Pilates Cheat Sheet. 10 words you’ll often hear in a class

If you’ve ever taken a Pilates class, you might have heard instructions that sound a little different from a typical gym workout.

Things like:
“Engage your core.”
“Find a neutral spine.”
“Lengthen through the crown of your head.”

It can sometimes feel like a new language. So here’s a simple guide to some of the most common Pilates terms and what they actually mean.

1. Core

Your core isn’t just your abs! It includes the deep muscles around your abdomen, back, pelvis and diaphragm. These muscles help support and stabilise the spine.

2. Neutral Spine

Neutral spine means keeping the natural curves of your spine, rather than flattening or over-arching your back. This position helps distribute pressure evenly through the spine.

3. Engage Your Core

This cue simply means gently activating your deep abdominal muscles. Think of drawing your lower tummy in slightly, rather than holding your breath or bracing hard. This is more challenging to learn than what you think! No one gets it the first time. This is a hard thing to start so please don’t get stressed if you don’t get it the first time.

4. Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, bowel and uterus. In Pilates you’ll often hear cues to gently lift or engage these muscles to support core stability.

5. Alignment

Alignment refers to how your body is positioned during an exercise. For example:

• hips level
• shoulders relaxed
• spine long

Good alignment helps exercises work the correct muscles.

6. Imprint

Imprinting means gently pressing the lower back into the mat. This position is sometimes used to support the spine during certain exercises.

7. Articulation

Articulation means moving the spine one vertebra at a time. You’ll often see this in movements like a Pilates bridge where the spine slowly rolls up and down.

8. Lengthening

Pilates often focuses on creating length in the body. This doesn’t mean stretching harder, it’s more about maintaining space and good posture through the spine.

9. Control

Control is one of the key Pilates principles. Movements are performed slowly and intentionally so the muscles stay engaged throughout the exercise.

10. Breath

Breathing is an important part of Pilates. Controlled breathing helps support the core muscles and improves focus during movement.

Something to remember

Pilates isn’t about doing the biggest or most dramatic movements. Often the smallest adjustments create the biggest difference in how the body feels and moves. If you’ve ever felt unsure about the cues in a class, that’s completely normal. Understanding these concepts takes a little practice. If you’d like help building confidence with Pilates movements and technique, it’s something I guide clients through step by step during sessions.