If you have ever practiced Pilates, you know the impact this 100-year-old exercise program can have on your mind, body, and spirit. As it evolved throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries, Pilates mat work has increased its level of effectiveness by incorporating modern pieces of equipment.
One of the most popular tools today is the Pilates reformer, an eye-catching piece of equipment that can lead to an eye-popping body. It’s a flat platform with an undercarriage and an adjustable footbar that enables people of various weights, sizes, and skill levels to get the resistance they need to maximize their results. You push and pull using straps and springs, engaging your arms, legs, and core to move the carriage and gain muscle and definition.
What Is the Pilates Reformer?
The reformer is a tool to increase the intensity of your Pilates practice, which is a specialized form of exercise incorporating six key principles:
- Concentration
- Control
- Centering
- Precision
- Flow
- Breath
It’s an asset in building more endurance than the traditional method and expanding your strength, length, flexibility, and balance, according to an article by Verywell Fit.
One of the most popular aspects of the reformer is its versatility. It’s a piece of equipment that can be employed in numerous ways to target results. Pilates practitioners are able to use the apparatus solo or with additional equipment in stances that include:
- Standing
- Sitting
- Lying down
- Upside down
- Sideways
- Pushing the footbar
- Pulling the straps
- Perched on shoulder blocks
Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or an expert in the fitness field, the reformer is designed to challenge your ability.
Benefits of the Reformer
Some Pilates fans don’t realize there are ways to level up their game. If you’re getting results on the mat, that’s great. But if you like new experiences or feel your workout is a little bit tired, it’s worth a look to see if you can fall in love again. According to an article by In Touch Physical Therapy in New York City, many of the reformer’s best features are those you’ve already seen and appreciated, perhaps at a level that’s less intense, through your basic Pilates practice.
Build Balance
The greater your core strength, the more stability you have. As you adjust the springs on the reformer you change the amount of resistance to your muscles. By reducing the amount of body weight on the machine you promote balance by building core strength. The more of your own weight you have to carry, the better balance you achieve because your core has to issue control. Instructors at Burbank Fitness Club are ready to share their expertise with you if you need help using the reformer with balance in mind.
Gain More Flexibility
Your range of motion is a physical aspect with a great deal of impact on your everyday life and activities. The Pilates reformer works to increase flexibility and expand your body’s length. Repetitive movements train your body to improve functional flexibility so you have the wing span you need for reaching and the ability to stay active, whether you play pickleball in Burbank or you’re a Nick’s Nursery customer.
Work More Muscle Groups
Unlike more limited forms of fitness such as boxing or running for exercise in L.A., Pilates enables you to work on muscle groups throughout your body. You can build strength in your abs, glutes, back, and thighs by adjusting the reformer. It helps you work on a complex muscular network of deep and superficial muscles located in your torso as well as those more visible muscle groups in your arms and legs.
Decrease the Threat of Injuries
When your spine is supported by muscle strength it improves your posture and balance which decreases the chance of falling. An article on the BodyMindLife website points to the importance of your powerhouse muscles, the central part of your body that provides the foundation for physical activities and contributes to your stability by controlling movement.
There are various symptoms of a weak core including back pain and poor balance. Other signs include problems with movement or the inability to safely execute athletics. Muscle weakness can contribute to injury because it puts additional pressure on your joints.
Where Can I Find a Pilates Reformer Class in Los Angeles?
If classes at your gym are limited to yoga and circuit training, it may be time to look around for a local gym with Pilates equipment. Having access to Pilates classes including the use of the reformer offers you the chance to do more than burn calories.
Using your Burbank Fitness Club app you can claim a spot in a Reformers Pilates class to start the journey toward your own transformative results. A longer, stronger body comes from resistance training and isolating targeted muscle groups. Expert instructors will lead the way so you can access the mind-body benefits available through the Pilates reformer experience.