POLESTAR PILATES EVALUATION EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2025/2026
✔✔Long Box Teaser - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, R or BY
Exercise: Seated on long box, facing footbar, both short loops in hands, legs in V or
table top. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll down one vertebra at a time. Reach your
arms out to the sides and let your head extend back. (The edge of the box should touch
you on your upper back - shoulder blade area). Lower your legs at the same time.
INHALE here in this big backbend. EXHALE, lift your head and reach your arms forward
and roll up, reaching your hands into the straps.
Benefits: Strengthen abdominals, improve spine flexion, shoulder stabilizers, shoulder
flexors (anterior deltoid), hip flexors, quads, balance, coordination, shoulder
disassociation, core control, stability, full body movement, deep neck flexors.
Plane of Movement: Sagittal (with choreography it could be more)
Program Design: Seated
FA: Hundred, Roll Up, Long Sit
✔✔Hanging Up - ✔✔Equipment: Trap Table, Sticky Material for hands
Exercise: Standing on Trap Table, hold onto bars above, feet into trapeze bar strap or
bar. Plank - Hang Up 1, INHALE, prepare. EXHALE to curl your tailbone and roll your
pelvis up until your whole body is parallel to the table. INHALE at the top. EXHALE to
control your pelvis down until your body forms a V position. Thoracic Extension - Hang
Up 3, INHALE, prepare. EXHALE to curl your tailbone and roll your pelvis up until your
whole body is parallel to the table. INHALE at the top.
EXHALE lift your sternum up and back behind you, arching your upper back. INHALE
return to the parallel plank position.
EXHALE, return to the starting position, with the pelvis hanging down. Full Extension;
While extending your thoracic spine, bend your knees, press your hips higher and move
your whole body into a high arch. Pull Ups - Hang Up 2; From the plank position,
EXHALE bend your elbows and pull yourself high. Your head could possibly come
through the upper horizontal bars. INHALE straighten the arms and return to the plank
position. Pulls can be performed in the plank position, in the V-position (with your pelvis
dangling), or in extension.
Benefits: Strengthens arms + shoulders, spinal extensors, chest, hip extensors.
Program Design: Inverted
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Push Up, Prone Press Up, Superman
✔✔Long Box Series: Backstroke - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, Red spring, long box
Exercise: Supine on Long Box, Feet towards Footbar, Short Loops in Hands, Both
elbows bent and out to sides, hands slightly above forehead, palms facing away, curl up
in a chest lift, legs at table top. INHALE, straighten your arms and legs to the ceiling,
making right angles at your hips and shoulders. Keep the carriage still as you do that.
Keep your legs touching, squeezing your inner thighs together. Keep your upper back
wide and the edge of your shoulder blades on the box. EXHALE as you open arms and
legs. Circle them around and down into the Hundred position. INHALE, hold the
,Hundred position. EXHALE return to the starting position by bending your arms and
legs.
Benefits: Core control in spine flexion, thoracic flexion, trunk stability, coordination, hip &
shoulder disassociation, strengthens abdominals, necks flexors, hip flexors, lat dorsi,
adductors, serratus anterior.
Program Design: Supine Upper/Lower Extremity/Abdominals.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
FA: Hundred, Seated Hip Abduction, Long Sit, Roll Up, Goal Post.
✔✔Long Box Series: Swan - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, RY
Exercise: Prone on Box, Feet under Footplank in ER, Hip Hinge at box crease, pad for
hips if needed. INHALE to prepare (bend your knees). EXHALE, press your legs to
straight and reach your arms forward. Extend your spine. INHALE, bend your knees,
pivot your pelvis around the edge of the box. (The carriage moves just a tiny bit.).
EXHALE, return your body into the Swimming position (flat diagonal). INHALE bend
your knees to bring the carriage in. Swing your arms back.
Benefits: Improves spine extensor and hip extensor strength. Practices scapulo-humeral
rhythm. Strengthens your hip extensors, glutes, and hamstrings. Strengthens your
ankles and plantar flexors, such as calves.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Full Body, Prone
FA: Prone Press Up, Superman, Prone Knee Bend, Prone Shoulder, Squats, Heel
Raise
✔✔Single Leg Stretch - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine with your legs extended on the mat. Pull your right knee into your
chest, your hands lightly touching the sides or top of your knee. Lift your head and
shoulders up.
