Meet the reformer machine

Pilates dubbed the centre of the body ‘the powerhouse’ because it supports everything you do

Perhaps you’ve glimpsed that bit of apparatus with all the springs and pulleys in a studio, or you’ve gawked as a Tiktoker practically catapults off the thing. Either way, the reformer can be intimidating. Joseph Pilates himself invented it. A German gymnast, boxer and sometime circus performer (really), he was interned in England during the First World War, where he began training fellow internees in a system he was perfecting called ‘contrology’. With many pupils injured or bed-bound, Pilates rigged springs to bed frames, which allowed for accessible resistance training and paved the way for the reformer. Today, it’s composed of a moving bed (aka carriage) that works with and against spring tension.

There are many pros to Pilates with a reformer. For one, it was designed with proper alignment in mind. ‘There are blocks to keep your shoulders from shrugging up to your ears. When your feet are

on the foot bar, it sets your pelvis into neutral,’ Campbell says. For another, the spring system creates concentric and eccentric work, which you don’t always get from simple weights.

Is the reformer harder than the mat? Yes and no. While the springs generate greater tension to work against, they also support your body against the pull of gravity.

Ready for a class? Be sure to wear form-fitting clothes so your instructor can see your alignment. Last but not least: don’t take yourself too seriously – and have fun.