Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
Twist -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Seated on mat like cleopatra; legs stacked on side. INHALE
to prepare. EXHALE, press away from your right hand, lift your
pelvis high and twist your body towards the floor. At the same time,
reach your top arm underneath your body towards your ankles.
INHALE, return to the Side Plank position with control. Repeat.
Then repeat on your other side.
Program Design: Inverted. Benefit: Shoulder Girdle Organization,
Obliques, Shoulders, Arms, Balance, Coordination
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Frontal/Coronal
Fitness Assessment (FA): Side Lift, Push Up, Z-Sit
Push Up -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Standing on the mat, feet hip width apart. INHALE to
prepare. EXHALE, drop your chin to the chest and begin to roll
down. Once your hands touch the mat, INHALE, and walk your
hands forward to a Front Control/High Push-Up position. EXHALE,
establish a solid Front Control. Reach your heels back and the top of
your head forward in opposition. INHALE, shift your weight forward
by pressing your toes into the mat. Bend your elbows straight back
for a push-up. Look slightly forward, lead with your chest.
,Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
EXHALE, straighten your arms to come up and press your heels
back. Repeat the last breath (as often you can perform a clean
push-up). INHALE lift your hips (into an Inverted V) and walk your
hands back to your feet. When your body weight is fully on your
feet, EXHALE to roll up to standing.
Benefit: Shoulder Girdle Organization, Upper Body & Abdominal
(Front Body) Strength.
Program Design: Full Body Integration
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Pushup, Rollup
Rollover Shoulder Stand -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Standing with sacrum against ladder barrel, legs slightly
bent. Reach your arms forward and then roll back against the
barrel, one vertebrae at a time. Reach your arms back for 2nd rung
from the top. Let your feet lift from the floor. Inhale to flex the hips
& exhale to roll into a shoulder stand, straighten legs, reach feet
towards back wall. Inhale to press the hands into the ladder &
exhale to rolldown, initiating from the shoulders then articulating
the spine down to the pelvis and lower the legs. Bend knees as
needed. Send pelvis forward.
,Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
Variations: Modify w/ feet on box for regression. Scissor or bicycle
legs for choreography.
Benefits: Strengthens back body, shoulders, arms, spine, glutes,
improves posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal (May add more depending on
choreography)
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Long sit, Rollup, Prone Shoulder Flexion/Press Up, Superman
Tendon Stretch -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Chair, 2 heavy
Exercise: Sit down on chair, step balls of feet onto the pedal in
pilates v. Grab front edge of chair, just outside of your legs. Push
vigorously away from the Chair. Pres the pedal down w/ your legs
as you lift your hips and bend forward. Imagine your legs like a
swing, coming through and forward underneath your body. Keep
your back round. Imagine a third leg coming down from the
tailbone along the line where your inner thighs meet.
Benefits: Upper Body Strength, Core Control in Spine Flexion, HNSO
Plane of Movement: Sagittal
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Long Sit, Roll Up, Push Up
, Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
Side Arm Twist -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Chair 1B on 3
Exercise: Sit down on chair with your back to the pedal. Palms
width behind you. Lift legs into tabletop. Extend legs (if possible) in
teaser position. Reach both arms forward, palms face in. INHALE,
reach your right arm up and over the handle, rotating your torso to
the right. Rotate your head as well. Lower your hand until it can
reach the pedal. Place your hand onto the pedal, with your fingers
facing back. EXHALE, roll off your sit bones in a round back roll
down. The pedal will lower down as a result of your spine flexion.
INHALE to control the pedal up to the starting position.
Benefits: Improves Core Control, Oblique Abs, Shoulder Girdle Org,
Spine flexion & rotation.
Planes of Movement: Frontal/Coronal, Sagittal, Transverse
Program Design: Seated Upper/Lower Extremity
FA: Long Sit, Hundred, Roll Up, Side Lift, Goal Post
Dolphin -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Trapeze Table, 2 purples high
Exercise: Supine on Trap Table with feet in purple spring loops.
