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Mat Pilates Case Study

Core stability & pelvic control

Submitted by Nicole Curran 24 Jun 2026, 21:52 ¬∑ 127 words Reference IFT-MAT-PILA-2026-06-24-AR3C

Student Details

Name: Nicole Curran
Email: nitole.curran@hotmail.com
Tutor: Nina Plazanin
Course Location: Dublin - Tallaght
Course Group: April 2026
Course Start: April 2026

Core stability & pelvic control

Total word count: 127 words
Fields completed: 30 of 35 (86%)

Block Overview26 words

Class Focus: Core stability and pelvic control

Duration: 35mins

Key Exercises: C curve, chest lift and rotation, toe taps, single leg stretch, hundreds, swimming prep, plank

My Goals27 words

The aim of this class is to use the breath to flow through movements, engaging the core to enhance core strength and stability and enhance pelvic mobility.

Block Details25 words

Block Name: Core stability & pelvic control

Class Duration (mins): 35

Focus: Engaging deep core muscles to enhance core stability & work on pelvic control

Goals & Pilates Principles49 words

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

Class Focus: This class is built on the six principles of Pilates, focusing on enhancing core strength and stability and pelvic control. The aim will be to connect the breath, engage the deep core muscles & mobilize the spine and pelvis.

Warm-Up

Exercise	Reps	Cues	Modifications
Standing postural check in & shoulder rolls	4 each side	Standing with arms relaxed down by the side, shoulders relaxed and away from the ears, soft through the knees, legs hip distance apart, feet flat on the floor, standing tall, straight spine hips stacked on top of knees ribs stacked on top of hips. Roll shoulders forward and up towards the ears and back and down making as large of a circle as we can to open up the shoulder joint and release any tension in the shoulders, can close down the eyes and bring awareness into the body to get into rest and digest state for the class.	Stand whatever was is comfortable
Lateral breathing	10	Ribs go east to west, like a shop door opening, belly naturally falls in on the inhale. On the exhale the ribs knit together and the shop door closes as core is engaged we think of zipping up a wet suit and keeping the whole abdomen engaged and closed together. Shop door closes on exhale. Think of rib hip connection when exhaling	If they have weak core they can allow for a little bit of upper abdomen expansion until core strength is improved to eliminate belly expansion on inhale and rely on core stability.
Pelvic tilts standing	8-10	Think of finding natural curve in the spine don’t want to over or underarch the lower back want to get the happy medium where ribs are stacked on the pelvis for neutral spine. Posterior tilt think of bringing pubic bone to point towards the nose, think of bucket of water hanging off the hips the water will fall back towards the abdomen. Bring belly button to spine for posterior tilt also and scoop the tailbone under. For anterior told want to point pubic bone towards the floor and spill the water out of the bucket onto the ground creating a larger arch in the lumbar spine.	Can preform sitting on chair or up against wall if need. Tilt as far as is comfortable
Roll down	6	Start by thinking of a string pulling you up straight via the crown. Shoulders relaxed and away from the ears. Pelvis is neutral have natural curve in the spine. Stretch forward starting from head neck and then into the upper back and then through out the spine. Think of paint roller to paint down the legs as we stretch forward. Use the core muscles to bring you back up to starting position. Think of stacking the vertebra one on top of the other like building blocks	Only stretch as far as comfortable. If needs can take small bend in the knees
Cat cow stretch	8	Neutral spine to begin, shoulders stacked on top of wrists, hips stacked on top of knees. spine is straight. For cat think of bringing belly button to spine, tucking the tailbone and creating a gentle curve in the spine. For cow want to bring belly button towards the mat, arching the spine as far as comfortable, lifting that tailbone to ceiling and the breastbone	If find it too hard on the wrists can make a fist or else put a towel or fold the mat under the hand. Same supports can be used for the knees if any knee issues.
Standing roll downs	8	peel the spine away one vertebra at a time, think of having a paint roller and painting all the way down the legs as far as you can stretch, when coming back up think of re-stacking the vertebra one at a time like building blocks, want to stand tall at the top of the movement so think of a string pulling you upright through the crown. think of spine as a string of pearls when we restack them & stretch them forward.	bend the knees a little bit is needed, only reach as far as you can.

