Walking into your first mat pilates class can feel a bit like learning a new language. Your instructor says "imprint", "tabletop" and "find your powerhouse", and everyone else seems to know exactly what to do.
So here's your cheat sheet: the terms, positions and cues you'll hear most in a mat class, explained simply. Bookmark it and you'll be speaking fluent pilates in no time.
Breathing and core
|
Term |
What it means |
|---|---|
|
Powerhouse |
Your centre: abdominals, lower back, glutes, hips and pelvic floor. Most pilates movement starts here. |
|
Lateral breathing |
Breathing wide into the sides and back of your ribcage, so you can keep your core engaged while you breathe. In my classes I just say "big breath". |
|
Neutral spine |
Your spine's natural curves, with your pelvis level, neither tucked under nor arched. |
|
Imprint |
Gently drawing your lower back towards the mat by engaging your deep abdominals. Often used for support when your legs lift. |
|
Pelvic floor |
The muscles at the base of your pelvis. A gentle lift here supports your core in almost every exercise. |
Positions
|
Term |
What it means |
|---|---|
|
Supine |
Lying on your back, face up. |
|
Prone |
Lying on your stomach, face down. |
|
Side-lying |
Lying on one side, usually with your body in one long line. |
|
Tabletop |
Lying on your back with hips and knees bent at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. |
|
Four-point kneeling |
On hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Also called quadruped. |
|
Pilates stance |
Heels together and toes slightly apart, with a gentle squeeze through the inner thighs. |
|
C-curve |
Rounding your spine into a long "C" shape by scooping your abdominals, common in rolling exercises. |
Classic mat exercises
|
Exercise |
What it is |
|---|---|
|
The Hundred |
Head and shoulders lifted, legs in tabletop or extended, pumping your arms for 100 counts while you breathe. The classic warm-up. |
|
Roll-up |
Slowly rolling up from lying down to sitting, one vertebra at a time, then rolling back down. |
|
Single leg stretch |
Head and shoulders lifted, switching legs as you draw one knee in and extend the other. |
|
Double leg stretch |
Extending arms and legs away from your centre at the same time, then hugging them back in. |
|
Criss-cross |
Rotating your upper body towards the opposite knee as you switch legs. Great for the obliques. |
|
Rolling like a ball |
Balancing in a tight C-curve and rolling back and forth along your spine. |
|
Spine stretch forward |
Sitting tall with legs apart and peeling forward through your spine. |
|
Shoulder bridge |
Lifting your hips from the mat to work your glutes and hamstrings. |
|
Swan |
Lying prone and lifting your chest into a gentle backbend. |
|
Teaser |
Balancing on your sit bones in a V shape. Challenging and very satisfying once you nail it. |
Cues you'll hear (and what they really mean)
|
Cue |
What your instructor means |
|---|---|
|
"Navel to spine" |
Gently draw your belly in to switch on your deep core. Not a full suck-in. |
|
"Zip up" |
Lift from your pelvic floor and draw your lower belly in, like doing up a tight pair of jeans. |
|
"Knit your ribs" |
Draw your front ribs together and down so your back doesn't arch. |
|
"Articulate your spine" |
Move one vertebra at a time, rather than as one solid block. |
|
"Lengthen" |
Reach long through the top of your head or out through your limbs to create space. |
|
"Scoop" |
Hollow out your abdominals to deepen your C-curve. |
Before your next class
You don't need to memorise all of this before you walk in. Your instructor will guide you and the language becomes second nature the more you practise. If you're ever unsure, just ask. That's what we're there for.
One more thing that makes hot mat work easier: a towel that stays put. The Starza Grip Towel covers your whole mat, with silicone grip dots that keep it from sliding, so you can focus on your form instead of readjusting.
See you on the mat, star.
Bella, founder of Starza