Pilates Terms for Beginners

If you’re a beginner to Pilates, our Pilates reformer and mat classes in Claremont are the perfect place to start. We’ll teach you more than just the moves. With an experienced team of instructors, we’ll adjust your form, teach you about the method so you gain an in depth understanding and apply it to your body so you experience the benefits for yourself.

Everyone learns differently, so we share below explanations of some of the terms beginners most frequently ask us about. If you have any questions, feel free to chat to us in the studio. As Joseph Pilates said “in ten sessions you’ll feel the difference, in twenty you’ll see the difference and in thirty you’ll have a whole new body”.

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATH
Also called belly breathing.

The main muscle responsible for breathing is the diaphragm and it sits just below your lower to middle rib cage. However, if you’re rushed or stressed, there’s a tendency to overwork the smaller muscles which assist with breathing e.g. accessory muscles of the neck. This creates unnecessary tension in your body. When you breathe using your diaphragm, the belly will rise and fall and you will activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This will relax your body and calm your mind.

Take a moment now to notice where you are breathing. Is your belly rising and falling or is it just your chest that is moving?

Place your hands on your belly (you can do this sitting or lying down) and notice how the belly rises with your inhale and how it drops away from your hands on the exhale.

Stay here for 4 full breath cycles and notice how your body feels.

NEUTRAL PELVIS 
When your pelvis is in its most relaxed position.

When you were born, your lower back was flat, but as an adult, a curve in your lower back develops. Your pelvis is in its neutral position, there is a curve at your lower back, your butt and abs are relaxed. By finding neutral pelvis, we aim to honour the natural curve in your lower back and find the position where you are most at rest.

Lie down on the floor and bend up your legs so the soles of your feet rest flat on the floor. Let your tailbone drop heavy, relax your butt cheeks and your abs. Notice if there is a small gap or softness under your lower back. If not, imagine a sandbag on your pubic bone and let that drop your tailbone to the floor. When there is a curve in your lower back, your butt and belly are soft, you have found neutral pelvis. In class, we’ll often refer to being able to slide a blueberry or a pea under your lower back.

IMPRINTED PELVIS
When you flatten your lower back.

We may cue you during class to imprint your pelvis or refer to finding your imprint. This is when you draw your belly to your spine and lengthen your lower back, so that it moves from neutral into an imprinted position. Your body is smart so it will find this position naturally when your abdominals are under a lot of load. Try these two ways of finding an imprint below:

While lying down, gently rock back towards your belly button, tilting your pelvis slightly and lengthening your lower back into the floor. Notice that there is no curve in the lower back. You may also imagine squishing the blueberry or pea under your lower back.

Alternatively, while lying down exhale and float one leg to tabletop and then the other. Lengthen your arms down by your side and press into your arms lifting your legs (in tabletop) so your tail lifts off the floor slightly and then replace your tail back down. Notice that your lower back is now flat into the floor.

NEUTRAL SPINE
When your spine follows its natural curves.

Once you’ve achieved neutral pelvis, we also aim to find ideal alignment of your thoracic spine (ribs and upper back), cervical spine (neck) and head. For example, neutral spine while lying down is achieved when your ribs are heavy on the floor, your head neck and shoulders are relaxed. In class we may pop a towel or the head rest up to support your head. This will help both to drop your ribs down and relax your upper body.

While lying down, find your neutral pelvis (as above). Now notice if your ribs are connected with the floor. Find your diaphragmatic breath and see if your ribs can drop into the floor with little effort. If not, try popping a towel under your head and see if that helps. Fold the towel again to make a bigger pillow and try again. Once you can feel your tail heavy, your ribs heavy and that you’re relaxed through your neck, check that your gaze is a little in front of you on the ceiling.

PILATES V
Also known as first position.

This is one of the footwork positions we will cue in class. When we refer to Pilates V, we are cueing you to externally rotate your legs from the top of your hips, so you can bring your feet together in the shape of a ‘V’ with heels together and toes apart. In class we will often challenge you to bend and stretch your legs while maintaining the ‘V’ so you keep the turnout.

Stand up and walk your legs together, rock back on to your heels and externally rotate your legs so your feet make a ‘V’ shape. Check that if you could fit a piece of pizza between your feet that you’re not being too generous with the serve.

TABLE TOP
When your leg is at a 90-degree angle while lying on your back.

When your knees are directly over your hips, and your feet are in line with your knees, your shins will be parallel to the floor. The cue refers to the fact that your shins are like a table top.

Lie down with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Breathe in to prepare and then on your exhale bend one leg in to your chest, but only until your thigh is vertical. Adjust your shin so it is parallel to the floor. Imagine a martini glass resting on your shin (table top).

Start with Form Reformer, Technique Reformer or Pilates Beats (mat) as your first Pilates class at the studio. If you have any questions, email hello@54.79.230.246.