You have a class coming up and you need a plan. Not a theory of class design, but something you can print, read in two minutes and teach from. That is what this article is for.
Short version: A Pilates lesson plan is a written outline of one class: the exercises in order, with a time block, a spring setting, the reps and one cue focus for each. A good one fits on one or two pages. Below you find what goes into it, a complete 50-minute beginner reformer lesson plan, and two full plans you can download free as a PDF.
What Is a Pilates Lesson Plan?
A Pilates lesson plan describes one class for one group: what you teach, in which order, for how long and how heavy. Teacher trainings in the UK and Australia usually call it a lesson plan. Studios more often say class plan. It is the same thing.
"A lesson plan is not a list of exercise names. It is a list you can teach from: every row tells you how long, how heavy, how many and what to say."
That difference matters in class. A list of names leaves you calculating springs and guessing reps while ten people wait. A real lesson plan has done that thinking for you on Sunday, so on Monday your attention is on the people in front of you.
What Should a Pilates Lesson Plan Include?
Eight parts. The first three describe the class, the next four describe every exercise, the last one is for you after class.
| Part | What goes in | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | One focus, e.g. "hip stability" | Decides which exercises belong and which do not |
| Group and level | Beginner, mixed, intermediate | Sets springs, range and how much you explain |
| Equipment | Reformer, box, ball, band | Everything ready before the first exercise |
| Time blocks | Arrival, warm-up, main part, cool-down | Stops you from rushing the cool-down |
| Exercise and starting position | Name plus where hands and feet go | Fewer questions, faster transitions |
| Springs and reps | e.g. 2 medium, 8–10 reps | No arithmetic mid-class |
| Cue focus | One sentence per exercise | Your best cue, not the first one that comes to mind |
| Notes after class | What worked, what to change | Every repeat gets a little better |
The time blocks are where most plans fall apart. For 50 minutes, a good guideline is 0–3 minutes arrival, 3–12 warm-up, 12–46 main part and 46–50 cool-down. The full breakdown for 45, 50 and 60 minutes is in how long a Pilates class should be.
A Free Beginner Reformer Lesson Plan (50 Minutes)
This is Reformer for Beginners: Ball Basics, one of our two free plans, shortened to one line per exercise. The full version has the starting position, every step and several cues for each exercise.
| Phase | Exercise | Springs | Reps | Cue focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | Breathing | 1 medium | 6–8 breaths | Breathe into the side ribs, not the shoulders |
| Warm-up | Donkey kick, fire hydrant and lunge with ball | no spring | 8–10 per variation | The ball stays tucked in behind the knee |
| Main ① | Glute bridge with ball | 2 medium | 8–10, then 10 squeezes and pulses | Roll up vertebra by vertebra |
| Main ② | Crunch in tabletop with ball | 2 medium | 8–10 per variation | The pull comes from the abdominals, not the neck |
| Main ③ | Short strap arms and legs with ball | 1 medium | 8–10 per variation | Shoulders stay down while the arms work |
| Main ④ | Box lunge with scooter | 1 light | 6–8 per variation | Front knee stays over the ankle |
| Main ⑤ | Seated twist with ball at the footbar | 1 light | 6–8 per variation | Lean into the ball behind the lower back |
| Main ⑥ | Kneeling arm flow with ball | 1 light | 8–10 per variation | Shoulders low and wide, even overhead |
| Main ⑦ | Kneeling ball push at the footbar | 1 light | 6–8 | The push comes from the whole body |
| Main ⑧ | Forearm plank on the box | 1 light | 6–8, then hold 10 sec | Shoulders stay over the elbows |
| Main ⑨ | Kneeling side plank with thread the needle | 1 light | 6–8 | Don't hang into the shoulder |
| Main ⑩ | Elbow slide on the carriage | 1 light | 6–8 | Only as far as the lower back stays long |
| Cool-down | Roll out and stretch | — | 30–45 sec per position | Breathe into each stretch |
The one-sided exercises (④, ⑤, ⑨ and ⑩) are repeated on the second side at the end of the main part, so the group only rebuilds the set-up once. Spring colours and strengths differ between reformer brands, so treat light, medium and heavy as a starting point for your machines.
