Letter O = One Leg Circle
The One Leg Circle is a great exercise to strengthen and
mobilise the hip joints as well as the core muscles. At
beginner level the focus is more on hip mobility but at
advanced level it becomes a real challenge and great for
strengthening the abductors, adductors and hip flexors.
The exercise is performed supine on a mat. For a beginner
both legs are bent, one foot on the mat and one foot off,
shin parallel to the floor. Starting with the hand on the
knee, guide the leg in a circular motion, inhaling as the
knee comes in and exhaling as the knee moves away.
Focus on the hip joint being the central point. Change
direction and then change legs. As a progression for
beginners, remove the hand.
At advanced level it is one of the best exercises to test core
strength. The abdominals must work hard to keep the
shoulders and pelvis stable while the movement is coming
from the hip socket within the pelvis, which is challenging.
This level of exercise will also stretch and strengthen the
leg muscles. For this level, lay in a supine position, both
legs straight, one leg extended toward the ceiling, arms
relaxed down by the side. Inhale and start to circle the leg
across the body, exhale and complete the circle. Perform
the circles in a smooth and controlled manner, repeat in
the other direction after 5 repetitions.
Important cues for this exercise are:
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Focus on keeping the pelvis stable during the
circles by pulling the abdominals in
Keep the shoulders back and down
Imagine the leg is a pencil and draw a circle on the
ceiling
To assist with this exercise a resistance band can be placed
in the arch of the foot. This will make the exercise easier
and good as a warm-up preparatory exercise.
To progress this exercise, increase the range of movement or the number of repetitions.