Reformer Pilates: What It Is, How It Works and Who It's For
By Katherine, Lead Instructor, Certified Pilates Instructor · Last updated: September 2026
Reformer Pilates is a form of Pilates performed on a spring-loaded machine called a reformer, which uses a sliding carriage, adjustable springs, a footbar and straps to add or reduce resistance through a full range of motion. The springs both assist and challenge movement, so instructors can tailor difficulty for beginners, people returning to activity and advanced clients alike, usually within a small, supervised group or private session.
Key takeaways
A reformer is a spring-resistance machine with a moving carriage, footbar, straps, headrest and box; changing the springs changes the resistance.
Springs can assist a movement (support you through it) or resist it (make you work against it), which is what allows one machine to suit very different fitness levels.
Reformer work gives an instructor visual and tactile feedback on how you're moving, which is harder to get from body-weight mat work alone.
Beginners, people returning to activity after a cleared injury, and athletes can all use a reformer — the machine is adjusted to the person, not the other way around.
Instruction and small class sizes matter for reformer safety, because the springs, ropes and moving carriage carry real mechanical risk if used incorrectly.
What is a Pilates reformer, exactly?
A reformer looks like a narrow bed frame with a flat, wheeled platform — the carriage — that slides back and forth along rails. A set of springs connects the carriage to one end of the frame, and changing which springs are attached (and how many) changes how much resistance you feel as you push or pull the carriage away from the frame.
At the end of the frame is a footbar, which you push against with your feet or hands, and shoulder blocks or a headrest at the other end to keep you positioned as the carriage moves under you. Long straps with handles or loops attach near the footbar end and let you work the arms and legs independently of the carriage's direction of travel. Many reformers also have a box — a padded platform that sits on top of the carriage — that changes your height and base of support for a different family of exercises.
Every exercise on the reformer is essentially a variation on the same idea: you move the carriage (or resist it moving) against spring tension, using your arms, legs or whole body, while your instructor adjusts the springs, straps and your positioning to target specific muscle groups.
If you're curious how this compares to Pilates performed without equipment, we've written a full comparison of reformer and mat Pilates, including which one might suit you better as a starting point.
How does spring resistance actually work on a reformer?
The springs are the part that makes a reformer different from most other resistance equipment. On many exercise machines, resistance only opposes you — think of a resistance band you have to pull against. On a reformer, the same springs can do the opposite job too: on certain exercises, the springs help draw the carriage back toward you, effectively supporting part of the movement rather than only opposing it.
This dual role is why instructors describe reformer resistance as something you can dial up or down rather than a fixed challenge. Fewer or lighter springs make a movement gentler and more supported, which is useful when you're learning a new exercise, working with reduced strength, or focusing on control. More or heavier springs make the same exercise more demanding, which is useful once your strength and coordination allow it. The exercise itself often stays the same — only the spring setting changes — which is part of what makes the reformer useful across a wide range of starting points.
What are the benefits of practising Pilates on a reformer?
Because your body is partly supported by the carriage and springs rather than only by the floor, a reformer changes what an instructor can see and feel while you move. A few of the specific advantages people mention most:
Feedback: the carriage moves in response to how you're using your body, so an instructor can see asymmetries — one side working harder than the other, for example — and adjust the exercise or your form in real time.
Adjustable load: the same exercise can be made easier or more demanding by changing the springs, so a class of people at different fitness levels can do a similar movement pattern with different resistance.
Support through range of motion: the carriage, straps and box can support parts of the body that would otherwise have to work to stabilize themselves, which allows some people to work through a fuller range of motion than they could unsupported.
Variety: the combination of carriage, straps, footbar and box means a large number of exercise variations are possible on a single piece of equipment, which helps keep a long-term practice from feeling repetitive.
According to Victoria's government-run Better Health Channel, Pilates in general is associated with improved flexibility, increased muscular strength and better spinal stabilization, and the method is used across a wide range of fitness levels (Better Health Channel). The reformer is one way of delivering that kind of work, with the specific advantage of adjustable, spring-based loading. The reformer is one of several types of Pilates equipment used in the method, alongside apparatus like the Cadillac, chair and barrel.
Who is reformer Pilates suitable for?
Because resistance and support are both adjustable, a reformer can be set up quite differently for different people using largely the same exercises. In practice, that means it tends to suit:
Complete beginners, when the class is instructed and small enough for an instructor to set appropriate spring tension and correct form as you learn.
People returning to activity after an injury, once they have been cleared to exercise by their doctor, physiotherapist or surgeon — the adjustable, supported nature of the equipment can make it easier to modify exercises around a specific limitation, though this should always be discussed with your instructor and health care provider first.
Athletes and experienced exercisers, who can use heavier springs, more complex sequences and less stable positions (such as standing on the carriage) to build a more demanding session.
The Better Health Channel similarly notes that Pilates can suit people "from beginner to advanced," including elite athletes and people with lower fitness levels, while also recommending that anyone with a pre-existing injury, a recent surgery, or a long period of inactivity check with their doctor before starting (Better Health Channel). We adapt sessions to the person in front of us; we don't diagnose or treat medical conditions, and for anything beyond general fitness we'll ask you to work alongside your doctor or physiotherapist.
If you'd like a sense of what your very first session might feel like before you book, see our guide to what to expect at your first Pilates class.
What does a reformer class actually look like?
A typical reformer session starts with your instructor setting up the machine — choosing springs, adjusting the footbar and confirming strap length — for the exercises planned that session. From there, expect a mix of lying, sitting, kneeling and sometimes standing positions on and around the carriage, moving between exercises that work the legs, arms, core and back in different combinations.
