The Best Pilates Reformer Exercises for Strength & Flexibility
Whether you have access to a Pilates Reformer at home or at the gym, or you want to learn more about alignment in common Pilates Reformer exercises, we’ve broken it all down here for you with expert insight from Alo Moves Pilates instructors Tela Anderson and Bianca Wise.
The beauty of Pilates is that it works both your strength and flexibility, which is probably why it has garnered more than 12 million practitioners around the world. The Pilates craze is here to stay because it works, and Reformer Pilates is an excellent way to explore the Pilates practice with added resistance. We rounded up 10 of the best Pilates Reformer exercises that combine a balance between lighting up your muscles and lengthening it all out.
Learn more about the Pilates Reformer, its benefits, and more with our beginner’s guide to the Pilates Reformer.
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1. Eve’s Lunge
Stand up, face the foot bar, and put two springs on your Reformer (moderate resistance).
Place your outside leg at the front of the Reformer.
Take your inside leg, tuck your toes under, and place it right up against the shoulder block.
With both hands on your foot bar, push the carriage back, then draw it back in. Repeat and switch sides.
2. Reformer Warrior 2 Lunges
Stand up facing the long edge of your Reformer.
Place your right foot on the platform facing the long edge and the left foot on the carriage with toes pointing toward the shoulder blocks.
Lunge into your left leg and ensure your left knee points in the same direction as your left toes.
Extend your arms straight out at your sides so you’re in a Warrior 2 position.
Straighten your left leg and sweep your arms up. Flow between lunging and extending, then switch sides.
3. Pilates Stomach Massage
This exercise might have a funny name, but it also has so many feel-good benefits. “They call this Stomach Massage because you are internally massaging your organs,” says Anderson.
Adjust the Reformer to 3 springs.
Have a seat on the front edge of the Reformer facing the foot bar.
Slide your hips as far forward as you can, then place your feet on the foot bar.
Reach back behind you and take your palms to the shoulder blocks with fingers pointing down or away from you.
Extend your legs straight and lift your heels.
Lower your heels and bend your knees deeply into your chest.
Keep your spine tall and flow between extending and bending.
4. Reformer Arm Extensions
Adjust your Reformer to one spring.
Come to a kneeling position facing the foot bar with knees wider than hips and feet between your shoulder blocks (headrest).
Using your left hand, grab onto one strap on a short loop.
Hold a light dumbbell in your right hand and lift it up to your chest.
Hug your left elbow in toward your ribs with your palms to the sky.
Extend your left arm long, then hug it back in. Repeat, then switch sides.
To add a challenge, extend your dumbbell up to the sky when you hug your left elbow in.
5. Pilates Knee Stretch with Arched Back
Put your headpiece and foot bar up, and ensure it’s locked into place. Adjust it to two springs and put the slip pad between the headrest.
Moving carefully, place your hands onto the foot bar and step onto the carriage without moving it. You’ll be facing down.
Bring your feet against the shoulder blocks and drop your knees to the carriage.
Pressing your hands against the foot bar, arch your back, lift your head and tailbone up, and draw your legs back and in.
To make this more challenging, round your spine, brings your hips to stack over your knees, scoop your belly in, and lift your knees while performing the same motions with your legs — out and back in.
6. Pilates Reformer Pike
Facing the away from the foot bar, place a Reformer box or large sturdy box to the right of the Reformer. There should be a foot’s distance between the box and the Reformer.
Come to a Plank pose with your hands resting on the sliding carriage, shoulders-distance apart, then place your feet on the Reformer box.
Using your core, lift your hips up high as you slide the carriage back toward the foot bar, then slide it back to your starting Plank position.
Note: There are several variations to the Reformer Pike. You can place your hands on the foot bar or box with your feet on the carriage, or you can bring your feet or forearms to the footbar with your hands on the carriage.
7. REFORMER Long Spine Massage
Add 2 springs of resistance.
Lie down on your carriage with your head between the shoulder blocks.
Bend your knees into your chest and place your feet into the long straps.
Bring your arms down by your sides, palms facing down.
Point your toes and extend your legs out straight to a 45-degree angle.
Now, lift your legs up to a 90 degree angle and lift your legs higher up to the sky.
Open your legs at the top, keep pushing your heels past your seat, and slowly lower yourself down to the starting 45-degree position. Repeat.
8. Reformer Chest Stretch
“This gives us a beautiful extension through the front of our body. It feels so good to stretch out our pec minor and pec major and also get that expansive work through our heart space,” says Wise.
Pop on a half spring of resistance.
Place your Reformer Box on the carriage against the shoulder blocks and sit on the box facing the footbar.
Reach behind to grab your short loops, one in each hand.
Sit tall on the box with knees bent and thighs hugging in. Rest your arms at your sides with your elbows hugging into your ribs and hand loops resting in your palms.
Inhale sit tall, and exhale to extend your arms forward.
Flip your palms down to face the ground, reach your arms up and back to open up your chest, then complete the arm circle by bringing your elbows back to your ribs in the starting position. Repeat.
9. Reformer Splits
Face the foot bar and step the arch of your right foot against it and rest your left foot on the carriage.
Grip the foot bar with both hands.
Without moving the carriage, hold onto the foot bar and jump your left leg farther back and press the outer middle of the foot against the shoulder block.
Keep your hips low, bend into your front knee, and press the carriage back with your back leg as your front leg straightens as much as you comfortably can. Flow between bending and straightening your front leg.
To make this more challenging, bring your upper body upright and take your hands behind your head. Straighten your front leg and press against the foot bar as you slide the carriage back with your back leg.
10. Reformer Rows
Straddle the carriage with your back facing away from the foot bar.
Grab your left strap with your right hand and the right strap with your left hand, crossing your straps.
Turn your toes out and heels in, then lift yourself up in a half squat position (much like Chair Pose).
Extend your arms long, point your thumbs toward the sky, and turn your thumbs in at a slight angle.
Take a deep inhale, then exhale to bend your arms and bring your elbows into your ribs.
Keep your chest forward, hinge at your hips, and squeeze your glutes and inner thighs. To make it heavier, walk toward the footbar. To make it lighter, walk toward the pulleys.
Get stronger and more flexible with free access to online Reformer Pilates classes on Alo Moves. Sign up today for a free 2-week trial.
