Warming Up for Single Straight Leg Pilates Stretch

"Now I'll be teaching you the "Single Straight Leg Stretch". It is part of the Abdominal Series of Five. The goal of this exercise is again to strengthen the abdominals, but it?s also to stretch the backs of the thighs, and to coordinate breath with movement, and length of the legs. So to prepare for this exercise you lie down as you did with the other abdominal series. Knees up and feet down. Arms reaching long. We're going to prepare first by taking your chin to your chest and inhaling. And exhale and curl in, reach your right knee into your chest. Lengthen it out and up and lengthen it down. And then bring that knee in and lower down. Just warming up the backs of the legs. Take another deep breath in, exhale curl up, reaching up, lengthening that leg. Reaching out through the heel and lengthening it down. Now we?re going to do the left leg. Lower the head down. Take another deep breath. Exhale; curl your chin to your chest. Lift that knee in, lengthen the leg. Really reach it from the seat. Lengthening out through the Hamstrings and lower right down and release. One last time. Inhale. Exhale curl up chin to the chest. Reach up. Reach, reach, and reach through that leg. And leg down and release. And that?s how we prepare for the "Single Straight Leg Stretch"."