Relax while you stretch your hamstrings, inner thighs and back!
This stretch is a fantastic way to work on your flexibility while relaxing (or chatting on the phone to your loved ones). All you need is bit of wall that is wide and tall enough for your legs to fit up and open on. This stretch is super easy, as long as you have wall space and can get down on the floor.
One thing to note that, in this video, you can see that Dan’s knees are very hyperextended. Because there is no weight on them, it is ok. However, if you are also very hyperextended in the knees, be aware that if you are farther away from the wall, you may not be able to stay here as long because your feet may start to fall asleep or you knees may start to ache. Still stretch with straight legs for the most benefit but bend your knees in towards your chest for a break, if the front of your knees hurt or your feet fall asleep. If you feel it in the back of your knees, it is likely just to be that those muscles are stretching, so, as long as it feels like a stretch, that is fine.
A second thing to note is that when Dan opens his legs, his left leg finds a fence pole in the way and cannot go down as far as his right. When you pick your wall space, make sure you have equal room on the sides of you for the open leg version. For this video, Kaethe and Dan had to make sure that they found a spot of the ground that was flat enough for his back to be comfy and that meant being too close to a pole on one side.
Looking for more leg or relaxing stretches? Schedule your free 90 minute consultation.
This blog was contributed by our Pilates guru, Kaethe Birkner. Kaethe is a certified Pilates instructor through Balanced Body and dances ballet professionally at Continental Ballet Company. She has been teaching Pilates since 2012 and has been taking Pilates since 2004.