Draw the abdominal wall down as you lift your left leg to a 45-degree angle, about
halfway up the wall in front of you. Make sure your lumbar spine is firmly imprinted into
the mat.
Benefits: Strengthens abdominals, hip mobility, flexion & disassociation, coordination,
core control, thoracic & cervical flexion when chest is lifted.
Program Design: Supine
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Hundred, Roll Up
✔✔Corkscrew - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine. Place your arms alongside your body with your palms down.
Squeeze your legs together, draw the abdominal wall vigorously down and EXHALE as
you lift both straight legs to the ceiling. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE, press your arms
down, lift your hips and send your legs over your head (rollover position). INHALE, hold
your legs parallel to the floor, and move them a few inches to the right (they are pointing
to the back right corner of the room). (Keep your pelvis in the center). EXHALE, roll your
spine down to the mat, while simultaneously moving your legs towards the right side of
the room and then the front right corner. Once your pelvis is on the mat, lower your legs
,towards the front of the room (as low as you can keep your imprint). Continue drawing a
large circle with your legs by moving them to the left side and lift your legs over your
head with the toes pointing to the left. INHALE, finish in the Roll Over position, your
spine, and pelvis centered on your mat. Your legs pointing straight back. EXHALE,
repeat the circle in the other direction.
Benefits: Core control & strength, oblique abdominals, rectus abdominis, upper body
strength.
Planes of movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Roll Up, Hundred, Side Lift
✔✔Criss Cross - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Supine, interlace hands behind head, support the weight of your head with
your hands. INHALE, lengthen the back of your neck. EXHALE, nod your chin to your
chest and curl your head, neck, and shoulders up. INHALE, lift one leg into tabletop.
EXHALE, let your lumbar spine sink into the mat, as you lift your second leg into
tabletop as well. For slow criss cross: INHALE in the center. EXHALE, reach your left
shoulder towards your right knee and extend your left leg at a 45-degree angle.
INHALE, back to center (keep chest high). EXHALE, repeat to the other side. INHALE,
return to center.
"Inhale twist - exhale center - inhale twist - exhale center."
Benefits: Core control, oblique abdominals, thoracic flexion, cervical & upper thoracic
spine, rotation, coordination.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Supine Abdominals
FA: Hundred, Roll Up,
✔✔Short Box Series - ✔✔Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Extend the Barrel as far away as possible from the Ladder (except for very
short students). STARTING POSITION, Sit on the Barrel, slightly below the top. Step
your feet up onto the lowest rung. Reach your arms across your belly. Round Back:
INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll down with a round back, imprinting one vertebra at
a time onto the Barrel. Go as far as you can keep the abdominal wall engaged. INHALE
when down. EXHALE, roll up to return to the starting position, pushing off of the Barrel.
Flat Back: INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to hinge back with flat back. INHALE to return
to the starting position. The opposite breathing pattern can be helpful to keep axial
elongation in the spine if you tend to collapse the spine as you lean back. Twist:
INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to twist. INHALE to turn to center. EXHALE, twist in the
other direction. The opposite breathing pattern is useful if you tend to lose axial spine
length in the rotation (inhalation encourages extension). Side Bend/Oblique Flat Back:
INHALE to twist. EXHALE to lean straight back maintaining the twist in the spine.
INHALE to sit tall and rotate to center, looking straight ahead. EXHALE to lean straight
back without rotation (Short Box Series: Flat Back). INHALE, sit tall and twist to the
other side. EXHALE, lean back maintaining the twist in the spine. INHALE come back
up. You can skip the flat back repetition in the center and twist immediately to the other
side, but adding a "symmetrical" repetition in the middle makes you more aware of your
, spine's range of motion to either side. It allows you to reset your awareness so to speak.
Climb a Tree.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Benefits: Abdominals, Hip Flexors, Axial Elongation, Flexion of Lumbar Spine, Round
back -C Curve.
