Leg Lowers — One Leg at a Time: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Leg Lowers — One Leg at a Time is a mat Pilates exercise performed lying on the back with one leg bent and the foot flat on the mat while the other extends straight up and slowly lowers from 90 degrees before lifting back, then repeating on the same or opposite leg. Keeping one foot anchored on the floor while the other does the work is what makes this the easier way into Leg Lowers.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A Yoga Mat underneath is an optional way to pad the spine against a hard floor.
Why It Matters
Even one working leg asks the deep core to resist a steady pull toward an arch across the full lower-and-lift range, and keeping that control while the other leg stays anchored takes coordinated bracing. A deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset (transverse abdominis) keeps the lower back pinned to the mat as the leg lowers, and the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach (rectus abdominis) control the pace of both the lower and the lift. The deep hip flexor (hip flexors, iliopsoas) drives the single leg through the movement, and the lower back muscles (erector spinae) steady the spine against the pull of the working leg.
When to Do It
Leg Lowers — One Leg at a Time works well in the supine abdominal portion of a Pilates mat session, usually placed as the entry point before both legs are lowered together. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace for building this one-leg control.
Anyone with a current lower back issue should get individual guidance before adding this exercise, since a lowering leg loads the lower back even with a supporting leg bent.
Getting Ready
A few rounds of pressing the bent foot gently into the mat confirm a stable base before the working leg begins to lower. A small partial lower, well short of the full range, previews the control the full set will need.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Lie on the back, one leg bent with the foot flat on the mat, the other extended straight up.
2. The lower. Slowly lower the extended leg from 90 degrees toward the mat, keeping the lower back flat.
3. The stop. Lower only as far as the back can stay still against the mat.
4. The lift. Lift the leg back to 90 degrees with the same control, then repeat for the set.
How Many, How Often
Leg Lowers — One Leg at a Time is dosed by reps, with each lower-and-lift counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to keeping the lower back from arching | 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps per leg, with a smaller lowering range |
| Intermediate | The back stays flat through a larger range | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg |
| Advanced | Comfortable lowering close to the mat with control | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg |
The lower back staying pinned to the mat matters more here than how close the working leg gets to the floor, since chasing a lower leg position once the back starts to lift trades core control for a bigger-looking range.
Modifications and Variations
The step up from this version lowers both legs together.
Compared to Leg Lowers, this version keeps one leg bent and anchored on the mat while only the other leg lowers and lifts, which halves the load on the deep core compared to moving both legs together. Once one leg can lower and lift with a still lower back, working toward both legs moving together in Leg Lowers is the natural next step.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Lowering the working leg past the point the back can stay flat. Chasing a lower leg position once the lower back has already started to lift off the mat turns a controlled core exercise into an uncontrolled lumbar arch. The floor of the lower should be set by the back, not by how far the leg can physically reach.
Letting the bent, supporting leg drift or lose its foot placement. Allowing the anchoring foot to slide or the bent knee to fall outward removes the stable base the exercise depends on for protecting the lower back. Keeping that foot planted and still supports the working leg’s full range.
Letting gravity pull the leg down quickly, or snapping it back up. Rushing either half of the lower and lift skips the sustained tension this exercise is built around. Matching the down speed to the up speed is what keeps the deep core in charge of the rep.
After Your Set
Hugging both knees into the chest and rocking gently side to side releases the lower back after a set spent resisting a steady arching pull. Extending one leg toward the ceiling and holding behind the thigh stretches the hamstring that worked through the single-leg range.
Going Deeper
This exercise usually works well as a way to build the anti-arch control the full two-leg version needs, without the doubled load of both legs testing that control before it exists. The supporting bent leg tends to start pressing into the mat to help stabilize, taking some of the job away from the deep core. Keeping that leg relaxed and letting the core alone resist the arch, even if that means a smaller lowering range, builds strength faster than leaning on the supporting leg.
Someone new to this exercise generally manages a smaller lowering range within a few sessions, then works toward a much lower leg position over two to three weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A lower back that stays flat through the whole lowering range
- A supporting leg that stays relaxed
- A pace that stays even through both the lower and the lift
- A lowering range that grows while the lower back stays controlled
A lower back that never lifts off the mat matters more than how low the leg reaches.
Muscles Worked
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, keeping the lower back pinned to the mat as the leg lowers)
- Rectus Abdominis (the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach, controlling the pace of both the lower and the lift)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, driving the single leg through the movement)
- Erector Spinae (the lower back muscles, steadying the spine against the pull of the working leg)
FAQ
Why lower one leg at a time? Keeping one leg bent and anchored halves the load on the deep core compared to lowering both legs together, which makes the anti-arch control this exercise depends on easier to learn before the doubled load is added.
When is it time to lower both legs together? When each leg can lower through a full range with a flat lower back, start working toward Leg Lowers with both legs moving together.
Is some ab or hip flexor fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, fatigue through the abdominals and hip flexors after several reps per leg is expected. A sharp pain limited to the lower back is different and calls for stopping the set and getting a doctor or physical therapist’s opinion.
Is it normal for one leg to feel more controlled than the other? Yes, a difference in control between the two sides is common. Giving the less controlled side the same number of reps as the other, rather than favoring what feels easier, tends to close that gap over time.
How often should the one-leg version be practiced? Two to three times a week, as part of the supine abdominal portion of a broader mat session, is enough repetition to build this one-leg control.
Related to Leg Lowers as the harder, two-leg version to move to once the lower back stays flat through a single working leg.