Bring socks with closed toes (grip socks are common in reformer studios, since bare feet on a moving carriage can be slippery) and clothing that lets your instructor see your alignment. We'll cover exactly what to wear, reformer-specific or otherwise, in a dedicated post.
Because the carriage moves and the springs carry real tension, an instructor typically walks the room throughout class rather than only demonstrating from the front, correcting hand and foot placement, spring choice and body position as you go.
Why do class size and instruction matter for reformer safety?
A reformer carries some mechanical risks that a mat class doesn't: incorrect spring tension, a mismatched setup between the ropes and the footbar, or losing control of the carriage during certain standing or kneeling exercises can all lead to injury if they go uncorrected. One industry safety guide for group reformer classes points to specific hazards — including a "catapult effect" from misuse of the carriage or poor alignment, especially during tall kneeling or standing exercises — and recommends keeping class sizes to around six participants, or no more than ten, so an instructor can maintain a clear line of sight to everyone and catch problems early (EMD UK). If a setup ever feels unstable, or you feel sharp, joint-related or radiating pain, stop and tell your instructor right away.
This is also why industry bodies have started publishing formal standards for the sector: the Australian fitness body AUSactive has launched a Best Practice Pilates Guideline covering risk management, equipment use and instructor scope of practice for the growing reformer Pilates industry (AUSactive). The common thread across this guidance is straightforward: the machine's benefits — adjustable resistance and support — depend on someone qualified adjusting it correctly and watching how you're moving.
Where did the reformer come from? Joseph Pilates and the "Universal Reformer"
The reformer's design traces back to its inventor, Joseph Pilates, who developed his approach to exercise — which he called "Contrology" — partly while interned in Britain during the First World War, first in England and later on the Isle of Man, and who continued refining exercise equipment after his release (Wikipedia). In 1924 he filed a patent for a "Body Exercise Machine," an early reformer prototype, and by the mid-to-late 1920s had begun marketing a version he called the "Universal Reformer," a wooden apparatus with a rolling carriage, a fixed headrest and shoulder blocks (Gratz Pilates).
That original design didn't have straps or handles — those were added between 1926 and 1929, along with the four-spring setup and adjustable footbar that reformers still largely use today (Gratz Pilates). Pilates continued to refine the equipment, including a shift from wood to aluminum construction around 1960, before his death in 1967 (Gratz Pilates). The core mechanical idea — a sliding, spring-loaded carriage — has stayed remarkably consistent for a century, even as materials and specific features have changed.
Private 1:1 or small group reformer — which should you choose?
Both formats use the same equipment and the same underlying exercises; the difference is how much of the instructor's attention is on you specifically, and how much the session is customized in the moment versus planned for a group working at a similar level. If you're deciding between the two, we've laid out the trade-offs in detail in private versus group Pilates, covering cost, pacing and how quickly each format can adapt to an injury or specific goal.
Trying small group reformer Pilates in Markham
If you're ready to try the reformer for yourself, our Small Group Pilates Class (55 min, drop-ins welcome) is a low-commitment way to try it. If you'd prefer more one-on-one attention while you learn, our Posture Assessment + 1:1 Pilates Intro is a good starting point instead. Both are available to book for our Markham studio at alignandflowpilates.com/book-online.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need Pilates experience before trying a reformer class?
No. Because spring tension and setup are adjustable per person, an instructed reformer class can meet you where you are, including on your very first visit. What matters more than prior experience is a small enough class, or a private session, for your instructor to set you up correctly and watch your form.
Is reformer Pilates hard on your joints?
The carriage, straps and box mean the equipment is doing some of the supporting and stabilizing work that your joints and muscles would otherwise have to do alone, which many people find gentler than some other forms of exercise. That said, if you have a specific joint condition, recent surgery or injury, check with your doctor or physiotherapist before starting, and tell your instructor so the session can be adapted.
How long is a small group reformer class, and what should you bring?
Our Small Group Pilates Class runs 55 min, with drop-ins welcome. Bring grip or closed-toe socks and clothing your instructor can see your alignment in — see the "what does a reformer class actually look like" section above for more on what to wear.
Is reformer Pilates the same as mat Pilates?
No — they share underlying principles and many exercise names, but a reformer adds adjustable spring resistance, support and carriage movement that mat work doesn't have. See our full reformer versus mat Pilates comparison for how to choose between them.
Can I do reformer Pilates if I'm recovering from an injury?
Often yes, once you've been cleared to exercise by your doctor, physiotherapist or surgeon, since the equipment can be adjusted around many limitations. Tell your instructor about the injury before class so the session — including spring choice and specific exercises — can be adapted; we work alongside your health care provider rather than in place of them.
Sources
Gratz Pilates (n.d.). The History of the Pilates Reformer. Gratz Pilates. https://www.gratzpilates.com/blogs/pilates-resources/the-history-of-the-pilates-reformer
Wikipedia contributors (2026). Joseph Pilates. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Pilates
EMD UK (n.d.). Group Reformer Pilates Poses Risks: Can We Keep Classes Safe? EMD UK. https://emduk.org/group-reformer-pilates-poses-risks-can-we-keep-classes-safe/
AUSactive (n.d.). AUSactive Launches Best Practice Pilates Guideline. AUSactive. https://ausactive.org.au/news/ausactive-launches-best-practice-pilates-guideline/
Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government, Australia (n.d.). Pilates – Health Benefits. Department of Health, State Government of Victoria. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/pilates-health-benefits
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