What is reformer pilates?
Updated
Reformer pilates is the pilates method performed on a reformer, a machine with a sliding carriage, springs, a footbar and straps. You move the carriage by pushing with your feet or pulling the straps, and the springs set the resistance. The exercises follow the same principles as mat pilates: control, precise movement and coordinated breathing.
The machine, part by part
A reformer looks like a low bed frame with a padded platform that rolls. Every model differs a little, but you’ll find the same parts on all of them.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Frame | The long rectangular base, usually wood or aluminum, that holds the rails |
| Carriage | The padded platform you lie, sit, kneel or stand on. It rolls along the rails |
| Springs | Attach the carriage to the foot end. Each one adds resistance |
| Footbar | A padded bar at the foot end that you push against with your feet or hands |
| Straps | Loops on ropes running through pulleys at the head end, for hands or feet |
| Headrest | Supports your head when you lie on your back. Usually adjustable |
| Shoulder rests | Pads at the head end of the carriage that stop you sliding off when you push |
Many reformers also take add-ons: a jumpboard that replaces the footbar for jumping exercises lying down, a sitting box that sits on the carriage, or a tower frame at the head end.
How the springs work
Springs are the whole idea. Hook on more and the carriage is harder to move away from the foot end. Hook on fewer and it moves freely, which can feel easier or harder depending on the exercise.
That second part surprises people. Light springs give you less help, so you have to control the carriage with your own muscles to keep it from sliding. An instructor might make an exercise harder by taking a spring off, not by adding one.
Spring colors usually mark strength, but the color code changes from one manufacturer to the next. Your instructor will call settings by color or by number for the machines in that room.
What a reformer class looks like
One person per machine. The instructor stands in the room calling out spring settings, positions and counts. A typical class flows through footwork on the footbar, arm and leg series in the straps, and some kneeling or standing work, with spring changes between each series.
Group classes are the most common way to take it. Studios also teach privates (one student) and duets (two). Club Pilates, for one, builds its whole schedule around reformer-based group classes[4].
Where the reformer came from
The method is named after Joseph Pilates, born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, in 1883[10]. He was interned in England during the First World War, moved to the United States in the mid-1920s and opened a studio in New York with his wife, Clara[10]. He called his system Contrology and patented 26 pieces of apparatus in his lifetime[10].
Modern reformers come from many manufacturers and vary in size, materials and spring set-up. The idea of a spring-loaded carriage is the same.
Reformer pilates vs other pilates
Pilates splits into two broad groups: mat work, done on the floor with body weight and small props, and apparatus work, done on machines such as the reformer, the tower or Cadillac, and the chair. The reformer is the apparatus most studios build their group classes around. For the full picture, see what pilates is, the types of pilates classes, and reformer vs mat pilates.
Ready to try it? Start with reformer pilates for beginners, or go back to the reformer pilates hub to find a class.
FAQ
What is the difference between reformer pilates and regular pilates?
“Regular” pilates usually means mat pilates, done on the floor with your own body weight. Reformer pilates uses a machine with springs that add resistance or support. Both follow the same method. The reformer gives the instructor more ways to adjust an exercise, and classes on it usually cost more.
Is reformer pilates the same as Lagree?
No. Lagree is a separate method that uses a machine called the Megaformer. It looks a little like a reformer, but the equipment, pacing and exercises are different, and instructors train in that method specifically. If a schedule lists Lagree or Megaformer, it isn’t a standard reformer pilates class.
Who invented the pilates reformer?
The reformer traces back to Joseph Pilates, who developed spring-based equipment alongside his mat exercises and patented 26 pieces of apparatus during his lifetime. He taught in New York from the 1920s until his death in 1967. Today’s reformers are made by many companies and differ in materials and spring set-up.
What do the different spring colors mean?
Each color marks a spring strength, from light to heavy. The code isn’t universal; it depends on who made the machine. Your instructor will tell you which colors or numbers to use for each exercise in that studio, so you don’t need to learn a chart before your first class.
Do you need to be fit to do reformer pilates?
No. The spring settings let an instructor scale an exercise for each person, so beginner classes are built for people with no pilates background. Mention any injury, surgery or pregnancy to the instructor before class so they can suggest options, and start with a class labeled intro or level 1.