This school year, UND has added a lot of new classes, and one that stands out at the Wellness Center is Reformers Pilates. The Wellness Center first had a demo back in August to show off their new machines and teach students a few basic moves. In a newsletter from UND, it said it could help with “strengthening your entire body and increasing your flexibility.” This promotes that Reformers Pilates would benefit students and give them a great way to start with the basics for the gym.
According to an article done by Balance Body, “Reformer Pilates is a comprehensive fitness system that uses the Pilates reformer” (Page, 2023). The Pilates Reformer is roughly the size of a bed with a sliding board, and it normally has springs, straps, and pulleys all adding resistance when moving and a foot bar for balance.
The main difference between regular Pilates and Reformer Pilates is the Pilates Reformer, allowing for many different exercises and in different ways on one machine. According to an article by Very Well Fit, “exercises can be done lying down, sitting, standing, pulling the straps, pushing the foot bar, perched on the foot bar, perched on the shoulder blocks, with additional equipment, upside down, sideways, and many variations,” (Ogle, 2024). All in all, it is a great machine that lets you target almost everything.
Reformer Pilates can also be more beneficial targeting those specific muscle groups. In an article done by Good Housekeeping, “Reformer Pilates provides a full-body workout that can help develop a strong core and tone a variety of major muscle groups” (Sassos, 2022). A good difference is it can easily be changed to fit your workout style and need of resistance instead of just using your body weight. Another advantage would be more beneficial in making sure you are in the right posture or position. In the Balance Body article, it states “the Reformer’s structure supports the body in alignment and helps execute movements more accurately, providing immediate feedback on your form. In other words, the Reformer informs the user where they need to pay attention, shift their position, change the springs, or modify the exercise” (Page, 2023).
However, this class is not just for beginners. In an article by Better Today, it said “it benefits everyone from teenagers to seniors and elite athletes to people with a more sedentary lifestyle” (Mansour, 2022). Now someone may not be retiring any time soon, but as a student who is busy and is maybe in a sport, club sports, or has been going to the gym for years, it is always good to go back to the basics.
This class will entail a low-impact, full-body workout that can help strengthen your entire body and increase flexibility. This allows for a perfect class for students who want to tone up, rehab from an injury, or train for a specific hobby. As stated earlier, its ability to be modified and adjusted for exercise to fit any body type and fitness level makes it a very versatile class for everyone.
Now it may be an adaptable class but there are some requirements you do have to be able to do, like laying down. So, if you have any back problems or spinal issues you already know what you can and can not do, which stands as a general reminder to listen to the instructor on how to do the moves and listen to your body. Reformer Pilates is adjustable to the springs and resistance.
What should you expect when taking this class are a few very common exercises, one being Footwork; it is done by laying down on the sliding board with both feet on the foot bar. In an article by Better Today, it said “this series encourages proper alignment of the hips, pelvis, knees and ankles” (Mansour, 2022). Another exercise is a long stretch; this is a moving plank done by standing on the reformer, holding onto the bar, and then placing both feet on the headrest. In the article Footwork, it said that “it helps with joint stability and balance and strengthens the abdominals, glutes and hamstrings. These support the spine and lengthen the hip flexors, which increase flexibility and improve posture” (Mansour, 2022).
In the end Reformers Pilates is an excellent addition to the Wellness Center. It is a very versatile exercise, great for inexperienced gym-goers and people who have been going for years. You should really go and at least try it once, and who knows, you may love it. Now until Mar. 7, classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in studio 130, and from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on those same days.
Zoe Booth is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at zoe.booth@und.edu