Program Design: Seated
FA: R
✔✔Side Lunge - ✔✔Equipment: Chair, Heavy Springs
Exercise: Mount chair like forward lunge. Standing Sideways on chair, top foot in front of
chair corner and back ball of foot on back pedal of chair. Feet in ER. Keep body weight
over top leg. INHALE, lower the pedal two-thirds of the way down. EXHALE, control the
pedal up to the starting position, by straightening your top leg. Keep Top leg aligned.
Knee tracking over second toe. Axial Elongation.
Benefits: Lower Extremity Strength (HS, Glutes, External Rotators of Hips),
Ankle/Pelvic/Knee Stability. Hip disassociation, ROM, adduction, external rotation.
Planes of Movement: Coronal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Long Sit, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend
✔✔Forward Lunge & Backwards Stepdown - ✔✔Equipment: Chair, Middle Tension
Springs, Handles or in front of wall or something for client to hold onto.
Exercise: Standing on Chair by stepping one foot down on pedal at a time. INHALE to
lower the pedal 2/3rds of the way down with control while keeping your weight on the
top leg.
EXHALE to lift the pedal up to the starting position, using the strength of your top leg.
Send your knee forward to rise up on a slight diagonal, like on an escalator. Keep your
pelvis neutral on all planes. Keep your hips square.
Benefits: Knee stabilization/extension, lower extremity strength & alignment, ankle
strength, hip disassociation, balance, posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend, Superman
✔✔Standing Arms Facing Out I & II - ✔✔Equipment: Trap Table, Yellow Springs +
Handles
Exercise: Standing, Handles in Hands, Facing away from springs. Punching + Lunges:
Add a lunge forward with same side leg (ipsilateral movement). Add a lunge forward
with opposite leg (contralateral movement). Butterfly: Open your arms wide, as if
hugging a very large tree trunk. Lean slightly forward to pre-engage your abdominals as
well as pre-tightening the springs. INHALE move your spine in lateral flexion to the left.
Lift your right arm up and lower your left arm down (describing a big circle). Allow the
torso to bend to the left. EXHALE, press your straight left (bottom) arm forward.
INHALE return the bottom arm slightly back by bending the elbow, without losing
tension in the springs. EXHALE extend the arm again. INHALE return. Repeat a total of
three times.
ANSWERS 2025/2026
✔✔Long Box Teaser - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, R or BY
Exercise: Seated on long box, facing footbar, both short loops in hands, legs in V or
table top. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll down one vertebra at a time. Reach your
arms out to the sides and let your head extend back. (The edge of the box should touch
you on your upper back - shoulder blade area). Lower your legs at the same time.
INHALE here in this big backbend. EXHALE, lift your head and reach your arms forward
and roll up, reaching your hands into the straps.
Benefits: Strengthen abdominals, improve spine flexion, shoulder stabilizers, shoulder
flexors (anterior deltoid), hip flexors, quads, balance, coordination, shoulder
disassociation, core control, stability, full body movement, deep neck flexors.
Plane of Movement: Sagittal (with choreography it could be more)
Program Design: Seated
FA: Hundred, Roll Up, Long Sit
✔✔Hanging Up - ✔✔Equipment: Trap Table, Sticky Material for hands
Exercise: Standing on Trap Table, hold onto bars above, feet into trapeze bar strap or
bar. Plank - Hang Up 1, INHALE, prepare. EXHALE to curl your tailbone and roll your
pelvis up until your whole body is parallel to the table. INHALE at the top. EXHALE to
control your pelvis down until your body forms a V position. Thoracic Extension - Hang
Up 3, INHALE, prepare. EXHALE to curl your tailbone and roll your pelvis up until your
whole body is parallel to the table. INHALE at the top.
EXHALE lift your sternum up and back behind you, arching your upper back. INHALE
return to the parallel plank position.
EXHALE, return to the starting position, with the pelvis hanging down. Full Extension;
While extending your thoracic spine, bend your knees, press your hips higher and move
your whole body into a high arch. Pull Ups - Hang Up 2; From the plank position,
EXHALE bend your elbows and pull yourself high. Your head could possibly come
through the upper horizontal bars. INHALE straighten the arms and return to the plank
position. Pulls can be performed in the plank position, in the V-position (with your pelvis
dangling), or in extension.
Benefits: Strengthens arms + shoulders, spinal extensors, chest, hip extensors.
