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Mat Pilates Case Study
Block A
Student Details
- Name
- Melina Issler
- Tutor
- Pilar Lokko
- Course Location
- Dublin - Swords
- Course Group
- S26 Swords
- Course Start
- April 2026
Block A
- Total word count
- 353 words
- Fields completed
- 25 of 25 (100%)
Block Overview57 words
Class Focus: spinal mobility, pelvic stability, core strength and control, spinal articulation
Duration: 55
Key Exercises: Alignment & Breath, Roll Down, Cat-Cow, Pelvic Curl, Shoulder Bridge, Supine Toe Taps, Single Leg Circles, C-Curve, Roll Up, Swimming Prep, Forward Plank Hold, Leg Pull Front, Child's Pose, Supine Rotation Stretch (Spine Twist Supine), Lateral Breathing Reset, Standing Roll Down.
My Goals91 words
The goal of this teaching block is to improve participants' core strength, pelvic stability and spinal mobility through a series of controlled Pilates exercises. Participants will develop greater body awareness by applying the six Pilates principles of Breathing, Centre, Concentration, Control, Precision and Flow throughout the class.
The class aims to enhance spinal articulation, improve postural alignment and increase stability through the core and pelvis. Participants will be encouraged to coordinate breath with movement, move with control and precision, and transition smoothly between exercises to promote efficient and mindful movement patterns.
Block Details40 words
Block Name: Block A
Class Duration (mins): 55
Focus: spinal mobility (Roll Down, Cat-Cow), pelvic stability (Toe Taps, Single Leg Circles), core strength and control (C-Curve, Roll Up, Plank, Leg Pull Front), spinal articulation (Pelvic Curl, Shoulder Bridge, Roll Up)
Goals & Pilates Principles165 words
Class Principles: Breathe, Centre, Concentration, Control, Precision, Flow
Class Focus: My class has been designed around the six principles of Pilates: Breathing, Centre, Concentration, Control, Precision and Flow, and I will incorporate these principles throughout the class.
This class focuses on improving core strength, pelvic stability and spinal mobility through controlled movement and mindful body awareness. Participants will be encouraged to move with precision, maintain postural alignment and develop greater control of their movements while coordinating breath with movement.
The exercises selected promote spinal mobility through movements such as Roll Down and Cat-Cow, pelvic stability through Supine Toe Taps and Single Leg Circles, and core strength and control through C-Curve, Roll Up, Forward Plank Hold and Leg Pull Front. Spinal articulation is developed through Pelvic Curl Prep, Shoulder Bridge and Roll Up, encouraging smooth and controlled movement throughout the class.
The principle of Flow is achieved through logical exercise sequencing and smooth transitions between positions, allowing participants to move efficiently and continuously throughout the class.
Warm-Up
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alignment & Breath | 4-5 breaths | Feet hip-width apart, close your eyes and place your hands at the lower end of your ribs. Find a neutral pelvis. Inhale for a count of 5, expanding your rib cage outwards laterally. Soften your shoulders. Exhale for a count of 5, lowering your ribs as fast as you can and feeling the two sides of the rib cage come together. | Shorten the length of your inhales and exhales |
| Roll Down | 2 | Feet hip-width apart, shoulders relaxed and find a neutral spine. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you tuck your chin to your chest and begin to curl your spine downwards. Move slowly and with control, articulating one vertebra at a time. Keep your core engaged as you fold forward and allow the arms to hang towards the floor. Inhale at the bottom. Exhale and slowly roll back up, stacking the spine one vertebra at a time until you return to your starting position. Relax the shoulders and lengthen through the crown of the head. Repeat one more time. On the second Roll Down, remain folded forward and gently walk your hands forward until you arrive in a four-point kneeling position. | Bending the knees |
| Cat-Cow | 6-8 | Come onto all fours with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Lengthen through the crown of your head and find a neutral spine. As you inhale, gently extend through the spine, broadening through the chest and drawing the shoulders away from the ears. As you exhale, draw your belly button in and up towards your spine. Tuck the tailbone under and begin to round through the lower back, middle back and upper back, allowing the head to follow the movement of the spine. | Seated position or a smaller range |
