Joseph Pilates developed hundreds of exercises and many pieces of Pilates equipment over the course of his career. Today, you can find his reformer machines in Pilates studios, gyms, community centers and homes around the world. There are alternatives to the classic reformer machine, depending on your needs. Talk to your health care provider about choosing an exercise program that's appropriate for you.
Total Gym
If you want a machine that enables several workout styles including Pilates, the Total Gym may be an option. The sliding glide board of the Total Gym mimics the movement of a Pilates reformer, while the incline setting and optional weight bar allow users to work with greater resistance than on a reformer. The Total Gym company offers exercises and workouts for strength training, power building, body sculpting, circuit training and Pilates.
Cadillac
Those with less mobility may find the Pilates Cadillac, also called a trapeze table, a good option. Different reformer models sit flat on the floor or on 12-to-15 inch legs, but the Cadillac sits about 25 inches high, making it more accessible to those with joint limitations. Whereas the reformer bed slides, creating core work, the Cadillac bed stays stable, which is more appropriate for less conditioned users, according to master Pilates teacher Romana Kryzanowska. Users pull springs attached to a sturdy scaffold rather than working with a movable bed.
Wunda Chair
Pilates designed the wunda chair for a family of circus acrobats, the Wunda family, shortly after his arrival in the United States in the 1930s. This is a compact piece of Pilates equipment that you can use for advanced exercises. Pilates designed the chair as a multi-functional piece of furniture with an exercise pedal that enables hundreds of Pilates exercises. This piece does not offer a bed that you can lie on. You support your own body weight in all of the exercises.
Mat
The simplest alternative to a reformer is exercising on a mat. Joseph Pilates designed his system of Contrology with mat exercises in mind; his machines came later, as a means of creating support in rehabilitative situations, according to "Romana on Pilates, The Legacy Edition 4-DVD set." The 34 original exercises presented by Pilates in his 1945 book, "Return to Life Through Contrology," are all mat exercises performed without any props or machines. You can get the same results on a mat today, notes Kryzanowska.
References
- Total Gym: Your Own Pilates Studio with Total Gym XLS
- Total Gym: Download Workouts
- "The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning: Introduction to the Core Exercises"; Romana Kryzanowska, et al.; 1999
- "Romana on Pilates, The Legacy Edition 4-DVD set"; Romana Kryzanowska; 2000
- "Return to Life Through Contrology"; Joseph H. Pilates; 1945
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