The next apparatus I named was inspired by the quote above. I felt and saw the biggest changes in my body from the reformer. I guess that’s why Joseph Pilates called it the reformer. It’s most likely the most well-known Pilates apparatus simply in terms of what the general public has seen. By definition, to reform is to make changes to improve something. In this case, the body. Perhaps even the mind-body connection.
Meet Delta, my Pilates reformer.
This is an authentic reproduction of Joe’s original reformers you would find at his Gym circa 1970. It was invented after the mat, after watching clients needing assistance to do the mat exercises. Because let’s be honest and real – the Pilates mat exercises are HARD! It’s the mat and your body to figure out where you are in space, working with air. Hard to find the reach from, the length from, the center within, the strength inside to lead to the stretch and the openness …… all of the things.
Delta comes with a lot of features to help us get connected.
- We have to start with that high-density foam.
- It’s incredible the feedback it gives whatever body part you put on it. Your spine, your hands, your feet, your head, your knees. All those body parts have bones. And yet, there are muscles that connect and surround those bones, and Pilates works those muscles. If it’s easy, you’re working your joints. Go after the muscles, and you’ll find the hard work that’s called Pilates.
- Next we have to discuss the springs.
- You get 4 springs here that are uniform in weight. Springs give you support and feedback in 2 directions – the open and close of the springs. You’ll know when you’re riding the springs “home”. Instead, work the in and the out of the springs – concentric (muscle shortens) and eccentric (muscle lengthens) movements. Ready for a crash course? Concentric movements lead to increased power, speed, and strength. Eccentric movements lead to strengthening your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It literally means your muscle fibers grow, which makes the muscle itself actually longer. Longer muscles means greater flexibility. Greater flexibility means greater injury prevention. Who doesn’t want that? Next time you’re on a reformer – work the close/the “in” of the springs. Oh, and how could I forget – isometric movements. This is holding completely still, a pause mid-movement. Sometimes this is where the shakes and the quivers come in. Again, strengthening muscles, especially your center, your core, which helps with balance and body control, and both of those improves your mobility. Ok, that was a lot just on springs alone. Let’s move on.
- The leather straps.
- Add handles to work your ABC (arm back connection), or add extension straps or “short strap” the leather straps to work your legs connecting to your center. It’s important to work the push and pull of the hands (hands connect to your arms, and your arms connect to your back) or feet (feet connect to your legs, and your legs connect to your center), depending on which body part is connected to the leather straps. These are not ropes that self-coil that do the work for you. You get to be the little engine that could and work both directions.
- The footbar.
- Depending on the exercise, either your hands or feet will be on this. These extremities are connected to your center. The angle of this footbar gives you immediate feedback to your center.
- The shoulder blocks.
- For starters, when you begin laying down for footwork (the first exercise), you will get feedback where your shoulders should be in relation to your head. Shoulders should not be in your ears, and this will help if this is a challenge for you. Also, when your hands or feet are placed here, it is another opportunity to get feedback for your body. Are you connected, or are you hanging out?
- The headrest.
- This helps to maintain the position of the head when lying on your back. Ideally, your head should be on top of your spine. How many of us experience forward head syndrome? This will help with alignment.
- The height.
- If you have trouble getting up/down to the floor, you can build strength by sitting down on the reformer, and standing up from a seated position.
I purposely ordered my reformer in this fantastic purple because it’s one of my logo colors, and more importantly, purple is my favorite color if you didn’t know. IYKYK. Tune in next month to meet my next girl. She might very well be everyone’s favorite apparatus.