There is probably no piece of Pilates equipment more famous than the Pilates reformer. The Reformer evolved after the Cadillac, utilizing spring resistance like in the Cadillac, but also incorporating a moving base to increase the range and variety of exercises available.
Invented by Pilates founder Joseph Pilates, the reformer is a bed-like frame with a flat, padded platform on it, called the carriage, which rolls back and forth on wheels within the frame. The carriage is attached to one end of the reformer by a set of springs that provide resistance for exercises. The carriage is moved against the resistance of the springs either by pushing on a footbar at the end of the carriage, or pulling on ropes emanating from the head of the reformer. Exercises can be done lying down, sitting, standing, pulling the straps, pushing the footbar, perched on the footbar, perched on the shoulder blocks, with additional equipment, upside down, sideways and all kinds of variations thereof.
SOMA Movement studio has contemporary reformers, meaning that these reformers have been updated from Pilates' original designs to accommodate modern style exercises and accessories. Click on the interactive, 3-D picture on the left for a closer look at one of our Reformers with Vertical frame. For example, many contemporary reformers are longer than Pilates' original design in part due to the invention of the Jumpboard, an attachment that goes onto the foot of the reformer that allows the user to perform plyometric exercises, with much less impact on the user's body. Click and drag on the interactive 3-D photograph to the left of this text to get a closer look at one of our Reformers with Vertical Frame.
SOMA Movement Studio's reformers are all equiped with vertical frames, the large frame at the head of the reformer that springs, ropes, and bars can be suspended from. The vertical frames serve to vary the type and difficulty of exercises. Reformers are large pieces of equipment; the reformers at Soma Movement Studio are about 8 feet long, over 2 feet wide, and the vertical frames stand about 7 feet tall.