Pilates Reformer
Low impact stress-free workout suitable for everybody
Ideal for rehabilitation and injury prevention
Effective stress relief and relaxation
What is a Pilates reformer?
A Pilates reformer is a large piece of exercise equipment that looks similar to a padded table or platform with springs, ropes, pulleys and a sliding carriage. They can be made from different materials, including steel or aluminium.
- Tones muscles: Reformer Pilates provides a full-body workout that can help develop a strong core and tone a variety of major muscle groups.
- Builds strength: By adding springs to certain movements on the Pilates reformer, you can increase the exercise resistance and intensity to build strength.
- Increases flexibility: Reformer Pilates is known to improve not only muscle strength but also flexibility and joint mobility. That’s because most of the exercises incorporate dynamic stretching.
- Improves posture: Reformer Pilates can support a strong core, promote flexibility and realign the body and spine, which can result in tremendous improvements in postural alignment.
- Corrects muscle imbalances: In Pilates, we are always working opposing muscle groups. Reformer Pilates starts by building a balanced core and then strengthening all sides of the body evenly to fix muscle imbalances.
- Prevents injury: By focusing on posture, form and fixing muscle imbalances, the Pilates reformer can create greater balance and efficiency to help prevent injury in the future.
Pilates Reformer for FITNESS
Reformer Pilates can help improve and maintain overall physical fitness – leading to greater strength, flexibility and balance, which in turn improve posture, movement and mental health. Reformer Pilates should form a key component to any person wanting to improve their overall fitness.
Full body workout
Using a Reformer to perform specific, individualised movements will give you a balanced, full body workout. The subtly of the springs on a Reformer, globally strengthens the whole body to not just target the large muscle movers, but also activate the smaller stabilisers. Where there is uneven weakness, you are also able to work unilaterally to focus in and correct imbalances.
Builds strength and tones muscles
Reformer pilates allows you to move through full range while working on strengthening muscles. This dynamic form of exercise, cleverly uses the machine’s springs and levers to create resistance and allow for equal focus on the concentric and eccentric contractions to create long, lean, toned muscles. It not only targets major muscle groups, but also the small stabilising muscles are called to action when working on a reformer machine.
Low impact (but high intensity)
Reformer Pilates is ideal, under professional guidance, for anyone suffering and recovering from an injury. The springs and ropes are specifically designed to enable you to work in the horizontal plane rather than weight bearing, reducing the load through your body. The low impact allows for repetitive movements to occur which in turn tones and strengthens the injured areas to speed recovery.
Improves core and posture
Many of the exercises performed on a Reformer machine target the core whilst working the peripheral postural muscles at the same time. A stronger core is essential for ideal posture.
Improves mental health
Since its creation, a lot of information focuses on the benefits of Reformer Pilates on increasing muscle strength, toning, improving flexibility and posture. Research continues to emerge on the positive impacts that Reformer Pilates has on Mental Health. From using the steadiness of your breath to find mindfulness in movement to stress management and relaxation. As a from of exercise, Reformer Pilates can reduce stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins, your body’s feel-good chemicals, giving you a natural mood boost. A Reformer program can be designed specially with these benefits in mind.
Pilates Reformer for GOLF
Improving mobility, stability and flexibility to better your golf game
Rotation
The Golf Swing is all about rotation. The largest amount of rotation in our spine comes from the thoracic spine. However, due to the time we spend in front of our computers, phones, and iPads the thoracic spine is often very stiff. Reformer pilates focuses on thoracic spine mobility, which includes rotation and hence will have a significant effect on your mobility in your golf swing.
Hip disassociation
The Golf Swing requires the ability to move the pelvis without moving the legs and vice versa. Achieving this through the use of Reformer pilates increases your ability to use the power in your legs as a solid base of support, and will allow you to drive that power into the swing.
Balance
Weight transfer is an important aspect of the golf swing. Being able to shift your weight from one leg to the other while swinging a club requires balance. Reformer Pilates exercises can help improve gluteal strength which is required to improve balance, weight shift, and ultimately your swing and handicap.
Core Control
Core stability and strength through the abdominal and pelvic muscles are the key to the power behind the golf swing. Studies have found that poor core strength leads to common golfing injuries such as lower back pain, shoulder pain and elbow and even wrist pain so Pi I ates can not only help to improve your golf, it can also help prevent injuries too.
Flexibility
If your spine, hips and shoulders are not flexible enough, no matter how hard you try, you simply will not be able to rotate the shoulders away from the hips enough to generate the force required to hit the ball. Pilates focuses on dynamic flexibility which will not only help improve your golf swing, but your overall physical health too.
Pilates Reformer for FOOTBALL
The performance enhancing and injury prevention benefits of reformer pilates are seriously under utilised in the sporting population, especially amongst footballers. Pilates is a great weapon to have in your arsenal as it promotes flexibility through strengthening and lengthening muscles, improves stability, increases muscle strength and activation, improves co-ordination and reduces injury risk.
Rebalancing the body
In general, with sports-specific programs, footballers will tend to
(over) use their dominant side and the same muscle groups during their training routine. The full body workout of pilates allows an equilibrium to be re-established in the body which can increase muscle activity and power you forward.
