Pilates & Cycling: What’s behind the hype surrounding Reformer Pilates?

​It has actually been around for decades, but it is currently rapidly evolving into a new trend amongst an urban elite who place particular importance on personal fitness and health. In cities such as Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt in particular, a new form of Pilates is attracting figure-conscious city dwellers and influencers: Reformer Pilates.

This is a form of Pilates in which you no longer train your muscles on the floor or on mats – but instead use a piece of specialist equipment known as the Reformer.

What is the difference between Reformer Pilates and standard Pilates?

The difference between Pilates and Reformer Pilates is evident from the name itself. It does not refer to a ‘reformed’ form of Pilates, but rather to training using a piece of equipment called a Reformer.

The Reformer is a bit like a sledge on rails. It has a padded lying surface, springs for adjustable resistance, cable pulleys with handles and loops, and supports. You can train on the sled whilst sitting, lying down or standing. You do this by pulling on the cable handles or pushing the foot bar against a resistance level set to suit your individual needs. This allows for highly targeted training of various areas of the body.

Tessa Temme, a lecturer at the Institute for Dance and Movement Culture at the German Sport University in Cologne, explains: “This piece of equipment has been around for a very long time, but it hasn’t become widely popular yet because it is very expensive and requires close supervision, even for beginners.” You have to pay between 2,000 and 3,000 euros for a Reformer, a piece of equipment for which the inventor of the Pilates method applied for a patent as early as 1924. The high price also explains why course fees are higher than for other sports activities or traditional mat Pilates.

Prof. Dr Tim Bindel, a sports education specialist at the University of Mainz, has tried it out for himself and describes his impressions: “People are longing for a tactile experience, for something they can actually hold. The Reformer offers just that, combined with a very appealing range of exercises.”

What are the aims of training on a Pilates Reformer?

The focus is particularly on the core muscles – that is, the abdomen, pelvic floor and back. Training sessions on the Reformer are designed to increase flexibility, improve posture, enhance control of movement, and promote strength, coordination and balance.

“This type of exercise is particularly suitable for people who otherwise train within a limited range of movement,” explains Temme. Cyclists and runners could use it to counteract the otherwise rather monotonous strain on their muscles. Using this piece of equipment makes it easier to get started with these movements: “The machine looks more complicated than it is,” says Bindel, a sports educator from Mainz, “and the Reformer makes it easier to do a variety of exercises.”

How effective is the Pilates Reformer?

The Reformer allows you to achieve a high standard of training, explains Temme. “You can use it as a stabilising aid, but you can also deliberately introduce instability – which makes the exercise very demanding in terms of coordination and quite complex.” Temme describes Reformer Pilates as the next level compared to mat Pilates, because it allows you to train with greater resistance and more targeted stimuli. That is why this form of Pilates has, until now, tended to be the preserve of specialists, such as dancers.

What makes it special is that Reformer Pilates allows for ‘eccentric’ training, which means that the muscles are worked as the resistance is released. Furthermore, the range of motion is potentially greater with the Reformer than without such equipment.

You become part of a global trend; it has a lot to do with identity. - Prof. Dr Tim Bindel, sports education specialist, University of Mainz

Who is Reformer Pilates suitable for?

“You definitely need some prior knowledge,” says Tim Bindel, “and when you look around a course like this, you see people who are already well-informed and lead a healthy lifestyle.”

Tessa Temme also knows that it’s best to have some knowledge of Pilates. But more importantly: “It is quite demanding, and you should definitely not do it without supervision,” says the Cologne-based instructor. But that isn’t the aim of the many course providers who very often teach their clients in major cities, frequently in English and in settings such as cafés and boutiques.

The classes offer a manageable number of participants supervised access to this rather elite form of exercise. It’s not just about a good workout, says Tim Bindel: “You become part of a global trend; it has a lot to do with identity.” As such, the classes appeal primarily to educated, multilingual, high-income urban groups – and particularly to women. As a result, this niche – with its supposedly old-fashioned, analogue equipment made of wood and metal – is once again a source of identity – and that, too, is always important when it comes to fitness trends, explains Bindel.

How well has the effectiveness of Reformer Pilates been researched?

The effects of Pilates in general are well documented; however, there are hardly any relevant scientific studies on Reformer Pilates. A study published in the specialist journal PLOS One A published study involving footballers concluded that Reformer Pilates, in particular, could improve the players’ physical performance and technical skills.

However, Tessa Temme from the German Sport University points out that, precisely because of its historical niche status, little research has been carried out into this particular form of Pilates. That is likely to change if the trend continues.