POLESTAR PILATES MOVEMENT ACTUAL EXAM
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Push Up. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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
◉ Side Arm Twist. 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. 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 up
towards your feet and articulate your spine up one vertebra at a
time until you're in a high diagonal (like Magician).
Bend your knees (the springs reach between your knees) & press
your feet down, extending at the hip, not the lumbar spine, until
your heels touch the table (bridge). Slide your feet along the table
until your body is hovering in a straight line one inch above the
table. Pike, Peel, Jump to Bridge, Slide Feet long to start position.
Benefits: Improves hip extension, spine articulation, releases hip
flexor gripping, strengthens anterior oblique sling.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal & Transverse (Oblique Variation)
Program Design: Full Body Integration
FA: Roll up, Half Squat, Goal Post, Hundred
◉ Short Spine. Answer: Equipment: Trapeze Table, 2 Blues High
Exercise: Supine on trap table with roll down bar/dowel under
knees. Arms can be in goal post holding uprights. INHALE to prepare
by lengthening the spine. EXHALE, curl your tailbone and articulate
your spine up one vertebra at a time until you're in a Bridge
position. INHALE, float your whole body up, resting on the top of
your shoulder girdle (not your neck). Then fold at your hips, pull
your knees towards the poles behind you. EXHALE, roll your spine
back down one vertebra at a time. Once your tailbone is on the mat,
press into the dowel and lower your feet down onto the mat.
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Push Up. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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
◉ Side Arm Twist. 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. 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 up
towards your feet and articulate your spine up one vertebra at a
time until you're in a high diagonal (like Magician).
Bend your knees (the springs reach between your knees) & press
your feet down, extending at the hip, not the lumbar spine, until
your heels touch the table (bridge). Slide your feet along the table
until your body is hovering in a straight line one inch above the
table. Pike, Peel, Jump to Bridge, Slide Feet long to start position.
Benefits: Improves hip extension, spine articulation, releases hip
flexor gripping, strengthens anterior oblique sling.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal & Transverse (Oblique Variation)
Program Design: Full Body Integration
FA: Roll up, Half Squat, Goal Post, Hundred
◉ Short Spine. Answer: Equipment: Trapeze Table, 2 Blues High
Exercise: Supine on trap table with roll down bar/dowel under
knees. Arms can be in goal post holding uprights. INHALE to prepare
by lengthening the spine. EXHALE, curl your tailbone and articulate
your spine up one vertebra at a time until you're in a Bridge
position. INHALE, float your whole body up, resting on the top of
your shoulder girdle (not your neck). Then fold at your hips, pull
your knees towards the poles behind you. EXHALE, roll your spine
back down one vertebra at a time. Once your tailbone is on the mat,
press into the dowel and lower your feet down onto the mat.
