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Mat Pilates Case Study
Block A
Student Details
- Name
- Kirsty Cogan Byrne
- kirstyb133@gmail.com
- Tutor
- Nina Plazanin
- Tutor CC Email
- coachedbynina.fit@gmail.com
- Course Location
- Dublin - Tallaght
- Course Group
- Pilates Course April 26
- Course Start
- April 2026
Block A
- Total word count
- 161 words
- Fields completed
- 28 of 28 (100%)
Block Overview19 words
Class Focus: Core Strength, mobility & body coordination
Duration: 50-55 mins
Key Exercises: The push-up, C-curve & The 100's
My Goals86 words
My goals for this teaching block is to build strength throughout the body focusing on our power house (core) activating our abdominal muscles. As well as working on building strength this class also has a goal of stabilization & control - Focusing on slower movement while building a stronger mind to muscle connection during each exercise. Finally keeping the bodies nervous systems in Parasympathetic state responsible for the body's rest & digest functions- low heart rates & conserving energy levels avoiding burnout throughout the class block.
Block Details17 words
Block Name: Block A
Class Duration (mins): 55
Focus: Building core strength, spine mobility & body coordination
Goals & Pilates Principles39 words
Class Principles: Breathe, Centre, Concentration, Control, Precision, Flow
Class Focus: This class is built on the 6 principles of Pilates incorporating each principle individually building a strong mind to muscle connection as-well as body coordination & awareness during movement.
Warm-Up
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body alignment & Latheral Breathing | 5-6 | Relaxed shoulders, lengthened spine neutral pelvis, soft bend in knees, feet hip distance apart... Hands on rib cage as we inhale we want to imagine a baloon filling up opening our rib cage east-west (side to side) as we exhale we want to let the air out through pierced lips allowing our ribs knit to hips, bellybutton pull to spine & hands close back inwards like a shop door closing. | Lying supine or seated/ sitting on knees- Advising closing over eyes to focus on themselves |
| Pelvic Tilts | 6-8 | Squared hips, Imaging hips are head lights - When we tilt into our anterior tilt we shine the lights downwards tilting the pelvis forward. When we tilt into our posterior tilt we shine those lights upwards scooping our tailbones under tilting our pelvis backwards. Inhale as we center & Exhaling as we tilt. | Reduce range in movements/ Lying supine with hands based on pelvic area shaped as a diamond helping the flow |
| Roll down | 4-5 | Slow spine articulation- Imagine hands are paint brushes brushing down the body as we roll vertebra by vertebra | Bend Knees to help range when rolling down |
Main Phase
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat & Cow | 6-8 | Body scan to ensure hands are stacked under shoulders, knees under hips as well as hip distant apart...Inhale as we extend our spines lifting chest & tail bones/ Exhale flexing spine rounding through our spines | Reduce range while extending & flexing |
| Swimming Prep | 6 each side | Run through tilts in prone table top position- Stabalise Core, Belly button knitted to spine, As we flow we use opposite arm/ leg to legthen put keeping a long neutral spine. | Lift one limb at a time ie legs/ arms singular |
| Front Plank Hold | 30 secs | Shoulders stacked over wrists, engage belly button to spine & neutral spine | Rest on elbows rather then pushing through wrists / Bear hold plank/ 45 degree angle plank |
| The Leg Pull Prone | 6-8 reps | Stabalise Core, belly button to spine, neck long & aligned with neutral spine, eye gaze down towards top of mat to avoid strain on the neck, Inhale to prepare, Exhale lengthen & lift leg off the floor towards in line with hips without arching spine. | Prone table top rather than lengthened legs plank position |
| Childs Pose | 5/6 Breaths | Lengthen spine, relaxed shoulders imagine someone is pulling through fingertips for a deeper stretch, slowing down our breaths | Roll up mat or use cushion |