Program Design: Inverted
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Push Up, Prone Press Up, Superman
✔✔Long Box Series: Backstroke - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, Red spring, long box
Exercise: Supine on Long Box, Feet towards Footbar, Short Loops in Hands, Both
elbows bent and out to sides, hands slightly above forehead, palms facing away, curl up
in a chest lift, legs at table top. INHALE, straighten your arms and legs to the ceiling,
making right angles at your hips and shoulders. Keep the carriage still as you do that.
Keep your legs touching, squeezing your inner thighs together. Keep your upper back
wide and the edge of your shoulder blades on the box. EXHALE as you open arms and
legs. Circle them around and down into the Hundred position. INHALE, hold the
,Hundred position. EXHALE return to the starting position by bending your arms and
legs.
Benefits: Core control in spine flexion, thoracic flexion, trunk stability, coordination, hip &
shoulder disassociation, strengthens abdominals, necks flexors, hip flexors, lat dorsi,
adductors, serratus anterior.
Program Design: Supine Upper/Lower Extremity/Abdominals.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
FA: Hundred, Seated Hip Abduction, Long Sit, Roll Up, Goal Post.
✔✔Long Box Series: Swan - ✔✔Equipment: Reformer, RY
Exercise: Prone on Box, Feet under Footplank in ER, Hip Hinge at box crease, pad for
hips if needed. INHALE to prepare (bend your knees). EXHALE, press your legs to
straight and reach your arms forward. Extend your spine. INHALE, bend your knees,
pivot your pelvis around the edge of the box. (The carriage moves just a tiny bit.).
EXHALE, return your body into the Swimming position (flat diagonal). INHALE bend
your knees to bring the carriage in. Swing your arms back.
Benefits: Improves spine extensor and hip extensor strength. Practices scapulo-humeral
rhythm. Strengthens your hip extensors, glutes, and hamstrings. Strengthens your
ankles and plantar flexors, such as calves.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Full Body, Prone
FA: Prone Press Up, Superman, Prone Knee Bend, Prone Shoulder, Squats, Heel
Raise
✔✔Single Leg Stretch - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine with your legs extended on the mat. Pull your right knee into your
chest, your hands lightly touching the sides or top of your knee. Lift your head and
shoulders up.
Draw the abdominal wall down as you lift your left leg to a 45-degree angle, about
halfway up the wall in front of you. Make sure your lumbar spine is firmly imprinted into
the mat.
Benefits: Strengthens abdominals, hip mobility, flexion & disassociation, coordination,
core control, thoracic & cervical flexion when chest is lifted.
Program Design: Supine
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
FA: Hundred, Roll Up
✔✔Corkscrew - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine. Place your arms alongside your body with your palms down.
Squeeze your legs together, draw the abdominal wall vigorously down and EXHALE as
you lift both straight legs to the ceiling. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE, press your arms
down, lift your hips and send your legs over your head (rollover position). INHALE, hold
your legs parallel to the floor, and move them a few inches to the right (they are pointing
to the back right corner of the room). (Keep your pelvis in the center). EXHALE, roll your
spine down to the mat, while simultaneously moving your legs towards the right side of
the room and then the front right corner. Once your pelvis is on the mat, lower your legs
,towards the front of the room (as low as you can keep your imprint). Continue drawing a
large circle with your legs by moving them to the left side and lift your legs over your
head with the toes pointing to the left. INHALE, finish in the Roll Over position, your
spine, and pelvis centered on your mat. Your legs pointing straight back. EXHALE,
repeat the circle in the other direction.
Benefits: Core control & strength, oblique abdominals, rectus abdominis, upper body
strength.
Planes of movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Program Design: Inversion
FA: Roll Up, Hundred, Side Lift
✔✔Criss Cross - ✔✔Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Supine, interlace hands behind head, support the weight of your head with
your hands. INHALE, lengthen the back of your neck. EXHALE, nod your chin to your
chest and curl your head, neck, and shoulders up. INHALE, lift one leg into tabletop.
EXHALE, let your lumbar spine sink into the mat, as you lift your second leg into
tabletop as well. For slow criss cross: INHALE in the center. EXHALE, reach your left
shoulder towards your right knee and extend your left leg at a 45-degree angle.
