When people imagine a Pilates class they think of young, beautiful people effortlessly performing smooth movements, and having the time of their lives – at least, that’s what I thought of before I did one.
And don’t get me wrong, the people are beautiful and some do perform these movements effortlessly, but if you’re a newbie like me, Reformer Pilates is no walk in the park.
I had the pleasure of attending a Reformer Pilates class at Align Studios in Parramatta, just a short 10-15 minute walk from Parramatta station, located on Sorrell Street. The studio itself was clean and bright, and the floor was lined with Reformer Pilates machines.
For those who aren’t into the latest fitness trend, Reformer Pilates is a type of exercise designed to improve strength and boost your flexibility, balance, posture and coordination. Basically the best full body workout you can do in 50 minutes. It expands on the low-impact movements of a Pilates class, but uses a a bed-like tool called a Reformer that is able to move with you as you go thorough the movements.
The Reformer has a cushioned section called a carriage, where you will sit or kneel, and straps to place around your hands and feet for resistance based exercises. Each machine has three levels of resistance so you can choose how hard core you’d like your workout to be. Naturally, I chose the least resistance, but my body was still put to the test.
The workout began with some strengthening exercises using the carriage. Our instructor, Nishita, was extremely helpful in guiding us through the movements and adjusting me when I wasn’t sure what to do. Her friendly, relaxed demeanour made the class feel like a place where you didn’t need to feel embarrassed to ask for help or pause to catch your breath.
This was undoubtedly the most intense part of the workout, as I was 20 minutes in and already sweating profusely.
We then progressed to some core focused exercises using the resistance straps. These were a lot tougher than everyone else in the class made them seem. Trying to coordinate the movement of your body against the resistance, with the movement of the carriage at the same time, while also remembering to breathe, is no easy feat.
Thankfully, once again, Nishita was there to assist me. This section of the workout had me extremely puffed, and I did need to take a few moments in between each set to question whether I was cut out for this.
Fortunately, some respite came in the form of cool-down exercises. These were more my style- laying down on the carriage and pulling the resistance straps in a circular motion with my feet. This was a welcome chance to take a few deep breaths and wind down from the intensity of the class (and silently congratulate myself on making it through).
Despite my apparent lack of core strength and stamina, I would recommend this form of exercise to anyone. It’s a medium to high-intensity, low-impact workout that uses muscles I didn’t even know I had. The movements can be modified to add or take-away depending on your skill or mobility level, and the staff at Align Studios will be there to assist you every step of the way.
Align Studios have a range of classes to suit all fitness levels, including Reform and Strength, Yoga, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Power Punch Reformer which includes Boxing and much more.
As I write this, my body stiff and aching, I can confidently say Reformer Pilates is not for the faint of heart – or Hamstrings.
Visit https://alignstudiosaustralia.com.
Madeline Dantier is the author of the Experience Parramatta series, hosted by Parra News.