Main Phase

Exercise	Reps	Cues	Modifications
C-curve	10	When starting want to sit tall imagining a string pulling us up from the crown. Think of tucking belly button to spine and scooping the tailbone under and between the legs and bringing the pubic bone to point towards the nose to create a stretch in the spine creating a c-shape and posterior pelvic tilt. Slight tuck in the chin. When coming back up think of core zipping us back up and stacking the vertebra on top of eachother one at a time. Use breath to flow through the movement.	Hold backs of thighs or shins and can use arms on the floor to help with some momentum to bring back to starting
Chest lift	6	Want to keep elbows wide so can think of having a stick between the elbows to prevent them from falling in. Want to h think of having small apple tucked under the chin. Movement comes from the ribs not the hands pulling head and neck up. Want to bring belly button to spine and use core to lift so movement comes from the ribs. Head is just resting into the hands	If finding it hard just lift head and neck as far as you can and bring knees in closer if it’s easier
Chest lift with rotation	8	Same cues as chest lift but want to bring right elbow to left knee and vice versa and right ribs to left hip and vice versa. Using obliques to twist not the lower back. Think of wringing water out of a towel with your abs and obliques.	Can just stick to chest lift if it’s too difficult and can also come back down to the mat to relax between each rotation
Criss - cross	8 each side	Same cues as chest lift with rotation, pelvis is stabile, core is engaged, want to think of core 'zipped up' and engaged as in the lateral breathing. legs in table top, want 90 degree angle at the knee, shin is parrallel to the ceiling, want to lengthen and spiral through the spine, think of wringing water out of a towel with obliques, trying to ring the rib closer to the opposite hip using the core muslces, elbows stay wide, visualise the stick between them to keep them wide. Hands are gentle supporting the head not yanking it. want to rotate from the bottom of the ribs not the shoulders, imagine a bowl of water on the pelvis, don't want it to spill as we move. want to lengthen the leg away like we are pressing it out to the wall not a kicking motion. Want to think of arm pit to opposite knee not elbow to knee, elbows should be in the peripheral vision.	Can keep head on the mat if there are any neck discomforts, smaller movements to reduce load, can relax head between each twist.
Toe Taps	8 each side	Keep knee stiff, movement comes from hip. Try stay in neutral spine not to over arch. Want shins parallel to ceiling when in table top and knees directly over hips. Use core to lift and lower	Can go into posterior tilt to prevent over arching of spine or bring knees closer to chest. Can also place hands under lower back for support
Single leg stretch	8 each side	Want to think of reaching the toes towards the wall or light switch and scooping the toes away from the body, want to curl or peel the upper body off the mat using the core muscles. Think of the movement coming from your centre not the hips. Imagine someone pulling your foot away or gliding the legs through thick water while maintaining for engagement.	Can remain lying fully on the mat or do one leg at a time while other remains straight flat on the mat or can use a resistance band around the foot or can keep head neck and shoulders on the mat and bring legs to table top for the movement
Hundreds	10 (1rep is 5 inhale and 5 exhale)	Chin is slightly tucked, shoulders are relaxed and drawing shoulder blades down the back. Want to lengthen though the back of the neck. Ribs are knitted together. Spine is imprinted onto the mat or else neutral. Want to lift using the core muscles. Legs are in tabletop so shins are parallel to the ceiling. Want to lengthen the fingertips towards the toes. Pump or bounce a basketball in each hand. Movement comes from shoulders not the elbows. Keep chest open and collar bones wide, want to show off the collar bones. Inhale for 5 bounces or pumps and exhale for 5	Imprint spine if over arching in neutral. Keep feet on the foot or rest head and neck back onto mat.
Pelvic curl	10	Want to relax she shoulder blades away from the ears so we aren't hunched up. want to come into posterior pelvic tilt and think about imprinting the lower back into the mat and squashing a blueberry that is between the lower back and the mat. want to scoop the tailbone in under the bum and bring belly button to the spine. progressing the posterior pelvic tilt to slowly lift/peel the vertebrae of the lumber spine off mat one at a time. Think about holding a bank card between the glutes. only wnat to lift the lumbar spine of the mat so the bum is just a couple of inches from the mat. can also thing of the spine as a string of pearls as we lift and lower them onto the mat.	can use a towel or some other support under the lower back. only lift as far as is comfortable. can just practise pelvic tilts if unable to lift. If lower back is sore or stiff can just lift as a whole to begin with instead of peeling up.
Shoulder bridge (L1,2,3)	8 of each	Want to peel the spine away from the mat one vertebra at a time, feet are implanted on the floor, want to bring belly button to spine, scoop the tailbone under us, imprint the spine in posterior pelvic tilt before we being to extend it further to slowly peel up off the mat, when imprinting the spine to begin can think of squashing the blueberry that lies between the lumbar spine and the mat, when we lift we want a straight diagonal line from the knees, hips & shoulders. when we return or lower down want to return each vertebra back onto the mat one at a time . want to engage the glutes and the hamstrings without gripping. imagine we are holding a block between the knees to prevent them from falling in or out throughout the movements. picture a sting lifting the hips to the ceiling. in L2 want to keep the arms straight and point the fingers towards the ceiling to increase difficulty a little bit for those who are able, allow the arms to flow up and down with the movement, think of someone pulling the hips and arms to the ceiling at once, L3 want to lift the leg keeping the hips and pelvis stable, thinking of a bowl of water on the pelvis and we dont want to spill any, can extend the leg at the top of the movement when we are in the bridge position, want to think of having balerina toes and painting the ceiling as we swoop the leg towards the ceiling and then back to the height of the kneeling knee. Can think of the lazers pointing from each hip bone as we don't want to sway side to side throughout the movement.	only progress to levels 2 & 3 if able, can stick to pelvic curl if full shoulder bridge is too uncomfortable. Level 3 can just lift the leg to table top if cannot extend the leg fully straight or just lift the leg as high as comfortable. can use yoga block for some support under the lumbar spine. Can keep the hips lower if they have poor glute or hamstring strength or injury.
Swimming prep	8 on each side	Neutral spine, think of flat back, want to keep a book level on the back throughout. Think of lasers pointing from hips to the floor, need to keep hips square throughout. Core is engaged. Want to reach the finger tips and toes as far away as we can at the same time. want a straight line from the finger tips to the toes. Only lift as high as you can while maintaining length. Keep the shoulders away from the ears. Want to avoid rocking ride to side and want to maintain engagement through the centre. Keep gaze down to the mat and neck long	Only lift the leg or arm at a time instead of both at once or only lift the leg or arm a few cm from the mat.
Plank	1min hold	Hands under shoulders, fingers spread, step out to form a straight line from the head to the heels. Want to distribute weight evenly. Think of pushing the floor away. Draw the shoulder blades down and around the ribs, lengthen through the crown. Pelvis is neutral, core is zipped up or engaged. Keep your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles aligned. Avoid dropping or raising the hips want a nice straight spine.	Can drop to the knees if needed.

