Pilates Anatomy Basi Exam Questions with correct Answers
Median plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into right and left halves
Sagittal Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into unequal right and left portions
Coronal Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into front and back portions
Transverse Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into upper and lower portions
10 Pilates Principles - Answer ✔️✔️-Awareness, Balance, Control, Efficiency, Precision, Breath,
Concentration, Center, Flow, Harmony
Synovial Joint - Answer ✔️✔️-Freely moving joint. ie: hip, shoulder etc.
Fibrous Joint - Answer ✔️✔️-Immovable joint. Ie: skull bones (connected by dense tissue)
Flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-movement in an anterior direction for the upper extremities and hip joint
and movement in a posterior direction for the lower extremities
Extension - Answer ✔️✔️-movement in the direction opposite to flexion
Hyperextension - Answer ✔️✔️-excessive movement/position in the direction of extension e.g.
knees, lumbar and cervical curvatures of the spine
Abduction - Answer ✔️✔️-movement away from the mid-sagittal plane
Adduction - Answer ✔️✔️-movement towards the mid-sagittal plane
Lateral Flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-(of the spine) side bending of the trunk to the right or left. lateral
movement of the head, neck, and trunk in the coronal plane and around the sagittal axis
Multi directional - Glilding - Answer ✔️✔️-flat or curved surfaces articulating on one another. ie:
scapula
Circumduction - Answer ✔️✔️-combination of flexion, abduction, extension and adduction . ie:
leg circles
Rotation - Answer ✔️✔️-Turning around the long axis of a bone
Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-anterior tilt, posterior tilt and lateral tilt (equates to lateral flexion)
Planter flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-pointing of the foot
dorsi flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-flexing on the foot
Cartilaginous Joints - Answer ✔️✔️-slightly movable - ie: sacroiliac joint
,Categories of Synovial Joints - Answer ✔️✔️-Gliding Joints (clavicle-scapula)
Ball and socket joint (hip, shoulder)
hinge joint (knee, elbow, ankle)
pivot joint (atlas-axis, pivot w/ head)
condyloid joint (metacarpals-phalangeal/fingers)
saddle joint (carpal-metacarpal/thumb)
Anterior/Ventral - Answer ✔️✔️-Front side/in front of
Posterior/Dorsal - Answer ✔️✔️-Backside/ in back of
Medial - Answer ✔️✔️-Closer to the median plane/toward midline
Sagittal Axis - Answer ✔️✔️-Extends from font to back and abduction-adduction occurs around it
Coronal Axis - Answer ✔️✔️-Extends from side to side/flexion-extension occurs around it
Longitudinal axis - Answer ✔️✔️-top to bottom/medial-lateral rotation occurs around it
Anatomical Position - Answer ✔️✔️-Standing with arms down by side and palms facing forward
Neutral Pelvis - Answer ✔️✔️-The position of the pelvis when the anterior superior iliac spine
(ASIS) on each side of the pelvis and pubic symphysis (PS), are in the same horizontal plane
(coronal plane when erect) and the two ASIS are in the same transverse plane.
Neutral Spine - Answer ✔️✔️-natural curves of the spine are present
Anterior Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-ASIS in front of PS
Posterior Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-ASIS behind PS (tuck)
ASIS - Answer ✔️✔️-Anterior superior iliac spine - hip bones
Pubic Symphysis (PS) - Answer ✔️✔️-Disk of cartilage connects pubics of both sides together.
Muscles groups that act on the pelvic complex - Answer ✔️✔️-Spinal flexors
Spinal extensors
Hip flexors
Hip adductors
Hip external rotators
Pelvic Floor
, Spinal lateral flexors and rotators
Hip extensors
Hip abductors
Hip internal rotators
Lateral breathing - Answer ✔️✔️-Definition: Directing the breath into the sides and back of the
ribcage. Examples: Lateral breathing allows one to take a deep breath while the abdominal
muscles stay contracted.
muscle focus - Answer ✔️✔️-The muscle or group of muscles that is the primary focus of the
exercise.
objective - Answer ✔️✔️-Relates to the broader context of an exercise or an action
cues - Answer ✔️✔️-Relates to the actual execution of an exercise
Stabilizers - Answer ✔️✔️-Stabilize the movement
Contrology - Answer ✔️✔️-What Joseph Pilates called his practice.
Smooth Muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-contractions are involuntary, contraction of smooth muscle is
slow prolonged and very resistant to fatigue
Cardiac Muscle - Answer ✔️✔️-found in the heart, involuntary and striated
Striated Muscle (skeletal) - Answer ✔️✔️-Composed of thread--like fibers displaying alternating
dark and light bands. Two of its principles functions are body movement and the maintenance of
posture.
Spinal Column - Answer ✔️✔️-33 Bones
7 Cervical
12 Thoracic
5 Lumbar
5 Sacral (fused sacrum)
3-5 Coccyx (fused tailbone).
Slow Twitch - Tonic muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-ST fibers are more efficient in maintaining
isometric activity and sustained contractions. Stabilizers tend to be tonic muscles.
Fast Twitch - Phasic muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-FT fibers can produce more force but fatigue more
easily than ST. Movers tend to be phasic.
Agonist - Answer ✔️✔️-principle muscle in the movement. responsible for the action.
