Pilates For Long Lean Legs

Copyright (c) 2012 Claudel Kuek

Here is how to achieve the much sought-after long and lean-legged look of Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston and Halle Berry.. Pilates exercises for the best legs you can achieve given what nature has dealt us. Fret no more. The answer to your best-looking legs are here in these Pilates exercises. Have fun with the transformation of your legs and stay healthy and sexy always:

Single Leg Stretch

Lie flat on the mat with your legs extended toward the ceiling. Legs and heels are together, rotated slightly outward from the hips. Lengthen your spine, pull in your abdominals, and curl your chin and upper body up off the mat. Grasp your right ankle, or below the knee if you have tight hamstrings as you stretch your left leg out at a 45 degree angle. The lower the leg, the harder the abdominals have to work to maintain alignment. Inhale as you gently pull your right leg toward you. Pulse the leg towards you twice, increasing your stretch here. Switch legs and exhale as you pull your left leg towards you. Pulse this leg towards you twice, increasing the stretch now in this leg.

Side Leg Lifts

Lie on your side with all body parts lined up so that your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are in one line. Now move your legs slightly in front so that you are in a banana shape. This helps with balance and protects the lower back. Prop your head up on your hand, lifting your rib cage away from the mat. Keeping your abdominals sucked in, inhale to begin. On the exhale, use your abdominals and the engagement of your legs to bring both legs up a few inches off the mat. Keep your inner legs glued together, all the way from your sit bones to your heels. On the inhale, grow longer as you slowly lower your legs back down on the mat using control.

Side Kick Up Down

Lie on your side and line up your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Prop your head up on your hand, making sure to lift the ribs away from the mat so that the back and neck stay in alignment. The front hand rests firmly, palm down on the mat in front of your chest. Use this hand to help stabilize. Keep your abdominal muscles are pulled in and up. Inhale to extend the top leg up towards the ceiling smoothly. Do not rock your hips. On the exhale, pull you abdominals up, in opposition to the lengthening of the leg, as you control the lowering of the lifted leg back to starting position.

Kneeling Side Kick

Begin in kneeling position. Pull your abdominals in and drop your tailbone toward the floor. Extend your right leg directly out to the side, with your toe on the floor. Drop your left hand to the floor, directly under your shoulder, leaving your arm straight. This will take your torso to the side. Keep your shoulder open by dropping your shoulder blades down your back and rotating your arm so that your inner elbow crease rotates outward. Place your right hand on your hip. Inhale as you shift your weight to left leg and extend your right leg out to the side hip-height. Exhale as you swing the top leg as far forward as possible in a flexed foot. Perform two pulses here. Inhale to swing the leg back as far as possible in a pointed foot. Elongate the leg backward at maximum reach before swinging it forward again.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com