| C-Curve | 8 | Swivel legs around into seated position-Hands behind thighs, seated nice and tall imagining a string pulling from our heads to ceiling, bright chest, relaxed shoulders... Inhaling to stabalise & prepare locking our abdominals & exhaling as we start to curve our spines rolling back scooping our tail bones into our half roll back imagining we have an egg tucked between our chin & chest. Inhale & hold exhale using our powerhouse to lift ourselves back to center (starting tall seated position) -On final rep roll all the way down to the mat vertebra by vertebra to supine position. | Smaller Roll back (recline) & taking hands from behind legs to challenge more |
| Chest Lift | 6-8 | Elbows wide behind head, imagine egg between chin & chest, inhale to stalalize/ prepare exhale peel chest & head from floor & lower back down slow and controlled | smaller range when lifting, head down/ rested |
| The 100s | 100 Counts (3 Levels) | Starting L1- Feet imprinted knees to ceiling, Peeling head & chest up keeping that egg tucked between chin & chest, pumping from our shoulders for 5 beats as we inhale & 5 beats as we exhale. Leg Lift to follow after L1 to prepare for L2. Inhale to stabalise & lock abdominals exhale zip abdominals like a wetsuit locking to position & lift tight leg to table top inhale & repeat for left leg to table top. Inhale to prepare & stabalise, exhale lower leg to floor starting position slowly (5 seconds) keeping control repeat with left leg. | Head rested/ down & Table top legs (L2) or Lengthened legs (L3) |
| Hug Knees- Roll spine | 5/6 breaths | Knees to chest, rolling spine on mat side- side or circular | - |
| Chest lift Rotation | 8 each side | Supine position, neutral spine, knees bent to ceiling shoulders relaxed to mat hands behind head to support with elbows kept wide. Inhale to prepare exhale chest lift peeling head & chest from mat keeping that egg tucked between chin & chest. Twist torso to right knitting rib cage towards right hip & same on the left side. Keep pelvis squared & stable. | Smaller range when lifting & rotating, Center off & reset between each rotation. Lift legs to table top. |
| Criss Cross | 8 each side | Engaging core & imaging core to be a wet towel when we rotate we want to ring the towel out. Elbows wide & shoulders relaxed keeping that egg tucked between chin & chest. Pelvis stable & squared | Smaller rotations, head down/ rested or slower movements with pauses to focus on control |
| Hug Knees- Roll Spine | 5/6 breaths | Knees to chest, rolling spine on mat side- side or circular | - |
Cool-Down
| Exercise | Reps | Cues | Modifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supine Spine Twist | 3 each side | Lying Supine arms out to each side imaging a T shape. Bring knees to Table top position & float them to one side (right) looking over the opposite side shoulder keeping shoulder blades flat to the mat(left) & repeat opposite side. | keep one leg straight while other bent. |
| Seated 90 x 90s | 4/5 each side | Peel up slowly & bring yourself to a seated position. Keeping the torso squared off, lengthened spine, shoulders relaxed. Position one leg (right) externally infront of the body & the other leg ( left) internally behind creating almost a z shape. Sweep the knees up & over allowing the leg infront of the body lead the way through the center over to the opposite side. (Repeat opposite side) | Lean back with arms behind body to aIf a 90 degree angle is too difficult to maintain bring knees closer to the body to widen the support. |
| Mermaid | 3/4 each side | Legs Crossed sitting tall spine lengthened head aligned with neutral spine sit bones imprinted to mat. one arm rested on the floor soft bend in elbow & the other lengthened over head. Inhale to prepare lifting ribs from hips exhale reach lengthened arm up & over side bending the spine keeping glues(sit bones) printed into the mat. Take a breath & melt a little bit more over for an added stretch before returning to center & repeating on opposite side. | Roll up mat or use block/ cushion to sit on. Keep arm lower or bent if shoulder range restricted. |
| Shoulder Rolls | 4/5 each side | Sitting tall lengthened spine, Bright chest & shoulders relaxed away from the ears begin to lift the shoulders up towards the ears and dropping them down the back until back to started relaxed position. Repeat by bringing the shoulders up to meet the ears & rolling forward down the front towards the chest. | - |