"How I Teach Reformer"
Whether you have a Reformer at home, teach clients on the Reformer, or are just curious to start, follow along with me as I show some of the nuances of how I've taught Reformer for 28+ years.
This series grew out of a conversation with a former client three years ago who had just purchased a Reformer and was looking for help getting started at home. At the time, we had recently reopened our studio after losing our original space in a building fire, and I wasn't able to take on additional clients outside of the studio. I knew she wasn't really looking for instructional videos—she was looking for a teacher who could come to her home.
But the conversation stayed with me.
So I recorded this introductory Reformer series to help her get started until she found another teacher. Since then, more and more Reformers have found their way into people's homes, and I've come to realize that this material is just as relevant today as it was when I first recorded it.
Joseph Pilates wrote that a few well-designed movements performed correctly are worth more than hours of careless exercise. These videos are built on that principle. Many people genuinely want to learn Pilates but aren't sure where to begin or who to trust for guidance. So I decided to revisit this series, break it into shorter segments, and make it available to a wider audience.
My goal remains the same: to provide a reliable resource that explains not only what to do, but why, so that people can build a strong foundation for their Pilates practice from the very beginning.
Watch along with the order listed below or jump around as you please.
Enjoy 😊
#1: Footwork (Ball of the Foot/Pilates V)
#2: Footwork (Arches/Bird on a Perch)
#3: Footwork (Heels)
#4: Footwork (Tendon Stretch)
#5: Hundred
#6: Bicep Curl
#7: Arm Circles
#8: Leg Circles
#9: Frog
#10: Safely Removing Reformer Straps
#11: Stomach Massage Round Setup
#12: Stomach Massage Round
#13: Short Box Round Setup
#14: Short Box Round
#15: Elephant
#16: Knee Stretches Round
#17: Running
#18: Bottom Lifts
You may have noticed during my demonstrations I often talk about more than the exercise itself.
I talk about the fundamental movement skills underneath it:
• Where your pelvis is and why it matters
• When to focus on shoulder stability
• How to use your breath
• How to support your spine with your abdominals.
These are not skills for just one Reformer exercise. They are "how-to's" you can learn to recognize and use throughout your Pilates practice.
If you found my approach to practicing and teaching the Reformer helpful, take the next step.
In What Pilates Is: The Essential Skills, I teach you these fundamental "how-to's" so you can better understand what your body is doing and incorporate them into the Pilates exercises you already practice.
Not ready for the course?
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