Jackie Florence started Reformer Pilates 26 years ago. Justin and Hailey Bieber and Kate Hudson He began bragging about the exercise on social media.
After giving birth to her daughter, Florence suffered a herniated disk and severe pain in her arms; she could barely drive. Her sister-in-law, a Pilates instructor, recommended she try Pilates on a reformer—a specialized machine with a platform that moves along a track that can be adjusted with cords to add resistance, and straps for the arms and legs. (By contrast, mat Pilates is done on the floor, using only your body weight.) Instantly, she began feeling better.
“I quickly learned to look at my own body and keep my discs healthy,” says Florence. “I’m not very flexible, but the Reformer helped me to move my spine and do more.” Florence still does Reformer Pilates once a week, using the Reformer she bought for her own home.
Joseph Pilates He developed the method after being taken prisoner of war during World War I. He developed exercises that could be done from the comfort of his hospital bed to help rehabilitate wounded prisoners of war. Given its history as a rehabilitation method, it’s no surprise that people with mobility issues are also drawn to Pilates.
Kelsey Adams, 29, began taking reformer classes last year to strengthen and maintain the muscles around her knee joints, which she injured while running track. A physical therapist recommended the idea as a way to rehabilitate her knees and other weak muscles and joints, and Adams now attends once a week.
Pilates can be pricey (Adams pays $145 a month for lessons, while Florence bought her Reformer for $1,200), but the results make the cost well worth it.
4 Reasons to Try Reformer Pilates
Increased mobility
Veronica Jamnick, professor of health and performance-related exercise at York University’s Kinesiology School, said the Reformer’s design “combines resistance bands and calisthenics” to improve range of motion and mobility.
“The biggest thing is tension. You’re physically pushing and pulling,” says Jennifer Winter, founder and creator of Nice Day Pilates in Toronto. “You’re suspended by tension straps, which allows for a greater range of motion.” You’re fighting gravity on the mat.
Gentle on joints
As Florence and Adams prove, even those with injuries or chronic issues can do Reformer Pilates. Pilates is inherently low-impact (no jumping or heavy weights), but the Reformer guides your movements to prevent further injury. “You’re restructuring the way your joints take impact,” Winter says. Pilates involves a lot of repetition, but Winter says that’s because your body is learning. How to absorb shock.
Plus, support is built in. According to Pirko Marcoula-Dennison, a professor in the School of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta, the Reformer straps support your body, especially your legs, as you move. “It’s easy to see why the Reformer was originally developed to make exercise easier.”
Strengthens your core and provides a variety of benefits
Reformer Pilates requires you to strengthen and stabilize your core while lengthening your spine, Jamnick says. “You move a lot of things through core stability,” she says. This not only improves core strength, but also your overall balance and stability, which your core muscles help maintain. A stronger core (both in the front and back) also improves your posture. Weak core muscles can lead to: Leaning forward and leaning forward.
It works on the whole body
The best thing about Reformer Pilates is that it works so many muscle groups at once, and as you do more and more repetitions, Winter says you’re “building healthy habits throughout your entire body.”
These compound movements include squats (which simultaneously work your quads, glutes, and calves) and push-ups (which work your triceps, chest, and shoulders).
