What Is Reformer Pilates And Why Is TikTok Going Mad Over It?
What is Reformer Pilates and why is TikTok going mad over it?
What is reformer pilates? How does it differ to pilates?
Pilates, formerly known as ‘Contrology’ is quite simply, the art of control. Ideally Pilates is practiced using the full studio, this includes the commonly known mat work and reformer but also: the tower, Wunda chair, high chair, pedi pole, the barrels and circle, to name a few. There are lots of amazing pieces of apparatus that make up a full rounded Pilates practice. It is only really when we work the full studio that we can fully understand the system as whole. So, reformer Pilates is Pilates, it’s the most famous piece of apparatus that Joseph Pilates invented.
The reformer is a piece of apparatus that’s a wooden frame (like a bed) consisting of: a bed on wheels with shoulder blocks, 4 springs, gears, leather straps and handles. The sight of it might be intimidating at first but the reformer actually provides support and feedback for the body. Reformer Pilates is naturally a different experience to mat Pilates, the key difference is in the springs and how much resistance you add. Don’t be fooled though, more springs doesn’t always mean a harder workout, quite the opposite.
Some exercises, are the same on the reformer and on the mat, such as The Hundred. Each version of The Hundred offers a different experience, but one informs the other for sure. You can argue that reformer Pilates gives noticeable results sooner. I agree this to be the case, but the main reason for this I believe is because the feedback the reformer gives your body allows you to expand your Pilates vocabulary sooner because you are given more information from the apparatus. What I mean by this is that a client could come to a mat class and do the hundred and not quite understand the need to follow the cue ‘reach your arms’ until they are a little more experienced. One session on the reformer, you understand the importance of reaching your arms because the reformer gives your body the information back to reach your arms…if you don’t the carriage bounces and it feels wrong. So yes, the reformer is harder, it gives you more bang for your buck in so many ways, but it is also easier than mat work because you get more information back and can feel when you are doing it wrong. Where possible I would recommend people try both, but start with reformer as the reformer will inform your body of where to be on a mat, which will make your mat work practice so much more effective.
2. Why is it good for us? Please include links to studies on this
I could write forever about why Pilates is good for us. I whole heartedly believe there is not a single person in the world who’s life wouldn’t be better by doing Pilates. I know that seems like a far out thing to say, but I really feel this is true.
I feel like, for a long time, the common misconception of Pilates is that it’s just breathing and stretching, and maybe a bit boring and easy!? However, Pilates is far from these things and think more people are starting to wake up to this now. When taught correctly Pilates is a full body workout. There is no beginner and advanced in my classes. There’s intro, progression and progression +. The reason for this is that you are learning a system. A system of exercises. The exercises that you learn as an ‘intro’ are still the same exercises you will do when you’re ‘progression’ and ‘progression +’ it’s just as you progress I add more exercises. It’s just that the more you work the system, the more you understand the exercises, the more you can flow from one movement to the next and so you can fit more exercises in. The reason why this is good for us is by doing this, you are learning and then reinforcing correct movement patterns. You are learning to breathe correctly. You are correcting postural imbalances. You are learning the art of control of your body. You will focus for a full session on nothing more than the inner workings of your body, this in itself is good for the mind. But, my favourite part, and the part I see day in day out, is that everyone who walks out my studio leaves with a deeper respect for their body and a greater sense of awareness. It is this little seed of awareness that is that first step to change and that is what makes Pilates so addictive that even after just 1 studio session you can feel the benefits. There have been many studies done on Pilates and it’s effectiveness not only on physical health but on mental health too. A study was done on 60 women living in Iran, they were all around the age of 60 and were housewives. The study found that after 8 weeks of mat based Pilates 3 x per week the mean happiness and depression scores of the participants at the end of months one and two in the intervention groups increased significantly compared to those of the control group. Another study was done on a group of people who weren’t already physically active, they had never done Pilates before and so the study was to asses whether studio Pilates would help improve their BMI, functional capability and quality of life. Where the study found that there wasn’t much change to their BMI after the 8 weeks, their functional capability and quality of life was greatly improved.
I myself, got into teaching Pilates 15 years ago after I wrote my dissertation on ‘How Pilates Affects Dancers’. I ran a very small study using 20 people. 10 of these did Pilates once a week and 10 didn’t over a 6 week period. I tested them on basic things like: their breath, how much their ribs could expand and how much they could exhale. I measured, how long they could hold a decent plank and also took photos of their plum line. After just 6 weeks, the group who did Pilates improved significantly. It was that actually that spurred me on to train to be a Pilates teacher. I have never done anything else!
3. Why is it having a moment right now? (Harry Styles is into it, so it’s all over TikTok)
I honestly believe Pilates is having a moment right now, because people have realised how important the work is to not only to their bodies, but also their minds. An hour in the studio leaves you feeling new. It’s addictive because your body wants more of that which made it feel better. The way the system works is that you’re never a beginner as such, you’re learning a system. And you start with say, 18 exercises and you work the studio to keep adding more. As your body gets stronger, opens up more, lengthens, lifts you are free to add more exercises and more and more. There are days you will come in and we’ll work the studio, getting deeper into the exercises, deeper into understanding your body. Then there are other days when we put the work together and we just fly and flow and move. These days are magic because it really is like your body just feels free and is flying. I get goosebumps writing it because it really is amazing to witness when someones body unlocks, peoples potential really is huge if they just have the tools to know how to move correctly. The Pilates method is that magic key. That is why it is having a ‘moment’ now. But honestly what it really is, is a system that is standing the test of time and people are just waking up to it now. So, yes Pilates does seem to be the craze of 2023, and rightly so. But honestly it’s only getting the credit and recognition its deserved for the last 100 years. Pilates is more than a craze though and I do believe it will stand the test of time because Pilates done properly (and be careful, because there is a lot of nonsense out there on Tik Tok, that certainly is NOT Pilates) is empowering and allows every body (young, old, super fit, less able bodies, couch potatoes) to enjoy their life in the best body possible.
4. What do I need to know before I go? Is it something I can do 4 times a week? Once a week? Does it count as a workout or is it a warm-up? Do I need any special kit?
Pilates is a well designed and thoroughly thought out complete workout so there is no need to warm up before you come to a class. The exercises are designed in a way that your body is warmed up and cooled down effectively, and the exercises progress in such an order that one informs the next. In an ideal world everybody would practice in the studio and then use the mat work exercises as their home work, practicing either mat or studio Pilates 3-4 times per week. Understandably though, studio Pilates isn’t accessible for everyone, and it’s expensive so mat Pilates is often a more affordable option, especially when you’re looking to practice multiple times a week. I have created an online platform on my website for this very reason. I have created a huge bank of beautifully recorded Pilates mat workouts that anyone can have access to so they know they are doing an effective home Pilates workout with no need for equipment. Then, when (and if) they can, between their home mat workouts they can come to the studio and train with me to keep informing that mat work and to reinforce those good movement patterns. Joseph Pilates writes in his book “if you faithfully perform your Contrology exercises (he means the mat work) regularly only four times a week for just three months as outlined in RETURN TO LIFE (his book), you will find your body development approaching the ideal, accompanied by renewed mental vigor and spiritual enhancement.” I would agree with this whole heartedly.
5. Finally, assuming I should stretch before, what’s a 3-5 move stretch routine I can do before the class, or at home to give me some similar benefits (the reader is unlikely to have the kit at home, obviously)
The beauty of Pilates is it is a complete workout. You turn up to the studio and we take care of you from start to finish. You don’t need to pre prepare, the method takes care of this for you. However, if you would like to work 3 exercises at home these are my top picks:
The hundred
The roll up
Criss cross