In our last exercise ?The Roll-Up?, we were working to articulate the spine.  By contrast, in The Single Leg Circles, we are working to stabilize the spine.

Lie on your back with your arms long by your sides, shoulders back and wide.  Think full extension of the body here.  Make sure the chin is not pointing to the ceiling, the neck should be long and the head straight.  The abdominals, or Powerhouse, should be active.  Raise the left leg up straight to the ceiling, or 90 degrees.  The right leg should be in the center of your mat.  Make a circle with the leg by starting to the right, lowering and returning on the left to your home, or start position.  Do this five times, then reverse the circles.  Once completed, hug your knee into your chest for a stretch.  Change legs and repeat.

What to focus on:  Keep the feet relaxed and don?t let your knees rotate inward. As you circle your leg, the hips will want to rock back and forth from side to side.  Use both your abdominals and your arms to help you stabilize or ?anchor? the hips.  Placing your hands on your hips as you circle the leg can help you determine if the hips are moving.  As always, breathing correctly will help your work be more efficient and powerful.  Inhale as you begin your circle, exhale and pull your navel down as you return your leg back to the start position. 

What you?ll gain:  Increased flexibility in the hips comes from the rotation of the leg in the hip socket.  The abdominals get work not only by stabilizing the hips and upper body through the rotations, but also to bring the leg back up against gravity.  Inner and outer thighs are also working.

What to watch out for:  The lower back should not be arching upward.  If it is, you may need to bend your other leg to help you position the pelvis correctly.  And don?t forget to keep those abdominals ?scooped? in. The size of the circle you make initially should be small (6?) until you feel you are ready for more of a challenge.  Tiny circles can be enough work to start. 

Modifications:  If you find it difficult to straighten your legs, it is okay to keep the knees bent.  It may be more comfortable on your lower back to place your hands under your hips. 

Note: If you missed the previous installments of our Get Going series, please visit the Notebook section of our website where we will archive the entire series.