Pilates is a technique that can be practiced at home; it does not require any gym or studio to practice. It is a versatile form of workout that can be performed on the mat or the reformer pilates. In Pilates, deep breathing is fundamental, which means exhaling and inhaling fully with every breath is vital, resulting in improved breathing and circulation.
Unlike other forms of workouts or exercises, Pilates does not require repetitions for the move; the main idea behind Pilates is precision and focusing on the breath, which is attained after regular practice.
Reformer pilates has been picking up the pace in the market because of its surge in demand for low-impact recovery and injury rehabilitation ability. Reformer pilates can be of great help for people who are recovering from injury or for people who are looking for core endurance.
It is a device that can be used as a part of the Pilate workout session under an instructor’s supervision. As Pilates reformers can be a great form of workout, it is not only used by people for strengthening their core but also for training & injury rehabilitation by the dancers.
What is the concept behind reformer pilates?
There are some specific philosophies and principles for the pilates method which are essentially required to get the most out of exercise like:-
- Centering is all about the practice of transporting your awareness to the center of the body.
- Concentration or focusing is a vital part of exercises, so focusing your attention on each movement can greatly help while practicing reformer pilates.
- You need to be aware of your complete muscular movement for each exercise.
- Alignment or precision of each movement of the body part is required for the core engagement of muscles.
- Breathing is vital for any pilates workout, so maintaining the balance between inhaling and exhaling your breath is required while practicing Pilates reforming.
When it comes to reformer pilates, it helps an individual by attaining the Pilates goal, including the use of diaphragmatic breathing. Since the reformer has long straps with handles, you can easily place your feet or hands. The best part of the reformer pilates is that it can target your legs and arms while focusing on the core to increase flexibility while building strength.
Some Common Exercises
Few exercises for reformer Pilates which can be practiced at home:-
- Footwork
Most of the time, the feet feel tired because of walking, so footwork can help strengthen the muscles, which can be quickly done by lying down on the football with both feet. It can also help in overcoming the pain of plantar fasciitis.
- Footwork on the Mat
This is one of the basic moves in pilates footwork, which can be done by lying down on your back of the body and bending your knees, then pulling your naval towards your spine and bringing your knees up to a tabletop position. You can do this movement with flexed feet instead of pointed toes.
- Long Stretch
The pilates help in firming the abdominal muscles. Apart from this, it can also increase flexibility and improve posture. It can be done by standing on the reformer and putting both feet on the headrest
- Chest Expansion
Since this exercise is mainly for the back of the whole body while opening up the chest and shoulders, this exercise is of great help who have a desk job in the office.
- Leg Circles
This exercise is good for the core and the entire hip joint. In this exercise, all you need to do is to lie on your back with your feet on the reformer and then start with the legs long diagonally with legs straight together at a degree of 45 angles.
Conclusion
Since reformer pilates have brought another trend in the market for the fitness enthusiast, there have been various benefits for the practitioners, including improving flexibility and posture through core-powered muscular engagement, Increasing functionality and stability. So next time you plan to join any gym or club for your fitness, you can always go for pilates reformer, which can help overcome injuries and rehabilitation.