Median plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into right and left halves
Sagittal Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into unequal right and left portions
Coronal Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into front and back portions
Transverse Plane - Answer ✔️✔️-Dividing the body into upper and lower portions
10 Pilates Principles - Answer ✔️✔️-Awareness, Balance, Control, Efficiency, Precision, Breath,
Concentration, Center, Flow, Harmony
Synovial Joint - Answer ✔️✔️-Freely moving joint. ie: hip, shoulder etc.
Fibrous Joint - Answer ✔️✔️-Immovable joint. Ie: skull bones (connected by dense tissue)
Flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-movement in an anterior direction for the upper extremities and hip joint
and movement in a posterior direction for the lower extremities
Extension - Answer ✔️✔️-movement in the direction opposite to flexion
Hyperextension - Answer ✔️✔️-excessive movement/position in the direction of extension e.g.
knees, lumbar and cervical curvatures of the spine
Abduction - Answer ✔️✔️-movement away from the mid-sagittal plane
Adduction - Answer ✔️✔️-movement towards the mid-sagittal plane
Lateral Flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-(of the spine) side bending of the trunk to the right or left. lateral
movement of the head, neck, and trunk in the coronal plane and around the sagittal axis
Multi directional - Glilding - Answer ✔️✔️-flat or curved surfaces articulating on one another. ie:
scapula
Circumduction - Answer ✔️✔️-combination of flexion, abduction, extension and adduction . ie:
leg circles
Rotation - Answer ✔️✔️-Turning around the long axis of a bone
Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-anterior tilt, posterior tilt and lateral tilt (equates to lateral flexion)
Planter flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-pointing of the foot
dorsi flexion - Answer ✔️✔️-flexing on the foot
Cartilaginous Joints - Answer ✔️✔️-slightly movable - ie: sacroiliac joint
,Categories of Synovial Joints - Answer ✔️✔️-Gliding Joints (clavicle-scapula)
Ball and socket joint (hip, shoulder)
hinge joint (knee, elbow, ankle)
pivot joint (atlas-axis, pivot w/ head)
condyloid joint (metacarpals-phalangeal/fingers)
saddle joint (carpal-metacarpal/thumb)
Anterior/Ventral - Answer ✔️✔️-Front side/in front of
Posterior/Dorsal - Answer ✔️✔️-Backside/ in back of
Medial - Answer ✔️✔️-Closer to the median plane/toward midline
Sagittal Axis - Answer ✔️✔️-Extends from font to back and abduction-adduction occurs around it
Coronal Axis - Answer ✔️✔️-Extends from side to side/flexion-extension occurs around it
Longitudinal axis - Answer ✔️✔️-top to bottom/medial-lateral rotation occurs around it
Anatomical Position - Answer ✔️✔️-Standing with arms down by side and palms facing forward
Neutral Pelvis - Answer ✔️✔️-The position of the pelvis when the anterior superior iliac spine
(ASIS) on each side of the pelvis and pubic symphysis (PS), are in the same horizontal plane
(coronal plane when erect) and the two ASIS are in the same transverse plane.
Neutral Spine - Answer ✔️✔️-natural curves of the spine are present
Anterior Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-ASIS in front of PS
Posterior Tilt - Answer ✔️✔️-ASIS behind PS (tuck)
ASIS - Answer ✔️✔️-Anterior superior iliac spine - hip bones
Pubic Symphysis (PS) - Answer ✔️✔️-Disk of cartilage connects pubics of both sides together.
Muscles groups that act on the pelvic complex - Answer ✔️✔️-Spinal flexors
Spinal extensors
Hip flexors
Hip adductors
Hip external rotators
Pelvic Floor
, Spinal lateral flexors and rotators
Hip extensors
Hip abductors
Hip internal rotators
Lateral breathing - Answer ✔️✔️-Definition: Directing the breath into the sides and back of the
ribcage. Examples: Lateral breathing allows one to take a deep breath while the abdominal
muscles stay contracted.
muscle focus - Answer ✔️✔️-The muscle or group of muscles that is the primary focus of the
exercise.
objective - Answer ✔️✔️-Relates to the broader context of an exercise or an action
cues - Answer ✔️✔️-Relates to the actual execution of an exercise
Stabilizers - Answer ✔️✔️-Stabilize the movement
Contrology - Answer ✔️✔️-What Joseph Pilates called his practice.
Smooth Muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-contractions are involuntary, contraction of smooth muscle is
slow prolonged and very resistant to fatigue
Cardiac Muscle - Answer ✔️✔️-found in the heart, involuntary and striated
Striated Muscle (skeletal) - Answer ✔️✔️-Composed of thread--like fibers displaying alternating
dark and light bands. Two of its principles functions are body movement and the maintenance of
posture.
Spinal Column - Answer ✔️✔️-33 Bones
7 Cervical
12 Thoracic
5 Lumbar
5 Sacral (fused sacrum)
3-5 Coccyx (fused tailbone).
Slow Twitch - Tonic muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-ST fibers are more efficient in maintaining
isometric activity and sustained contractions. Stabilizers tend to be tonic muscles.
Fast Twitch - Phasic muscles - Answer ✔️✔️-FT fibers can produce more force but fatigue more
easily than ST. Movers tend to be phasic.
Agonist - Answer ✔️✔️-principle muscle in the movement. responsible for the action.
