After teaching Pilates mat classes for several years I attended my first Pilates equipment class about 5 years ago. This course involved teaching clients to use a popular piece of equipment called the reformer. I enjoyed the experience so much that I purchased the floor model, a simple reformer design from Stamina equipment, and returned home with it. My husband kindly helped me set up the reformer in his sacred Badger basement. His friends particularly enjoyed teasing me during game days about using the "deformer" to reform their neglected bodies.
Pilates includes movements of spinal rotation, pushing, pulling, rolling and stretching . A single reformer accommodates hundreds of variations of exercises. History shows Joseph Pilates invented the Reformer from a mattress and its springs to help rehabilitate soldiers injured in World War 1. The springs act as abdominal muscles that you may not have yet. As you become stronger, the spring resistance can be decreased so that your abdominal muscles do more of the work, until one is able to do the exercise on their own. Typically Joseph Pilates' clients would first exercise on the Reformer and then graduate to mat based exercises once they no longer needed the assistance of the spring resistance. Today however, more people exercise in mat classes largely to contain expenses.
The reformer combines core training (muscles of the deep abdominals, buttocks, pelvic floor and back) with strength training for your limbs. The reformer enables full-body resistance training, much like a weightlifting routine, without the bulk. The carriage moves back and forth creating an unstable surface. Your brain registers a need to stabilize. Thus your stabilizer muscles learn to engage to keep the pelvis anchored in its neutral position.
The spring resistance emphasizes control. As you stretch out a spring, it wants to shorten back to its original resting length. When doing a Pilates exercise against the resistance, you must work to bring the spring back home to its original length slowly and carefully, with control. Generally speaking, controlling both directions of a movement challenges the muscles while they are shortening (when you make the initial push against the spring) called a concentric movement and while they are lengthening (on the control portion as you bend the knees to return) called an eccentric movement. Emphasizing equal effort between muscle groups helps create balance and strength without muscle bulk.
Many fitness enthusiasts are initially skeptical about the benefits of the reformer. Many equate workout with pain, sweat, and feeling winded. Once however clients begin to understand the Pilates terminology and experience the benefits of working from the center, enhancing flexibility, improving posture, and decreasing injury risks associated with athletics they become committed.
My new Balanced Body Allegro reformer is a significant upgrade from my original Stamina model. However, as I discussed recently with a client, reformers are like vehicles; whether a sedan or sports car most will get you to your destination. Ron's friend recently helped me move the reformer into my new studio space. "No more interrupting game days with your torture device," Kraig remarked. The jokes remain the same and I laugh right along with them. Nothing strengthens your powerhouse more than the reformer mixed with laughter.
Pilates includes movements of spinal rotation, pushing, pulling, rolling and stretching . A single reformer accommodates hundreds of variations of exercises. History shows Joseph Pilates invented the Reformer from a mattress and its springs to help rehabilitate soldiers injured in World War 1. The springs act as abdominal muscles that you may not have yet. As you become stronger, the spring resistance can be decreased so that your abdominal muscles do more of the work, until one is able to do the exercise on their own. Typically Joseph Pilates' clients would first exercise on the Reformer and then graduate to mat based exercises once they no longer needed the assistance of the spring resistance. Today however, more people exercise in mat classes largely to contain expenses.
The reformer combines core training (muscles of the deep abdominals, buttocks, pelvic floor and back) with strength training for your limbs. The reformer enables full-body resistance training, much like a weightlifting routine, without the bulk. The carriage moves back and forth creating an unstable surface. Your brain registers a need to stabilize. Thus your stabilizer muscles learn to engage to keep the pelvis anchored in its neutral position.
The spring resistance emphasizes control. As you stretch out a spring, it wants to shorten back to its original resting length. When doing a Pilates exercise against the resistance, you must work to bring the spring back home to its original length slowly and carefully, with control. Generally speaking, controlling both directions of a movement challenges the muscles while they are shortening (when you make the initial push against the spring) called a concentric movement and while they are lengthening (on the control portion as you bend the knees to return) called an eccentric movement. Emphasizing equal effort between muscle groups helps create balance and strength without muscle bulk.
Many fitness enthusiasts are initially skeptical about the benefits of the reformer. Many equate workout with pain, sweat, and feeling winded. Once however clients begin to understand the Pilates terminology and experience the benefits of working from the center, enhancing flexibility, improving posture, and decreasing injury risks associated with athletics they become committed.
My new Balanced Body Allegro reformer is a significant upgrade from my original Stamina model. However, as I discussed recently with a client, reformers are like vehicles; whether a sedan or sports car most will get you to your destination. Ron's friend recently helped me move the reformer into my new studio space. "No more interrupting game days with your torture device," Kraig remarked. The jokes remain the same and I laugh right along with them. Nothing strengthens your powerhouse more than the reformer mixed with laughter.
The Sacred Badger Basement