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If you have ever watched any of the old horror movies, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Pilates Reformer fitness machine actually appeared in some of them. Far from being a bit part player in a horror movie, the Pilates Reformer is an star performer in many fitness gyms around the world.

So what does the Pilates Reformer do exactly? Perhaps the best thing to do is to explain some of the principals behind Pilates, so that you will better understand what the Reformer is trying to achieve.

The aim of a Pilates workout is to improve your core strength, rather than just your external appearance. It pays particular attention to the stomach muscles (abdominals) and the back muscles, which quite honestly are key to any serious workout anyway.

There are a number of basic principals associated with Pilates. These were not created specifically by the creator of Pilates, but by coaches and instructors. Broadly speaking, they can be divided into the following categories: Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow.

When talking about centering, we are really talking about where the Pilates exercises are aimed, namely in the centre of the body, specifically in an area between the pubic bone and the lower ribs.

Concentration simply means bringing one’s full attention to the exercise and doing it with full commitment. As with any exercise, giving it your full attention will yield maximum benefit.

Control means undertaking the exercises in a controlled manner and not flinging yourself into them willy nilly.

Precision means carrying out the exercises exactly as outlined by the instructors without any deviation.

Joseph Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. He advocated thinking of the lungs as a bellows to pump the air in and out of the body. Most Pilates exercises (as is common in a lot of exercise regimes) coordinate with the breath, and using the breath properly is an important part of Pilates exercise.

The flow means how you carry out the exercises. The requirement is for a smooth motion rather than any short or jerky movements.

You may well see that most of these principals are common sense. At least they certainly will be if you have ever been serious about your exercise. If you are new to exercising, and Pilates in particular, then please take the principals listed above as read and you will find that Pilates will be able to do a great deal for you.

Pilates equipment, like the reformer, are very good mirrors of one’s flow and concentration as they tend to bang around and suddenly become quite “machine-like” if one loses ones control and flow. The Reformer provides finely tuned exercise resistance that allows one to work very precisely with alignment, core strength, and all of the Pilates exercise principles.

Tags: Exercise and Fitness