Mat Pilates Case Study

Class Focus: Core strength in a variety of directions, spinal articulation, introduction of foundational movement vocabulary

Duration: 55 minutes

Key Exercises: Leg lift supine, Swimming Prep, C curve, intro to side lying, shoulder bridge

I have prepared a class that would serve as the initial class in a series of beginner classes.

The goal of this class is to introduce participants to the foundational movement repertoire and techniques of classical mat pilates with an emphasis on the six principles: breath, concentration, centre, control, precision and flow.

The class is structured in clusters of exercises so that each exercise prepares the participant for the exercise that follows within that cluster and each cluster of exercises lays groundwork for more advanced exercises to be introduced in future classes. This cumulative structure allows participants to give full attention to precise execution of the movement in question so they are mentally and physically prepared for what is to come in future classes.

Classes will begin by focusing in on lateral breathing in order to calm the nervous system and prepare the breath to support the upcoming movements.

Each class in the series of beginner classes would include movements performed from a variety of positions - prone, supine, side lying, seated and standing - to encourage understanding of how the centre can support movement in multiple directions. The variety of positions should also provide enough novelty of sensory experience to aid the maintenance of concentration.

I’m aware I have limited myself somewhat in choosing to present the very first class of my series rather than a later one. The ultimate goal of this introductory class is to get students to to a point where they can execute each movement with enough control and precision to confidently progress to a wider variety of exercises in following classes. As such I’d like to speak briefly to how I would progress in future classes and how anticipating that progression has affected my planning for this class:

The lying supine series has been structured to introduce the stability required for The Hundred which would be introduced in the following class.

I anticipate having a regular cluster of exercises where Swimming Prep is followed by Leg Pull Prone in future classes so Swimming Prep is introduced in the very first class to build familiarity and enable precision even as more challenging movements are introduced. I’ve prefaced it with Cat Cow to give sensory feedback that should help maintain pelvic stability.

I would also introduce rolling back in the second or third class of the series so I made sure to include the C curve in the plan for the first class in order to prepare.

Precise execution of side lying movements often requires a lot of practice in order to develop proper control and support from the core so I made sure a side lying series was present right from class 1.

I want to make sure the posterior chain gets sufficient time under tension for participants to eventually be confident progressing to leg pull supine at a later stage so the shoulder bridge would be present in the vast majority of classes including this introductory class. The shoulder bridge is also there right from the start because it’s great for developing the spinal articulation required for so many exercises in the Pilates repertoire.

Ultimately the class I outline here aims to provide the embodied information necessary to execute future Pilates exercises mindfully with control and precision and to build the familiarity and understanding required to perform the exercises with flow.

Block Name: Introductory Block

Class Duration (mins): 55 minutes

Focus: Introduction of core stability in a variety of directions, introduction of spinal articulation

Class Principles: Breathe, Centre, Concentration, Control, Precision, Flow

Class Focus: This class aims to introduce appropriate use of breath and centre to support movement in a variety of directions. Pelvic stability will be introduced in the supine lying exercises and remain relevant throughout. The exercises done from a prone four points of contact position will build on this stability using gravity in the opposite direction. Establishing stability in these positions will also be good preparation for the introduction of the side lying position where deriving stability from the core will also be emphasised. The main section will end with preparation for shoulder bridge and shoulder bridge, building in a way that makes clear the need for articulation through the spine.