Cool-Down

Exercise	Reps	Cues	Modifications
Childs pose	1min hold	Think of sitting back onto the heels and opening up the hips by spreading the knees out to either side of the mat. Stretch forward reaching the arms as far away as you can, like someone is pulling you forward by the hands , slight chin tuck. Can move arms to the right and then to the left to feel the stretch down either side of the upper back and sides.	Only reach as far as you can, can put a support under the knees or sit back onto a yoga block
Static thread the needle	Hold for 10-20 seconds on each side	wrists are directly under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. stretch the right hand under the left arm and reach away as if someone is pulling the right hand. vice versa.	only reach as far as is comfortable or remain in childs pose.
Cobra stretch	hold for 15-30 seconds	think of pushing the mat away with your hands, arms are straight, string is pulling the head, chest and spine up off the mat, pushing the hips and the hands into the mat creating nice stretch in the spine.	only stretch as far as is comfortable, can remain on forearms to make it easier. only lift as far as the chest if this is easier.
roll up to standing	1	same as roll down from the start of the class, want to come back to standing by slowing re-stacking each vertebra one top of one another like building blocks to come back to standing position that we started with. Stand tall, shoulder blades relaxed down the spine , arms relaxed down by the side, spine straight and standing tall.	take a slight bend in the knees if needs.