What You Need to Know about the Single Leg Stretch
Like the Single Leg Circle, the Single Leg Stretch is an asymmetrical exercise, so it builds upon the skills you developed earlier in that part of your workout. And it incorporates and enhances the resistance training benefit you began developing in the Rolling Like a Ball exercise.

The Single Leg Stretch steps up the heat of your Pilates mat-work session. As you work through this exercise, you’ll notice your heart rate increasing and warmth spreading throughout your entire body—there’s that internal shower Joseph Pilates felt was so vital! In addition to pumping up your circulation, the Single Leg Stretch introduces several new challenges into your workout. The biggest of these is the coordination of all four of your limbs as they move simultaneously and independently of each other. And, the exercise encourages you to coordinate your breath and movement in a new, more complicated way All of the new components this exercise brings to your workout help to increase the powerful Pilates benefits you’ll gain from the remainder of your session—and the rest of your life!

What Is the Single Leg Stretch?
In the basic Single Leg Stretch, you lie on your back with your upper body and head curled forward off the mat and one knee bent to your chest, squeezed in with both hands, the other leg stretched out in space on a long diagonal at your working level height. You then switch legs and hand positions, alternately pulling first one knee in to you, then the other as you reach the opposing leg up and away from your torso.

The Basic Single Leg Stretch Exercise
The steps in the following section outline the basic procedure for performing the Single Leg Stretch at an intermediate level. Prepare to take your time learning this exercise; the coordination of precisely controlled movements can be challenging.

Step by Step Through the Basic Single Leg Stretch
To transition to the Single Leg Stretch, you exhale to return to your upright balancing position, then inhale as you place your left hand on your right shin just below your kneecap (your right hand is still holding your right shin near the ankle). Keep your elbows wide and lifted, and exhale as you roll your spine down to the mat and extend your left leg directly out in line with the center of your body at your working level height.  Keep your toes softly pointed and your upper body and head curled forward; focus your eyes on your scooped belly.

Now, follow these steps to do the Single Leg Stretch:

1. As you inhale, begin to fold your left knee in and stretch your right leg diagonally out away from you to your working level height; take hold of your left shin and squeeze it to your chest, left hand above the ankle, right hand below the knee, elbows high and wide. As you change from one leg to the other, use your concentration and awareness to keep your pelvis and spine stable and maintain your abdominal support. Keep your shoulders open and your elbows high and wide as you squeeze your leg to your chest.

2. Continue inhaling as you switch legs, folding your right knee to your chest and extending your left leg diagonally to your working level height. As you bend your leg imagine that you’re playing tug of war with someone who’s holding that ankle and pulling your leg away from you as you bend it. This will stoke the fires of your Powerhouse to build the power to stabilize your spine and pelvis and to strengthen your leg.

3. Exhale as you repeat steps I and 2.

4. Repeat steps I through 3, four more times, for a total of three inhales and two exhales (ten leg switches), using your final exhale to bend both knees in to your chest. In other words, inhale for two leg switches, then exhale for two leg switches, and so on. Don’t worry if you do one leg movement more or less!

To get the most from the Single Leg Stretch, use precise, controlled movements and remember to keep your inner legs in contact with that imaginary sheet of glass that separates them. Imagine your extended leg being pulled away from you along a moving walkway; slide the back of your leg along this walkway as it moves away from you to engage your hamstrings and abdominals.