Arms can reach overhead in goal post position. Curl your tailbone
And Answers
Twist -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Seated on mat like cleopatra; legs stacked on side. INHALE
to prepare. EXHALE, press away from your right hand, lift your
pelvis high and twist your body towards the floor. At the same time,
reach your top arm underneath your body towards your ankles.
INHALE, return to the Side Plank position with control. Repeat.
Then repeat on your other side.
Program Design: Inverted. Benefit: Shoulder Girdle Organization,
Obliques, Shoulders, Arms, Balance, Coordination
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Frontal/Coronal
Fitness Assessment (FA): Side Lift, Push Up, Z-Sit
Push Up -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Standing on the mat, feet hip width apart. INHALE to
prepare. EXHALE, drop your chin to the chest and begin to roll
down. Once your hands touch the mat, INHALE, and walk your
hands forward to a Front Control/High Push-Up position. EXHALE,
establish a solid Front Control. Reach your heels back and the top of
your head forward in opposition. INHALE, shift your weight forward
by pressing your toes into the mat. Bend your elbows straight back
for a push-up. Look slightly forward, lead with your chest.
,Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
EXHALE, straighten your arms to come up and press your heels
back. Repeat the last breath (as often you can perform a clean
push-up). INHALE lift your hips (into an Inverted V) and walk your
hands back to your feet. When your body weight is fully on your
feet, EXHALE to roll up to standing.
Benefit: Shoulder Girdle Organization, Upper Body & Abdominal
(Front Body) Strength.
Program Design: Full Body Integration
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Pushup, Rollup
Rollover Shoulder Stand -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Standing with sacrum against ladder barrel, legs slightly
bent. Reach your arms forward and then roll back against the
barrel, one vertebrae at a time. Reach your arms back for 2nd rung
from the top. Let your feet lift from the floor. Inhale to flex the hips
& exhale to roll into a shoulder stand, straighten legs, reach feet
towards back wall. Inhale to press the hands into the ladder &
exhale to rolldown, initiating from the shoulders then articulating
the spine down to the pelvis and lower the legs. Bend knees as
needed. Send pelvis forward.
,Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
Variations: Modify w/ feet on box for regression. Scissor or bicycle
legs for choreography.
Benefits: Strengthens back body, shoulders, arms, spine, glutes,
improves posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal (May add more depending on
choreography)
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Long sit, Rollup, Prone Shoulder Flexion/Press Up, Superman
Tendon Stretch -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Chair, 2 heavy
Exercise: Sit down on chair, step balls of feet onto the pedal in
pilates v. Grab front edge of chair, just outside of your legs. Push
vigorously away from the Chair. Pres the pedal down w/ your legs
as you lift your hips and bend forward. Imagine your legs like a
swing, coming through and forward underneath your body. Keep
your back round. Imagine a third leg coming down from the
tailbone along the line where your inner thighs meet.
Benefits: Upper Body Strength, Core Control in Spine Flexion, HNSO
Plane of Movement: Sagittal
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Long Sit, Roll Up, Push Up
, Polestar Pilates Movement Exam Questions
And Answers
Side Arm Twist -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Chair 1B on 3
Exercise: Sit down on chair with your back to the pedal. Palms
width behind you. Lift legs into tabletop. Extend legs (if possible) in
teaser position. Reach both arms forward, palms face in. INHALE,
reach your right arm up and over the handle, rotating your torso to
the right. Rotate your head as well. Lower your hand until it can
reach the pedal. Place your hand onto the pedal, with your fingers
facing back. EXHALE, roll off your sit bones in a round back roll
down. The pedal will lower down as a result of your spine flexion.
INHALE to control the pedal up to the starting position.
Benefits: Improves Core Control, Oblique Abs, Shoulder Girdle Org,
Spine flexion & rotation.
Planes of Movement: Frontal/Coronal, Sagittal, Transverse
Program Design: Seated Upper/Lower Extremity
FA: Long Sit, Hundred, Roll Up, Side Lift, Goal Post
Dolphin -
correct answer ✅Equipment: Trapeze Table, 2 purples high
Exercise: Supine on Trap Table with feet in purple spring loops.
Arms can reach overhead in goal post position. Curl your tailbone
