The Pilates Reformer, a piece of exercise equipment created by Joseph Pilates, first appear in patented form in the 1920s. A German-born physical trainer, Joe Pilates helped rehabilitate soldiers during his time in an internment camp in World War I. He developed an approach to exercise called Contrology, which required only the body for a set of unique exercises. His approach to training also included the machines he devised to assist and challenge body movements.
History
Joseph Pilates used springs to attach to beds and chairs to aid in his work with ailing soldiers recovering from war diseases on the Isle of Man in the late 1910s. As told in the biographical article by Stacey Redfield-Dreisbach, "Chasing Joe Pilates," attorneys for Pilates filed for a patent for the Universal Reformer in Berlin in 1924, then filed for a United States patent in 1925. Pilates taught on his Reformer machine for the next 40 years in his New York training studio.
Mechanics
The Pilates Reformer consists of a sturdy base underneath a set of smooth rails and a gliding carriage on top. Springs of varying resistance attach near the footbar end of the machine, and cords with hand and foot loops attach to risers at the top end of the Reformer. Instructors select springs according to the goals of various exercises they assign their Reformer clients. Light springs offer very little resistance and advance the challenge core muscles and control in certain moves, while heavy resistance builds muscle size or assists the movement by providing opposing force.
Comparisons
Pilates invented other pieces of equipment to use with his fitness system, as well as several accessories. The three major pieces of Pilates apparatus, the Reformer, the Wunda Chair and the Trapeze Table, rely on springs for variable resistance and allow for multiple body positions to be assumed. Body positions for exercises include standing, kneeling and lying sideways, prone or face-up. The Refomer and the Table allow for many traditional exercises aside from Pilates exercises, such as tricep extensions and sit-ups. The Chair provides a full range of standing exercises to enhance posture, lower body work and functional movements.
Repertoire
Exercises done on the Reformer might remind you of childhood game memories, ballet class, martial arts moves or gymnastics routines, because Pilates himself drew from all of those disciplines. A Reformer workout replicates or modifies standard weightlifting and gym exercises in addition to challenging your body with precariously balanced, complex moves. Reformer exercises occur in all planes of motion. Examples range from simple seated biceps curls to inverted twists perched on one foot and one hand between two end of a swift-moving carriage.
Benefits
The variable resistance offered by the springs, moving footbar and pulley system of the Reformer make the workouts suitable for a wide range of fitness levels and exercise goals. Reformer work serves as rehabilitative therapy in some physical therapy settings, but also applies to elite ballet performers and world class athletes like Olympic swimmer Dara Torres and figure skater Kristie Yamaguchi. Hundreds of exercises on the Reformer provide you with a lifetime of variety and challenge in a Pilates practice.
References
- "Return to Life Through Contrology"; Joseph H. Pilates and William J Miller; 1945
- "PMA Pilates Certification Exam Study Guide"; Pilates Method Alliance, Inc.; 2005
- Pilates-Back-Joint-Exercise.com: Pilates Reformer Workout
- PhysicalMethods.com: "Chasing Joe Pilates"
- Pilates Blog: Pilates Enhances Performance of Olympic Swimmer
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