Pilates Youth Program - The Mat Exercises
The following is the Pilates mat exercise protocol used in the pilot phase of the Pilates Youth Program. It is designed for the age groups of students in the 5th and 6th grade. These exercises may not be appropriate for younger children.
1. Stand – Sit
2. Transition to The Hundred by rolling down
3. Roll Up
4. Rolling Like A Ball (Introduced at week 4)
5. Single Leg Stretch
6. Double Leg Stretch
7. Single Straight Leg Stretch
8. Double Straight Leg Stretch
9. Criss Cross
10. Spine Stretch Forward
11. Swan (Transitions to Swan Dive at week 4)
12. Single Leg Kicks
13. Double Leg Kicks
14. Spine Twist
15. Swimming
16. Seal to Stand
Safety Guidelines for Teaching Pilot Program:
1. Mats must be a minimum of 3/4 inch thick.
2. Ensure that there are a minimum of 12 inches of clearance on all sides of Mat.
3. Begin by demonstrating the rest position in supine (on back with both knees into chest).
4. Explain the use of rest position. In the event that a student is too tired, cannot hold the position of an exercise, or have pain of any kind, please ask them to assume this position.
5. Explain the importance of NEVER rolling onto the neck or looking side to side during the exercises.
6. Remind students to go to their individual limit and not to compare themselves to their friends and neighbors.
7. Mat must be cleaned after each use with cleaner provided.
Tips for Teachers
1. The Hundred: Table top position to start, progress to legs at 60-degree angle only. (Arms pump like moving through mud, or like pumping up an air balloon with a foot pump using your hands – no flailing.)
2. Roll Up: Strand of pearls analogy.
3. Single Leg Stretch: Emphasis on reaching legs out vs. pulling knees in.
4. Double Leg Stretch: Ladybug becomes a grasshopper.
5. Single Straight Leg Stretch: Remember Edward Scissorhands? . . . we have Joe scissor legs.
6. Double Straight Leg Stretch: Leaning tower of Pisa leans no more.
7. Criss Cross: Reach elbows back and out.
8. Swan/Swan Dive: Swan lifts his head out of the water and quietly hides again.
a. With addition of the dive: Swan lifts head out, sees a fish, dives to get it, and comes back up.
9. Spine Stretch forward: Sitting up tall as if to see out of the window of a Mack truck. Bend your knees if you need to sit up on sitz bones.
10. Spine Twist: “twister.” Like a blade of grass growing tall as it looks for the sun.
Emergency Protocol
In the event of an emergency follow your school’s standard protocol for emergency procedures.
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