How to Do Pilates Standing Side Knee Lifts

The Pilates standing side knee lift is one of many standing movements that mimic typical Pilates floor exercises. This exercise helps to improve balance and strengthens your core as you work to maintain good posture and alignment. The standing knee lift will strengthen and tone your quadriceps muscles. You can also use this exercise to strengthen your shoulder muscles if you add a weighted Pilates ball to the movement.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2- or 3-pound Pilates ball (optional)

1. Stand up straight. Tighten your abdominal and buttocks muscles. Have your heels together with the feet turned out as much as you comfortably can.

2. Raise your left arm out to the side at shoulder height with the palm facing down. This will help you to maintain balance. Lift your right arm straight up overhead with your palm facing in.

3. Slowly and with control, lift your right knee up as high as you can, keeping the leg turned out. Make sure you stay up straight and do not tip or lean as you lift the knee. At the same time, pull your right elbow down to meet your knee.

4. Squeeze your thigh muscles and slowly press your leg back down to the floor. Slide the right heel down along the left leg as you lower. Land with the heels touching and the feet turned out. The key is to press through your heel and to move slowly; do not just drop the leg back down.

5. As you lower the leg, reach the right arm back up overhead.

6. Do 6 to 8 repetitions. Repeat on the other side.

7. To strengthen the shoulders, hold a 2- to 3-pound small Pilates ball in your hand as you lift and lower the arm.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that Pilates is about moving the body with control and awareness. Do this exercise slowly and really focus on form and contracting the leg and core muscles.
• To avoid back injury, keep the abdominal and buttocks muscles contracted throughout this exercise.
• Do smaller movements at first if needed, and then make the movements larger as you gain strength.

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