Spend any time in a traditional Pilates studio and you’ve likely noticed a row of strange-looking bed-like contraptions. This is the Pilates reformer.
It may not look like much, but the reformer has so many benefits. It targets flexibility and strength, offers resistance and time under tension, accesses muscles that build balance and stability, and offers a range of motion to complete movements for a variety of body types and abilities.
And the story of the evolution of the Pilates reformer is also an interesting one.
What Comprises This Strange Machine?
The reformer has a bed-like frame with a flat platform called the carriage. The carriage rolls back and forth on wheels within the frame and is attached to one end of the reformer by a set of springs. The carriage is pushed or pulled along the frame using shoulder blocks, while the springs provide different levels of resistance.
There is an adjustable foot bar at the spring end of the reformer. As the carriage moves, the foot bar can be manipulated by your hands or your feet. There are also long straps with handles attached to the top end of the frame that can be pulled with your legs or arms to move the carriage.
Body weight and resistance create time under tension as you move the carriage. Then, as you become more skilled and build strength, the reformer evolves with you to keep you challenged. Plus, because of its versatility, it’s ideal for different body sizes, abilities, and skill levels.
The Evolution of the Pilates Reformer
The reformer was developed in 1914 by Joseph Pilates when he was interned in a British camp during World War I. While in his cell, he committed to a practice of stretching and exercising every day to maintain his health and mobility. It was these movements that would later form the basis for mat Pilates. It was outside the cellblock, however, that Pilates began to develop what is now known as the reformer machine.
Many of his fellow cellmates’s limbs had grown stiff and atrophied from imprisonment. In addition, they struggled with weakness from being malnourished. Utilizing straps and hospital bed frames, he began to build a contraption that would help them to stretch and strengthen their limbs. He possessed a knowledge of breathing from yoga, as well as Zen meditation, and incorporated breath into his stretch-and-strengthen routines. The men regained their strength and mobility.
Once the war ended and he was liberated, Pilates continued to develop and refine the reformer based on what he learned in the hospital. He would open his first Pilates studio in New York City in 1923 with a reformer in place. And though the reformer has advanced some in the past 100 years, the simple and basic principle of using straps and springs as resistance remains.
Today’s Pilates Reformer
While they look a little more modern and streamlined than the earlier models, the lasting power and longevity of the Pilates reformer is a testament to its effectiveness. In fact, with so many people plagued with postural and alignment issues from spending long hours each day hunched over and looking at screens, the Pilates reformer is more relevant now than ever.
Using the reformer under the watchful eye of an experienced Pilates instructor can help restore alignment, restore full-body mobility, and bring the body back into balance. And all without putting strain on your joints.
Curious to Try the Reformer?
It’s easy to see that the evolution of the Pilates reformer was not a complicated one. This relatively simple machine delivers huge results.
Even so, the first time you try a reformer, it can feel strange and unfamiliar. That’s completely normal. So if you’re in Southeastern Michigan, we invite you to come and see how working on a reformer can benefit you.
Contact us today to find out how you can sign up for a reformer class with one of our highly trained Pilates instructors. You’ll be glad you did.