One Leg Circle
Lying on your back, you draw slow circles in the air with one leg while your hips stay still. It loosens the hip joint and trains your core to keep the pelvis steady while a leg moves.
Illustration. Kiki's own photos are coming soon.
What it works
- Hip joint mobility
- Pelvic stability
- Abdominal control
- Flexibility at the back of the thigh
Starting position
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down. Bend your left knee and place the foot flat on the mat. Lift your right leg toward the ceiling; a soft bend in the knee is fine. Let your back rest naturally with its small curve, and keep both sides of your pelvis level and heavy on the mat.
How to do it
- Breathe in and move your raised leg across your body toward the opposite shoulder.
- Continue the circle down toward the mat, out to the side, and back up to the top, breathing out as you finish.
- Keep the circle about the size of a dinner plate, small enough that your hips do not rock.
- Do all your reps in one direction, then reverse the circle.
- Switch legs and repeat.
Breathing
Breathe in for the first half of the circle, breathe out to bring the leg back to the top.
How many
5 circles each direction, each leg
Teaching cues
- Your leg moves; your hips stay quiet.
- Draw the circle from the hip socket, not the foot.
- Keep both hip bones level like headlights.
Common mistakes
Make it easier
Bend the circling knee and make very small circles, keeping the supporting knee bent with the foot on the mat.
Make it harder
Straighten the supporting leg along the mat and make the circle a little larger, but only as large as you can go with your pelvis completely still.
Before you start
This is generally a gentle exercise, done with the spine in its natural position. If you have hip pain, a hip replacement, or a clicking hip that hurts, keep the circles tiny or skip it, and check with your doctor or physical therapist about which movements are safe for you. After a hip replacement, don't let the leg cross the middle of your body unless your surgeon or physical therapist says it's fine. During pregnancy, ACOG's patient advice is to avoid lying flat on your back as much as possible, so keep sets short, prop your upper body up on pillows, or ask your provider for an alternative.
This page is general guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts, and check with your doctor or physical therapist if you have an injury, a medical condition, or are pregnant or postpartum.
Questions
My hip clicks during leg circles. Is that bad?
A painless click is common and often comes from a tendon moving over the hip. Making the circle smaller usually quiets it. If the click comes with pain, stop and have it checked by a doctor or physical therapist.
Should my leg be completely straight?
No. A straight leg looks tidy, but tight hamstrings make it pull on your back and pelvis. A soft bend in the knee lets you keep the hips still, which is the real point of the exercise.
Try next
Sources
Want feedback on your form?
Practice at home works best with a teacher checking your form. Join the Friday mat class in Point Loma, or book a one-on-one online session with Kiki.