Why this lesson plan works for a beginner group
- One main prop. The ball is the only small prop in the class, plus the box for the lunge and the plank. Nobody is hunting for equipment.
- In the main part the springs only get lighter. From 2 medium to 1 medium to 1 light, never back up. Few changes, and every one is easy to announce.
- One theme, many angles. Every exercise asks the same question: can you stay stable while one part of you moves?
Teaching a group of true first-timers? Then use the beginner reformer class plan for week one instead. It gives the group more time to get to know the machine.
Free Pilates Lesson Plans as PDF
Three free downloads, all with your email address, no account and no card:
- Reformer for Beginners: Ball Basics — the plan above in full, 50 minutes, beginner level.
- Full-Body Flow with Weights & Long Box — 50 minutes, intermediate level, with light weights and the ball.
- A blank reformer class plan template — four sections, five columns, timing guides for 45, 50 and 60 minutes, to fill in by hand.
Both plans download as a printable PDF and open in a teaching mode on your phone, one step per screen. Most exercises in both plans have a short video, so you can check a movement before you teach it. To get both, use the free reformer class plan page.
How to Write Your Own Pilates Lesson Plan in 5 Steps
- Pick one theme and one group. "Beginners, hip stability" is a plan. "Full body, everyone" is a wish.
- Set the clock first. Time blocks before exercises. For 50 minutes: about 3 minutes arrival, 9 warm-up, 34 main part, 4 cool-down.
- Fill the main part first. Choose what serves the theme, then build a warm-up that prepares it and a cool-down that releases it.
- Write springs and reps on every row. Group exercises with the same spring setting so you change springs two or three times, not eight.
- Add one cue focus, then teach it twice. One cue per exercise is enough on paper. Teach the plan at least twice before you change anything.
Want a structure that already has the columns in place? The guide to the reformer class plan template walks through it with a filled-in example.
Mat vs Reformer Lesson Plans: What Changes?
The structure stays the same: arrival, warm-up, main part, cool-down, one theme. What changes is the content. A mat plan has no spring column, so add a props column instead (ball, ring, band). Transitions on the mat are quicker, so a few more exercises fit into the same time. Our plans are written for the reformer, but the eight parts above work for any Pilates lesson plan.
Three Lesson Plan Mistakes Worth Avoiding
- Too many exercises. If your plan only works when nobody asks a question, it is too full.
- Springs left blank. You will set them in class anyway, just slower and with ten people waiting.
- A new plan every week. Teaching the same plan two or three times makes you better at it, and your group notices the progress.
More on this in five reformer class planning mistakes.
Want lesson plans like this every month?
Pilates Plans gives you ready-made reformer class plans with springs, cues and teaching mode. Start with the two free ones.
→ Get the free lesson plans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Pilates lesson plan?
A Pilates lesson plan is a written outline of one class: the exercises in order, with a time block, a spring setting, a rep count and one cue focus for each. It covers one group and one class length, usually 45, 50 or 60 minutes, and fits on one or two pages.
Where can I find free Pilates lesson plans as a PDF?
Pilates Plans offers two complete 50-minute reformer lesson plans for free, one for beginners and one at intermediate level, plus a blank printable template. You get them with your email address, without an account or a card, and each plan downloads as a printable PDF.
How many exercises should a 50-minute Pilates lesson plan have?
For a 50-minute reformer class, plan roughly 10 to 14 exercises in the main part, plus two or three in the warm-up and one or two in the cool-down. The free beginner plan below has 2 warm-up exercises, 10 in the main part and 1 cool-down block.
Is a Pilates lesson plan the same as a class plan?
Yes. "Lesson plan", "class plan" and "class sequence" all mean the same thing: a written plan for one class. Lesson plan is more common in teacher training and in the UK and Australia, class plan more common in studios.
Can I use a reformer lesson plan for a mat class?
The structure transfers, the content does not. Arrival, warm-up, main part and cool-down work the same way on the mat, but the exercises, the props and the timing change. On the mat there are no springs to set, so transitions are quicker and a few more exercises fit into the same time.
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