Side-Lying Leg Raise
- Beginner
- Home
- Pilates
The side-lying leg raise lifts your top leg from a side-lying position, body stacked in one straight line and your head supported. It trains the glutes and adductors through a controlled lift and lower rather than a swinging motion. Beginners use it for reps at home, in a Pilates flow, or worked into a circuit.
- Muscles
- Glutes, Adductors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Logged as
- Reps
How to
- Lie on your side, body in one line, head supported.
- Lift your top leg to just above hip height.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Lower with control; finish the set, then switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep your waist long, not crunched sideways.
- Flex your top foot and lead with the heel.
- Exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
Common mistakes
- The leg swings up using momentum. Lift slowly without swinging the leg.
- Toes point up, rotating the hip open. Keep your toes pointing forward as you lift.
- Hips roll backward to gain more height. Stack your hips and lift only as high as they allow.
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