like a spring being stretched between your feet and head. This image gives you better access to your core strength and helps you avoid overusing your neck, shoulders, and lower back. At the same time, keep your shoulders wide; don’t allow them to scrunch up while you raise and circle your leg.

Many Pilates students find that placing a small pillow under their head during this exercise helps them maintain good shoulder and neck alignment. If you use a pillow, make sure it’s no more than a few inches thick and rests only under your head and neck, not under your shoulders.

• Don’t let your foot swing more than a few inches outward, past the outside of your hip, when you’re making the circles. Doing so can put dangerous strains on your groin muscles and may pull the opposite hip off the mat which could put stress on your lower back. Be even more aware of this important safety issue when circling your leg in the second direction.

Use the beginner-level modifications if you find that you struggle to follow any one of these guidelines or if you feel any pain or strain while performing the Single Leg Circle. As your skills grow, you can evolve your modifications until you’re capable of doing the basic intermediate version.

The Basic Single Leg Circle Exercise
The following section outlines the steps for performing the Single Leg Circle at an intermediate level. Following the presentation of these steps, you’ll find modifications for beginners and advanced-level students of Pilates.

Step by Step Through the Basic Single Leg Circle
To transition from the Roll-Up, inhale as you fold your right knee to your chest; and exhale as you place both your hands on your right shin. Squeeze your leg to you to stretch and release any tension in that hip (this action frees up the motion of your hip and leg), then follow these steps:

1. Inhale as you extend your right leg straight up, at a 90-degree angle from your pelvis. Place both hands behind your right thigh and exhale as you gently pull your leg toward you three times, then return
your arms to your side, and leave your raised leg in its 90-degree position . Stretch both your legs away from your pelvis as your belly scoops in and up along the front of your spine in preparation for the Single Leg Circle.

2. Inhale as you draw your belly in and up along the front of your spine and circle your right leg across your body and down toward your left foot, continuing halfway around the circle. Keep your pelvis, spine, neck, and arms anchored along the floor as you circle your leg over your body Remember to maintain length in all your muscles even as you contract them!

3. Exhale powerfully to squeeze all the air out of your lungs and deepen your scoop; this action pulls your leg up and through the second half of the circle, where it returns to the starting position.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 of the Single Leg Circle four more times; then, reverse the direction of your circles, and perform the Single Leg Circle five times.

Note that just as your deep exhalation helps pull your leg upward in the Single Leg Circle, the upward movement of your leg conversely helps deepen your exhalation and more completely empty your lungs of air. This coordination of movement and breath is used throughout Pilates to deepen your breathing and improve your core strength.
Another point to keep in mind: As you circle your raised leg, keep reaching your opposite leg down along the mat. Don’t allow it to shorten or bend. Stretch your raised leg away from you as you lengthen both hips away from your ribs to keep your pelvis and spine positions stable and your abdominals long and scooped.
To continue with the other leg, follow these steps:

I. Inhale as you bend your right knee to your chest, squeeze it in with both hands, then exhale deeply as you lower your right leg down along the mat beside the left one.
2. Bend your left knee in to you and repeat the entire process, using your left leg. When you’ve completed ten circles with your left leg (five in each direction), inhale to bend your left knee to your shoulder and exhale to give it a squeeze with both hands.

With each circle your leg describes in the Single Leg Circle, you will notice that you have increased flexibility, strength, and precision in your movement. To maximize this movement gain, ask yourself:
“What more can I get from each repetition?”