Keeping power, even when off balance
All aspects of football requires you to have a great centre of balance, exceptional core strength and stability through your hips. If you’re kicking, shooting or passing under pressure, the extra stability and strength you gain from reformer pilates allows you to generate power, even if pushed off balance. A strong core helps you stay on the ball and ride tackles while fending off your opposition.
Flexibility
We all know footballers and flexibility are not two words that are normally put together, but with decreased flexibility comes limited power, effectiveness and increased injury rates. By utilising reformer pilates you can work on strengthening while lengthening your muscles and improve your flexibility.
Keeping you on the field
Ultimately, you can’t play if you’re injured! Reformer pilates is renowned as one of the great prehab workouts as it addresses all aspects of your body. It is a great way to stay injury-free during a long season. Reformer pilates can also aid in improving the speed and quality of your recovery.
Pilates Reformer and RUNNING
Utilising the Reformer is extremely beneficial for runners. It provides an opportunity to concentrate on adjusting the way the knee tracks over the ankle, and can assist with alignment of the hip and stabilising weak muscles. It is a low-impact, whole body workout.
Improves your breathing
It has been mentioned throughout this biog that breathing is a core concept of reformer pilates, but runners who have good breathing technique increase the oxygenation and stamina to their diaphragm. Additionally, breathing patterns taught during a reformer session can boost power to your muscles and will push you through the times when it really starts to hurt.
Improve stability
Stability is essential for good running technique and avoiding injury. Strong trunk stability will keep shoulders, pelvis and spine balanced and aligned so that they can generate power through the legs in order to improve speed and endurance. Reformer pilates allows for elongation and alignment of the spine, which in turn improves all aspects of stability.
Correct posture
Posture is one of the key ingredients to success for runners, allowing for more efficient movement and less chance of injury. And posture is very dependent on a strong core. Reformer Pilates develops a strong core by supporting and strengthening the muscles of the torso, hips shoulders and pelvis.
Enhanced performance
Reformer pilates gives a full-body workout, which in turn improves power, strength, flexibility and efficiency. A stronger and more stable runner, who participates in reformer pilates, shaves seconds off their time because they move more efficiently, they decrease fatigue, and ensure the right muscles are activating when they need to be.
Reduce risk of injury
One of the best benefits of reformer pilates for runners is that is decreases the likelihood of getting injured. With key focuses on the spine and posture, it allows for greater balance, ensuring your movements are the most efficient for your body. Pilates can draw attention to where you are least flexible and allow you to build up in these areas, and therefore reduce your risk of injury.
Terms and Conditions for 1-2-1 Reformer Sessions
- Health questionnaire to be completed on arrival. This must be signed to confirm that you have read, understood and agreed.
- £20 deposit is required to reserve a booking and the balance of the fee to be paid on arrival either by cash or bank transfer.
- The deposit is non-refundable unless notice of cancellation is received more than 48 hours before the confirmed booking time. When cancelled more than 48 hours before a full refund will be given or if preferred it can be carried forward to book another session.
- If a session has to be cancelled by myself a full refund will be given.
- Non-slip socks must be worn at every session, and you can bring your own or they are available to purchase on the day for £5.
- Please also ensure you bring a small towel with you.
- Water is available during the session, but you may wish to bring your own.
- Car parking is at your own risk either on the road or drive and no liability will be accepted for any loss or damage however caused.
- Each session is for 60 minutes.
- Please ensure you arrive promptly for your booked session in case there is another client booked in after you.
- If you have any concerns about your ability or fitness to take part on the reformer, please ensure that you consult your doctor first.
Thank you for our introduction to the 1-2-1 the Pilates reformer. We really enjoyed it. I liked the attention for a personalised work out programme. It was more intense workout with it being a 1-2-1 .
We could not injure ourselves as you were there giving clear instructions and support. I think if I was in a class I wouldn’t get the same from it. I was not embarrassed if I got it wrong as you were there to encourage me. The setting of your studio is beautiful and relaxing.
I recently had the chance to enjoy the latest trend to hit the UK, Reformer Pilates. Sue expertly guided me through the session, it was a great way of working lots of muscle groups all on one machine, I was able to work at a beginners level and try some higher intensity moves. I felt strong and energised. Would highly recommend.
Thank you Sue, I really enjoyed my first reformer session with you. Wow what a great workout. I found some moves more challenging than others but liked the way you encouraged me to work at my own pace which really helped.
Comfortable surroundings and I found your instructions really clear. I have already booked my next session.
What a fantastic experience, my first time doing Pilates reformer. I benefited from one to one tuition in a relaxing environment.
Sue explained everything and was easy to understand. I felt Sue supported and encouraged me throughout the session.
PLEASE NOTE: It is your responsibility to determine if you are sufficiently healthy to undertake fitness or exercise activity. Please confirm that you are in good health and that you have not been advised to refrain from dance, fitness or exercise activities, that you are not receiving treatment for any condition that might be affected by undertaking dance or fitness or exercise related activity. If you feel unwell during or after the class, you must stop and seek medical attention. As a participant you expressly assume full responsibility for any injuries or damages which might occur as a result of participation.