A Glossary of Pilates Terms
Alignment – This refers to the way your bones and muscles fit together and work together. Of utmost importance in Pilates, spinal alignment is key to performing the exercises correctly and effectively.
Articulation – Moving each vertebra along your spinal column independently of the others. Think of your spinal column as a Slinky – from your head down to your tailbone, you should strive to be flexible and have movement along the entire length of your spine.
Breath- Joseph Pilates wrote, “above all…learn to breathe correctly.” Correct breathing oxygenates the blood, increases circulation, and enhances the quality of your movements. Proper breathing is one of the six Pilates principles.
Centering – One of the six Pilates principles, the center of the body, or the core, is the foundation for all movements in the body. Pilates works on strengthening the center of the body.
Chin to chest – Tucking your chin to your chest allows you to lengthen your neck, protecting it and your shoulders from strain, pain or injury.
Concentration – One of the six Pilates principles, concentration requires that you focus your entire body and mind on the movement that you’re currently executing.
Control – One of the six Pilates principles, control is an essential element of a successful Pilates practice. Pilates requires the complete control of your body. Your goal should be for each movement to be exactly what you plan it to be.
Contrology – This is what Joseph Pilates originally called his method. He believed that all movements of the body should be intentional and purposeful.
Extension – movements that require you to move your head away from your midline (such as the swan)
Flexion – exercises that require you to bring your head to your chest (as with the Roll Up)
Flow- One of the six Pilates Principles, flow is something that sets Pilates apart from other workouts. Movements should flow seamlessly into each other, without being fragmented.
Hip belt – Imagine a belt pulled tight across your hips, from one pelvic bone to the other, and anchored to the floor. Imagining this belt will help you to further engage your transverses abdominus and keep your hips and pelvis stable when performing exercises.
Imprinting – one of the most basic and profound Pilates movement. Imprinting requires you to relax your spine and pelvic area.
Lengthening – Instead of thinking about how big you can make a movement , or how quickly, or how many, focus on how long you can reach. This will wake your muscles up in a way that will surprise you.
Neutral spine – when laying flat on the floor, with your arms at your side and your legs long, feel your lumbar curve at your lower back. Everyone has this curve, and it’s size and shape varies according to each person’s body. Maintaining this slight curve in your spine is neutral spine – you are neither flattening your back nor arching it.
Opening the chest – In concert with pulling your shoulders back, avoid letting the shoulders slouch forward, closing your chest. Keep the chest open and lifted.
Opposition – this refers to creating power within your body to control your movements. Essentially, you are “stretching” two different parts of your body in two different directions, stabilizing one part, and reaching through the other. (Example: Roll Up – photo)
Pilates Box –The stable box created by the four corners of your torso – your two shoulders and your two hips. In certain exercises, you will be required to keep this “box” balanced, without shifting the weight from one side to the next.
Pilates Principles – There are six fundamental basics to the Pilates method, and they are part of executing each movement. These are: breath, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow. To fully benefit from your Pilates practice, each of these principles must be fully applied.
Pilates stance – This refers to a slightly turned out position of the legs – legs are rotated out at the hip, with your heels together and toes apart. This position is beneficial to finding and working through the center of your body.
“Pooched” abs – When your belly pushes out upon exertion. This happens when abdominal muscles are either improperly engaged or too weak.
Precision – Pilates is more concerned with the quality of a movement, as opposed to the quanitity. Focus on executing each movement as perfectly and precisely as you can, not simply on finishing the reps and moving on to the next one. Precision is one of the six Pilates principles.
Pull Shoulders away from ears – Especially important when doing extension exercises. Use your abdominal muscles to move, not your neck, back or shoulders. In all movements, think of putting your “shoulder blades in your back pockets.”
Rotation (Internal and External) – A movement that has you circling a part of your body. With internal rotation,
Scooping – Properly engaging the abdominals, pulling the deepest layers of your abdominal muscles in to fully stabilize the body and support the spine. Correct “scooping” often results in flattening your belly, and allows you to perform significant movements that are safely supported.
Stabilize, or anchor – Crucial to any Pilates exercise – if you don’t have a stable foundation, your movements will be sloppy and inefficient. Anchor yourself and stabilize your foundation, and your movements will be safer, will flow with greater ease, and be most effective.
