Pilates Reformer Machine: What It Is, Who Should Use It, and Why

If you’ve never used one before, a Pilates reformer machine can look like a mystery, and with all the benefits you hear about Pilates, you may be wondering whether you should buy a Pilates reformer machine for your home.

 When it comes to Pilates equipment or any home gym equipment, none can give you the same dynamic workout that increases muscle tone and flexibility as a Pilates reformer. If you want to buy a Pilates reformer for your home, check out our detailed buyer’s guide to see the unique and innovative Pilates reformer that Frame Fitness has designed.

 Regardless of your fitness level, age, or experience with Pilates, a Pilates reformer can work for you and everyone in your family. To understand how best a reformer can meet your needs and help you reach your goals, use this guide to understand what a reformer can do, if you should use it, and why.

What Is a Pilates Reformer?

Whether you’ve done mat Pilates for years or have just begun working out, a Pilates reformer machine can be a great way to enhance your workouts. You can use the reformer to get a more targeted workout, and the Framer reformer gives you the flexibility as you constantly challenge yourself.

Because of the buzz surrounding reformer Pilates, many people think using a reformer has become a recent sensation, but Joseph Pilates designed the reformer when he came up with this form of exercise over a century ago. He used what we now refer to as Pilates to help bed-ridden individuals get stronger and healthier. He experimented with adding springs to the beds to make their exercises more challenging, which was the beginning of what we recognize today as the Pilates reformer.

Like mat Pilates, reformer Pilates focuses on the following six principles:

• Centering
• Concentration
• Control
• Precision
• Breath
• Flow

However, a Pilates reformer workout takes your Pilates up a notch by requiring you to perform Pilates on a special piece of equipment. The reformer has a platform, called a carriage, that slides back and forth and allows you to make fluid movements while adding resistance. Unlike mat Pilates, a reformer not only adds resistance but also allows you to perform more muscle-toning movements to build your flexibility, especially targeting moves that work peripheral muscles in your arms and legs.

For a Pilates reformer that takes innovation and function to the next level, consider the reformer designed by Frame Fitness. Not only can you get a challenging workout, but you also get a digitally enhanced piece of equipment that allows you to stream workouts and seamlessly change resistance as you flow through your movements.

Who Can Use a Pilates Reformer?

A Pilates reformer provides you with a customized workout in your home, and you don’t have to be experienced with Pilates or experienced with working out to use a reformer. The reformer offers such versatility that you may be surprised at how many different types of people could benefit from having a Pilates reformer in their homes.

You should always consult with your healthcare provider first before starting any new exercise, and you should consider buying a reformer if you happen to be:

• Experienced with Pilates: A reformer allows you to level up your mat Pilates, adding resistance and moves you can’t do in your traditional mat Pilates workout. Using a reformer with feel seamless since you’re familiar with the moves, and reformer by Frame Fitness can give you a variety of workouts that you can stream to its convenient Bluetooth-enabled screen.
• New to Pilates: Even if you’re new to Pilates, a Pilates reformer can be a valuable piece of home equipment. Because of its versatility, you can opt for a private Pilates lesson in the comfort of your home, or you can find detailed, challenging workouts that you can stream to your Frame reformer by Frame Fitness. The workouts through Frame Fitness make a perfect starting place for beginners that take the mystery out of being new to Pilates so that you can get started right away.
• An athlete: Many avid athletes consider reformer Pilates to be a great way to cross-train for their sport. Olympians and Super Bowl athletes have been using reformer Pilates for years to increase strength, flexibility, and balance. You can get the same benefits by selecting Frame Fitness workouts by muscle groups and streaming them to your Frame reformer. Then you can perform sport-specific cross-training that will enhance your performance.
• A senior: Joseph Pilates practiced his methodology into his eighties, and the functional aspect of Pilates makes it a great option for seniors who have cleared this option with their healthcare provider. Because as we age, we increase our risks for falling, using a Pilates reformer gives seniors an excellent way to increase their flexibility and stability while building strength. These elements combine for better everyday balance and increased stamina. You can use a Pilates reformer designed by Frame Fitness and get customized workouts streamed to your machine via the Bluetooth-enabled screen. The large screen that swivels 180 degrees, allows you to easily view all the moves, and you can search through workouts by age to find one that works best for you.
• Rehabbing an injury or surgery: While you need to be sure you have your healthcare provider’s opinion before starting, a Pilates reformer can be an excellent way to rehab injuries or to recover from surgeries, like knee surgery. Physical therapists have used reformer Pilates for over a decade to help individuals recovering from injuries or surgery. Because of the horizontal plane of the carriage, you can strengthen muscles without load-bearing your joints vertically. Exercising in a horizontal plane of motion can allow you to experience a larger range of motion, and a reformer from Frame Fitness allows you to easily change resistance so that you can work out with a lighter load through recovery.
• Have children: Working out in front of your children models healthy habits for them, and a Pilates reformer from Frame Fitness gives your family a piece of exercise equipment that the entire family can use. No matter the age, you can stream workouts to your machine that work for each member of your family, putting everyone in your family in a healthy frame of mind.

What Are the Benefits of a Pilates Reformer?

Anyone can use a Pilates reformer machine, but if you still need more reasons as to why this Pilates equipment can be a great addition to your home gym or studio, just consider these benefits of using a Pilates reformer:

• Builds body strength: The springs of a Pilates reformer add resistance, which helps build strength as you flow through the movements. Often people associate weights with strength building, but the springs of a reformer provide the same beneficial effects as weights without the strain. The functional pulling and pushing you do as you perform Pilates movements offer a more efficient way to build strength through well-designed, purposeful movement.
• Increases flexibility and mobility: Regular workouts on a Pilates reformer can increase your range of motion, which is what experts mean when referring to mobility, as well as your flexibility. To elevate your mobility further, you need a balance of flexibility and strength, and reformer Pilates can achieve all those goals.
• Improves balance: Pilates builds core strength and utilizes functional movements, both of which help improve your balance. As you work through movements on a Pilates reformer, you become more aware of how your body moves and how to control that movement, and the focus on alignment in Pilates enhances that awareness.
• Improves posture: Increases core strength and becoming more aware of your body and its movements naturally improve your posture. Your awareness—learning to engage your core—helps you know how to place your body in the correct posture, and your core strength helps you maintain that position.

A Pilates reformer offers an effective, functional workout regardless of age, fitness level, or experience with Pilates. Whether you use a reformer as a novice or an expert, you can use a Pilates reformer from Frame Fitness to build strength, flexibility, mobility, and balance. With the streaming workouts available from Frame Fitness, you can customize your workouts to meet your needs, work toward your goals, and reap all the benefits a Pilates reformer has to offer.

 

Written by: Guest Blogger