What Are Movement Skills (and Why They’ll Change the Way You Teach Pilates)

Ever given what felt like the perfect cue — and your client still didn’t get it?

Or how someone’s form looks perfectly fine when they’re setting up — but the second they start moving, things go sideways?

Suddenly, their hamstrings cramp up like crazy. Their shoulders hike toward their ears. Their pelvis wobbles all over the place.

And you’re standing there thinking, “Wait, what just happened?”

That’s where Movement Skills come in — and they’re about to change the way you see (and teach) Pilates forever.

So, What Are Movement Skills?

Most people haven’t heard of Movement Skills — because I made them up.

(Well, the concept is rooted in science. The language is mine.)

Movement Skills are a way of understanding how the body moves — not just which exercise you’re teaching, but what needs to happen in the joints, muscles, and nervous system to execute that movement with control, clarity, and efficiency.

Think of them like joint movement directions:

• Hip flexion
• Spinal extension
• Shoulder abduction
• Pelvic tilt

(So far so good? If you’re still here, then I know you’re most likely following along just fine.)

But here’s something important to know: 

I call them Movement Skills because muscles aren’t actors — they’re REACTORS. 

They only respond to signals they get from the brain. Which means movement isn’t just about physical strength or flexibility. It’s a skill. 

Just like other skills that we’re not born with (like playing an instrument or speaking a language, movement skills are something you build over time through awareness, practice, and the right kind of guidance. 

They’re the essential building blocks behind every single Pilates exercise (and every movement in real life).

When you understand Movement Skills, you don’t just see movement — you see why it’s working (or not). And that’s when your teaching gets a whole lot more powerful.

Isolated vs. Complex Movement Skills

Some Movement Skills are isolated — meaning they focus on a single joint moving in one direction. (Think: hip flexion. Lifting your thigh toward your chest. One joint. One plane of movement. One job.)

Others are complex — requiring multiple joints to move or stabilize together.

For example: 

• Anterior pelvic tilt (when the pelvis tips forward, the spine must react into extension and your hip joints are flexing.)
• Upper-body pulling (which requires coordination between the elbows, shoulders, wrists and trunk).

Real-life movement? It’s almost always complex. No part of the body moves in isolation.

Fascia, tendons, and muscles link everything together. Which means a tight ankle can affect your hip stability — and a weak core can show up as shoulder tension.

But when you’re teaching Pilates, it’s essential to break those complex patterns down first. Help students understand the parts before you ask them to integrate the whole.

Kind of like learning to play piano: first you learn individual notes, chords and scales. Then you learn to play the song.

The Real Power of Teaching Movement (Not Just Exercises)

Most people don’t naturally move well. They compensate, they avoid, they rush. And no amount of “just doing more reps” will fix that.

But Movement Skills will.

Because they show you exactly where a movement is breaking down — and how to fix it.

And that’s the magic of Pilates:

It’s not just about stronger muscles.

It’s about smarter movement.

Movement that holds up in real life — when you're gardening, lifting a toddler, going on a hike, or walking into the studio after a long day at your desk.

Teaching Made Simpler: One Skill at a Time

Here’s the best part:

You don’t have to overhaul your teaching to start applying this. In fact, we’ve made it super simple to begin.

Every week inside the Pilates Encyclopedia membership, we highlight one Movement Skill of the Week — a single, focused movement direction to explore in your teaching.

You’ll learn:
 

✅ Which exercises support each phase (from mobility to strength)
✅ What to look for when it’s done well
✅ Why it might not be working as it should
✅ How to cue and layer it effectively

Because when you’ve got one clear idea to focus on each week . . . 

Class planning gets easier. 

Teaching feels sharper. 

And your students feel the difference.

Ready to Make Your Teaching (and Life) Easier?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every week.

We’re here to support you — week by week, cue by cue, skill by skill.

So you can spend less time second-guessing what to teach . . . and more time making an impact with every session.

👉 Become a member today and join us in building smarter movement — one skill at a time.