| Pelvic Curl | 6 | After last Cat-Cow: Return to a neutral spine. Gently sit your hips back towards your heels, then bring your legs around in front of you. With control, lower yourself onto your back, placing your feet flat on the mat hip-width apart and your arms by your sides flat on the mat, palms facing the mat. Inhale to prepare, neutral spine, and as we exhale we will move to our posterior tilt, moving the pelvis back, peeling our hips up towards the ceiling. Inhale to slowly return to imprint on the mat, lowering the upper mat first and lowering one vertebra at a time back on the mat. The tailbone is the last one to touch the mat. Make sure you keep your shoulders on the mat. | Reduce the lift |
Main Phase
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder Bridge | 8 | Feet hip-width apart, supine position, knees bent and arms long by your sides. Find a neutral pelvis and lengthen through the crown of the head. Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, draw the belly button towards your spine and peel the spine off the mat one vertebra at a time until you reach your bridge position. As you inhale, slowly lower the spine back down to the mat, articulating through each vertebra one at a time until you return to your starting position. Keep the shoulders relaxed, lift the hips with control and do not press the hips beyond the knees. After last one, bring your feet into your chest and take 2 deep breaths and rock yourself gently from side to side. | Feet closer to the hips |
| Supine Toe Taps | 8 each leg | After Shoulder Bridge: Gently lower the spine back to the mat and return to a neutral pelvis. Your knees are still bent and your arms relaxed on the side. Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine. Inhalte to prepare, and as you exhale bring your right leg into tabletop. Inhale to prepare, and bring your left left into table top. Make sure that you have a 90 degree angle at the knee joint and at the hip joint. Inhale as we lower our right leg, exhale as we lift the leg back into table top. Engage your lower abs to control the movement. Inhale as we lower the left leg, exhale as we lift the leg back into table top. Do not use momentum through your legs. Instead move with control and precision. After the last one: hug the knees into the chest and gently rock from side to side | Keeping one foot grounded |
| Single Leg Circles | 6 in each direction | Gently lower your legs back on the mat and extend your legs fully. Give yourself a nice long stretch. After, your arms are lengthened by your side and your legs fully extended. As you inhale lift your right leg into an upright position, with your toes pointed. Imagine having a light on your toes, drawing circles on the ceiling. To begin making the circles, we inhale half way sending the leg away, and exhale to bring our leg back to the starting position. Repeat 6 times in one direction and 6 times in the opposite direction. Repeat on the other leg. Move slowly with intention, your breath should dictate your speed. Keep your pelvis stable, no tilting movements. After your final circle hug both knees into your chest gently rocking from side to side. | 1. Bend the supporting knee, 2. Bend the knee that is drawing circles |
| C-Curve | 8 | After Single Leg Circle: Gently rock yourself up to a seated position. Sit on the mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your thighs and sit tall on your sit bones. Sit tall, and lengthen through your spine. Inhale to prepare and we stabilising the pelvis, lifting the pelvic floor up. As we exhale, we will contract the abdominals from the lowest part of your tummy. Draw the belly button in and tuck your tailbone under to initiate a slight posterior pelvic tilt. Feel this scooping sensation as we round the lumbar spine up, and allow your spine to follow and chin to tuck. And then we inhale to draw all the way back up. Imagine your head as an extension of your c-curve and spine. Keep your shoulders nice and relaxed. We exhale to deepen the curve, and inhale to lenghten | L1: hold thighs, L2: extending arms forward parallel to the floor |
| Roll Up | 6 | Now fully extend your legs and stretch your arms out overhead. Your toes are dorsiflexed. Inhale to prepare, as you exhale, tuck your chin and round the upper back, beginning to peel your spine off the mat without lifting your feet off the floor. Roll upwards one vertebra at a time. Finish your exhale at the top. Inhale to prepare, exhale and tuck your tailbone under, engaging the core and slowly rolling back down one vertebra at a time. Reach the fingertips up, inhale to prepare, and again as we exhale we slowly peel the spine off the mat. | Seated position, knees and hips flexed hands behind the knee. Return to C-Curve if client not able to roll up. Or feet flat on the mat, arms lifted up and when client does the roll down, hands can be behind the thighs |
