National Pilates Cert Exam Study Guide+
Questions and Answers
Pilates Movement Principles - ANSWER Control, Breath, Concentration, Centering,
Flowing motion, Precision
Planes of Motion - ANSWER Transverse, Frontal, Sagittal
Transverse Plane - ANSWER divides the body into superior and inferior parts
frontal (coronal) plane - ANSWER vertical plane dividing the body or structure into
anterior and posterior portions
Sagittal Plane - ANSWER a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts
Cephalad - ANSWER toward the head (upward)
Caudal - ANSWER toward the tail
Extension - ANSWER increases the angle of a joint
Flexion - ANSWER Decreases the angle of a joint
Abduction - ANSWER Movement away from the midline of the body
Adduction - ANSWER Movement toward the midline of the body
,Medial Rotation - ANSWER rotational movement towards the midline
Lateral Rotation - ANSWER outward (lateral) movement of a body segment in the
transverse plane
Circumduction - ANSWER circular movement of a limb at the far end
Supination - ANSWER movement that turns the palm up
Pronation - ANSWER movement that turns the palm down
Elevation - ANSWER raising a body part
Depression - ANSWER lowering a body part
Inversion - ANSWER Turning the sole of the foot inward
Eversion - ANSWER turning the sole of the foot outward
Plantar Flexion - ANSWER bending of the sole of the foot by curling the toes toward the
ground, pointing the toes
Dorsiflexion - ANSWER bending of the foot or the toes upward
Protraction - ANSWER moving a body part forward and parallel to the ground
, Retraction Axial Elongation - ANSWER moving a body part backward and parallel to the
ground
Long Bones - ANSWER bones that are longer than they are wide, arms and legs
Short Bones - ANSWER bones of the wrist and ankles
Flat Bones - ANSWER These bones are thin, flat, and curved. They form the ribs,
breastbone, and skull.
Irregular Bones - ANSWER bones of the vertebrae and face
Fibrous Joints - ANSWER consists of inflexible layers of dense connective tissue, holds
the bones tightly together. Immovable. Sutures, Gomphoses, Syndesmoses.
sutures, syndesmoses, gomphoses - ANSWER three types of fibrous joints
Sutures - ANSWER immovable joints of the skull
Gomphoses - ANSWER Peg-in-socket joints of teeth in alveolar sockets
Fibrous connection is the periodontal ligament
Syndesmoses - ANSWER Joint in which two bones are bound only by ligaments
Cartilaginous Joints - ANSWER allow only slight movement and consist of bones
connected entirely by cartilage. Synchondroses, Symphesis.
Questions and Answers
Pilates Movement Principles - ANSWER Control, Breath, Concentration, Centering,
Flowing motion, Precision
Planes of Motion - ANSWER Transverse, Frontal, Sagittal
Transverse Plane - ANSWER divides the body into superior and inferior parts
frontal (coronal) plane - ANSWER vertical plane dividing the body or structure into
anterior and posterior portions
Sagittal Plane - ANSWER a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts
Cephalad - ANSWER toward the head (upward)
Caudal - ANSWER toward the tail
Extension - ANSWER increases the angle of a joint
Flexion - ANSWER Decreases the angle of a joint
Abduction - ANSWER Movement away from the midline of the body
Adduction - ANSWER Movement toward the midline of the body
,Medial Rotation - ANSWER rotational movement towards the midline
Lateral Rotation - ANSWER outward (lateral) movement of a body segment in the
transverse plane
Circumduction - ANSWER circular movement of a limb at the far end
Supination - ANSWER movement that turns the palm up
Pronation - ANSWER movement that turns the palm down
Elevation - ANSWER raising a body part
Depression - ANSWER lowering a body part
Inversion - ANSWER Turning the sole of the foot inward
Eversion - ANSWER turning the sole of the foot outward
Plantar Flexion - ANSWER bending of the sole of the foot by curling the toes toward the
ground, pointing the toes
Dorsiflexion - ANSWER bending of the foot or the toes upward
Protraction - ANSWER moving a body part forward and parallel to the ground
, Retraction Axial Elongation - ANSWER moving a body part backward and parallel to the
ground
Long Bones - ANSWER bones that are longer than they are wide, arms and legs
Short Bones - ANSWER bones of the wrist and ankles
Flat Bones - ANSWER These bones are thin, flat, and curved. They form the ribs,
breastbone, and skull.
Irregular Bones - ANSWER bones of the vertebrae and face
Fibrous Joints - ANSWER consists of inflexible layers of dense connective tissue, holds
the bones tightly together. Immovable. Sutures, Gomphoses, Syndesmoses.
sutures, syndesmoses, gomphoses - ANSWER three types of fibrous joints
Sutures - ANSWER immovable joints of the skull
Gomphoses - ANSWER Peg-in-socket joints of teeth in alveolar sockets
Fibrous connection is the periodontal ligament
Syndesmoses - ANSWER Joint in which two bones are bound only by ligaments
Cartilaginous Joints - ANSWER allow only slight movement and consist of bones
connected entirely by cartilage. Synchondroses, Symphesis.
