Pilates Reformer – magic in the movement
It is said Reformer was the first apparatus created by Joseph Pilates. He named it The Universal Reformer. The name can be interpreted either Joseph Pilates’s personal mission – to reform the whole world or the ability of apparatus to reform any body.
Like all equipment invented by Joseph Pilates, Reformer serves as a bridge to the perfect performance of Matwork – the basis of the method. Exercises performed on machines create those connections that you can’t feel at the beginning of work on the mat. Springs give the resistance that you need to recreate on the mat by the only weight of your body. And that`s not always possible as ones posture is usually poorly changed under the influence of daily life. Just like a tree growing on a mountainside cannot have a straight trunk.
What kind of wizard is this Reformer? It can be described as a raised, bed-like frame, inside of which there is a sliding, soft platform, called a carriage. The carriage moves along the rails using a system of rollers, at one end the carriage is attached to a set of springs. They provide resistance and can be customized to suit any level of fitness.
Initially, all the springs on the device had the same resistance, but for many people the stiffness of these springs was excessive, so some modern companies offer different resistance springs, usually indicated in different colors.
Reformer gives the body a clear trajectory movement inside and closes the kinetic chain. This improves the sensation of the body position relative to space, and also corrects functional patterns. Resistance to movement by springs accelerates neural adaptation, as a result, a person quickly applies what he learned in the class in life.
In a 1946 interview, Joseph Pilates said that another task of the device is to provide tactile feedback. “I invented all these machines. I thought, why use my strength? So I made a machine to do it for me. Look, you see it resists your movement in just the right way so those long inner muscles really have to work against it. That is why you can concentrate on movement. ”In this way, the equipment itself becomes a proprioception teacher.
At the same time, a person trains willpower, since the reformer has no chance to slip away, the springs will quickly remind themselves if necessary with a clear, characteristic sound.
Reformer is a reliable assistant in recovering from injuries and operations, since at the same time it provides more support than just a mat, directs movement and offers a wide range of possibilities to modify exercise and starting position for different needs. To prevent injuries and improve the quality of movements, athletes and dancers are actively using Pilates in their training.
Reformer can offer more than several hundred exercises and their modifications, that is partly why it is a frequently used in Instagram photos of such celebrities as Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Kate Hudson, Vera Brezhneva and others.
I also love the Reformer, since nothing aligned me better than Reformer, it is comparable to the diving into the September Sea, after that I usually feel fresh and energetic.
An important point is that each of the apparatus are necessary and indispensable components of the method. Each of them can be a full class program or part of a class. But these Pilates is a movement, so no more words, visit a class and get your unique experience.