| Swimming Prep | 8 each side | Transition after Roll Up: Lower yourself back down to the mat with control. Reach the arms overhead and lengthen through the entire body. Give yourself a gentle stretch. From here, gently roll onto your stomach and then into a nice childs pose. From here come onto all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your spine in a neutral position, do not arch your lower back. Draw your belly button toward your spine to stabilise your torso. Inhale to prepare, and as you exhale, extend your right arm forward and your left leg straight back. Make sure to keep both parallel to the floor. Your neck is nice and neutral, you can slightly look forward and down. Inhale as you lower your arm and leg back to the starting position. Repeat on each sides. Make sure that you are moving slowly and with control and maintain a long line from your fingertips and toes. After your final repetition, place the hands underneath the shoulders and gently press back into Child's Pose. Take two breaths here, lengthening through the spine. | Lift single limb only |
| Forward Plank Hold | 30 secs | From Child's Pose, come forward into a four-point kneeling position and step one foot back at a time into Front Plank. Your shoulders are over your wrist and engage your lower stomach. Focus on your pelvis being stabilised in a neutral position. After 30 sec: Gently lower the knees to the mat and sit the hips back towards the heels for a brief Child's Pose. Take a deep inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth (1-2 breaths here) | On forearms if wrists hurt. Or knees down as modification |
| Leg Pull Prone | 6 each side | From your childspose come back into a four point kneeling position. Wrists are under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Neutral pelvis here with a wide chest. Extend one leg back on the exhale. Tuck your toes, inhale to prepare, as we exhale, feel your glutes activating as we kick back with the leg. Do not rotate your hip to the side, nice and stable. Inhale pull front, exhale kick back. If you feel like levelling up, come back through four-point kneeling and step one foot back at a time back into your plank position. The neck is long and eyes are looking down and forward. Inhale to prepare, as you exhale lift the right leg off the floor towards hip height. Breathe in as you lower and exhale as you lift the leg. Alternate legs. Avoid hunching your shoulders. Imagine creating length with your leg as you lift it, rather than height. After your last one, give yourself a nice childs pose and take a deep inhale and exhale. | If client cannot do it in a full plank, staying in all fours. If client can do plank but not lift legs, a static plank is also an option. |
Cool-Down
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child's Pose | 5 breaths | Relax your shoulders away from your ears and lengthen the spine | Using support props such as a cushion |
| Supine Rotation Stretch | 5 each side | Coming out of your child’s pose, come into a seated position, bring your legs around and lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out on the side and keep your shoulders on the mat. Inhale to prepare, exhale keeping your knees together drop them down to one side. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you return to the starting position and take your knees across to the opposite side. Use your core to bring your knees back to the centre. Give yourself a nice spinal rotation. Only drop the knees as far as you can go comfortably. | Smaller the range if it feels uncomfortable, knees do not need to touch the floor |
| Lateral Breathing Reset | 5 breaths | Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Place one hand on the belly and one hand on the side of the ribcage. Inhale deeply, feeling the ribcage expand laterally into the hand. Exhale slowly, allowing the ribs to soften and the abdominals to gently engage. Allow the body to relax and the breath to return to its natural rhythm | Seated |
| Standing Roll Down | 2 | Gently hug the knees into the chest. Roll onto one side and pause for a moment. Using your hands for support, press yourself up to a seated position and then come all the way to standing. Once standing, place your feet hip-width apart and allow your arms to rest by your sides. Take a breath in to prepare for your final Roll Down. As you exhale, nod the chin towards the chest and begin to roll down through the spine one vertebra at a time. Keep your core engaged as you fold forward, allow your arms to hang down to the floor. Breathe deeply into your back at the bottom of your roll down. Gently sway from side to side to deepen that stretch for your spine. Inhale to prepare, as well as exhale engage your core and slowly roll back up by stacking your spine from the bottom one vertebra at a time. Make sure you are articulating your spine slowly and controlled. Finish up with your chest nice and open and your shoulders down. | Bend the knees |