INHALE, back to center (keep chest high). EXHALE, repeat to the other side. INHALE,
return to center.
"Inhale twist - exhale center - inhale twist - exhale center."
Benefits: Core control, oblique abdominals, thoracic flexion, cervical & upper thoracic
spine, rotation, coordination.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Supine Abdominals
FA: Hundred, Roll Up,
✔✔Short Box Series - ✔✔Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Extend the Barrel as far away as possible from the Ladder (except for very
short students). STARTING POSITION, Sit on the Barrel, slightly below the top. Step
your feet up onto the lowest rung. Reach your arms across your belly. Round Back:
INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll down with a round back, imprinting one vertebra at
a time onto the Barrel. Go as far as you can keep the abdominal wall engaged. INHALE
when down. EXHALE, roll up to return to the starting position, pushing off of the Barrel.
Flat Back: INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to hinge back with flat back. INHALE to return
to the starting position. The opposite breathing pattern can be helpful to keep axial
elongation in the spine if you tend to collapse the spine as you lean back. Twist:
INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to twist. INHALE to turn to center. EXHALE, twist in the
other direction. The opposite breathing pattern is useful if you tend to lose axial spine
length in the rotation (inhalation encourages extension). Side Bend/Oblique Flat Back:
INHALE to twist. EXHALE to lean straight back maintaining the twist in the spine.
INHALE to sit tall and rotate to center, looking straight ahead. EXHALE to lean straight
back without rotation (Short Box Series: Flat Back). INHALE, sit tall and twist to the
other side. EXHALE, lean back maintaining the twist in the spine. INHALE come back
up. You can skip the flat back repetition in the center and twist immediately to the other
side, but adding a "symmetrical" repetition in the middle makes you more aware of your
, spine's range of motion to either side. It allows you to reset your awareness so to speak.
Climb a Tree.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Benefits: Abdominals, Hip Flexors, Axial Elongation, Flexion of Lumbar Spine, Round
back -C Curve.
Program Design: Seated
FA: R
✔✔Side Lunge - ✔✔Equipment: Chair, Heavy Springs
Exercise: Mount chair like forward lunge. Standing Sideways on chair, top foot in front of
chair corner and back ball of foot on back pedal of chair. Feet in ER. Keep body weight
over top leg. INHALE, lower the pedal two-thirds of the way down. EXHALE, control the
pedal up to the starting position, by straightening your top leg. Keep Top leg aligned.
Knee tracking over second toe. Axial Elongation.
Benefits: Lower Extremity Strength (HS, Glutes, External Rotators of Hips),
Ankle/Pelvic/Knee Stability. Hip disassociation, ROM, adduction, external rotation.
Planes of Movement: Coronal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Long Sit, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend
✔✔Forward Lunge & Backwards Stepdown - ✔✔Equipment: Chair, Middle Tension
Springs, Handles or in front of wall or something for client to hold onto.
Exercise: Standing on Chair by stepping one foot down on pedal at a time. INHALE to
lower the pedal 2/3rds of the way down with control while keeping your weight on the
top leg.
EXHALE to lift the pedal up to the starting position, using the strength of your top leg.
Send your knee forward to rise up on a slight diagonal, like on an escalator. Keep your
pelvis neutral on all planes. Keep your hips square.
Benefits: Knee stabilization/extension, lower extremity strength & alignment, ankle
strength, hip disassociation, balance, posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend, Superman
✔✔Standing Arms Facing Out I & II - ✔✔Equipment: Trap Table, Yellow Springs +
Handles
Exercise: Standing, Handles in Hands, Facing away from springs. Punching + Lunges:
Add a lunge forward with same side leg (ipsilateral movement). Add a lunge forward
with opposite leg (contralateral movement). Butterfly: Open your arms wide, as if
hugging a very large tree trunk. Lean slightly forward to pre-engage your abdominals as
well as pre-tightening the springs. INHALE move your spine in lateral flexion to the left.
Lift your right arm up and lower your left arm down (describing a big circle). Allow the
torso to bend to the left. EXHALE, press your straight left (bottom) arm forward.
INHALE return the bottom arm slightly back by bending the elbow, without losing
tension in the springs. EXHALE extend the arm again. INHALE return. Repeat a total of
three times.
