Reformer Pilates

Strengthening Your Foundations To Optimise Your Health

Every movement you perform, whether it’s opening a door or putting on shoes, requires core control, strength and stability. When the demands on our body exceed our core’s capability, the movements become difficult, and we are vulnerable to injury and pain.

Reformer Pilates focuses on improving these foundations, so you can move, perform and live your life without pain and limitations. It uses gentle, controlled movements to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s to recover from surgery or injury quickly, become stronger and more flexible, or improve your coordination, balance and walking.

Reformer Pilates is for everyone - no age or strength requirements

Whatever age, strength and movement you’re able to do when you start, reformer pilates is perfect - there are no minimum requirements. We work with the level that you’re at to gently and effectively improve your strength, control and stability. What we don’t do is push you beyond what you can safely handle or put you in strenuous, dangerous situations. Reformer Pilates is a fun and enjoyable activity - and we help keep it that way!

Reformer pilates helps you recover from injury

While reformer pilates is performed regularly by many to help maintain their health, strength and well-being, here at The Podiatrist, we also use it as part of our injury rehabilitation to help you get out of pain and back to doing the things you love faster. You are guided through each movement that is designed to help restore your strength and assist your recovery.

More than this, having strong foundations also helps protect you against future injury and re-injury, which is one of our key focuses!

Reformer pilates is not painful or uncomfortable

You have full control of the difficulty and the level of exertion required to complete each move. If you start to feel any discomfort, reduce the difficulty until you build up the strength and function to be able to comfortably perform each move. Your podiatrist will guide you through each move to ensure that your technique is correct and you’re maximising your benefits from each session.

One-on-one sessions

You can book in for reformer pilates sessions, or take part in our 6-week, one-on-one reformer program that specifically targets your deficits and works on movement-based goals. An appointment is 45 minutes, and is available at Optimise Health on Ipswich Street. Take-home exercises are provided to help you maximise the benefits to your body and continue your care and progress in-between appointments.

Our aim is to create balanced and harmonious movement patterns for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a reformer machine?

A reformer machine is a piece of equipment that looks like a bed with springs and straps. Don’t let it intimidate you - in reality it provides a safe yet challenging way to strengthen and tone the core and your peripheral muscles.

How does reformer pilates differ from other pilates?

The variety of exercises alone is far superior in reformer pilates. Reformer pilates works on core stabilisation, just like mat pilates, except it uses your legs and arms more effectively, and is therefore more appealing in helping your rehabilitation and sport-specific training.

Reformer pilates promotes endurance, joint stability, muscle strength and tone, balance and proprioception. Patients who may not be able to perform a weight-bearing (standing) movement can lay down on the reformer and use the springs as resistance to achieve strength and mobility gains for the same muscle groups.

How often should I do reformer pilates?

You can perform reformer pilates daily because it’s a controlled exercise regime and the exercise variety is endless. 2-3 times per week is ideal. You will still get benefit even from one session per week. The amount of sessions you should do really depends on what you want to achieve and how quickly you’d like to do so.

Can anyone do reformer pilates classes?

Absolutely! Reformer is for everyone. Elite athletes, patients rehabilitating from surgery and just someone wanting to improve their posture for long term health benefits can all do reformer. The reformer allows great diversity depending on what exercises are prescribed for the individual to meet their goals.

What do I need to wear or bring with me?

Well-fitting activewear such as tights and non-loose clothing are ideal.

Is it okay if I’m not very flexible?

Of course! Everyone starts somewhere and Pilates isn’t about flexibility, it’s about core strength - flexibility is a bonus you gain along the way. As you continue to consistently take classes and get used to the movements, you should notice your flexibility gradually improve.

Can I still do classes if I’m pregnant?

Yes you can! In fact, many women take pregnancy pilates classes to work their core and pelvic floor when they’re pregnant and trying to conceive. As each class is led by your practitioner, we’ll make sure that you don’t perform any moves that are too tough for the stage of pregnancy that you’re at.

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