Do a quick Google image search for Pilates and you will soon see pictures of contraptions with straps, springs and bars interspersed amongst pictures of people on mats looking strong & flexible.
When Joseph Pilates founded his movement modality during WWI, he used a normal hospital bed with various springs and straps attached to effectively rehabilitate his students. Fast forward a century later and the design of the machines he invented have been further honed to give to us the Reformer, the Tower, the Chair, the Cadillac & the Barrel. All these machines work together and separately to challenge the users stability, strength and mobility in a fantastic full body workout.
Through the last year, we have built a love of Mat Pilates in Colombo through the classes we have taught, and now we are venturing into working with one of these machines, the Reformer to further enhance the Pilates experience.
How does the Reformer differ or enhance Mat Pilates?
It provides resistance to give a more effective & challenging full body workout. Whilst the Mat repertoire places a great emphasis on back/abdominal muscles - the Reformer enhances this experience by providing a greater challenge/resistance to the limbs for a full body workout.
The series of exercises in the Reformer repertoire is varied and greater in number vs. the Mat repertoire: always keeping you on your toes!
Targeted work for specific body parts & kinetic chains of muscles using the Reformer to increase athletic ability or rehabilitate injuries/diseases.
Its dynamic and fun - incorporating the straps & springs to challenge the body: its strength & its balance makes movement fun!
If you're used to Mat Pilates, you would know the emphasis we place on activating & engaging the core during the movements - but on the Reformer, no cheating allowed!
What should you expect from your first Reformer Pilates class?
If you're used to group classes and you enter into a individual class, be pleasantly surprised by the attention we pay to your specific movement patterns, posture, muscle strength and how we tailor the class to meet your specific needs.
Don't be intimidated by the machine: see it as a beautiful piece of equipment designed to make your body function in a way that brings you to the best you yet!
You need to grasp the fundamentals of Pilates well to be able to properly execute the movements - like we said before, no cheating allowed because the machine won't move the way you want it to. So the first class may be paced a little slower but the quicker you grasp the concepts, the quicker we move!
No switching off! Pilates - be it on the mat or on the reformer - and Barre are intelligent exercise formats where you need to focus on your instructor's cues to ensure the correct muscle is engaged during a specific portion of the exercise.
You may not sweat (and that's better for the piece of equipment) but you should feel each movement working all the muscles exactly the way they need to be worked. A lunge on a reformer feels different to a lunge on the floor because you have to control the machine!
You will definitely feel sore the next day (yay!)
After teaching close to 1,000 hours of Mat Pilates & Barre in Colombo, this new chapter is an exciting one as we move towards our goal of bringing the best of intelligent wellness to our city. We invite you to try a class and feel the difference!
We offer one hour Reformer classes on an individual basis throughout the week. Classes must be pre-paid and confirmed in advance. To book, please email us at hello@barressential.com