Being honest, I’m not really an active person. Even though I was part of the athletics team during secondary school, as I got older, maintaining my fitness wasn’t really a priority for me.
I felt that the fitness world was slightly intimidating to me. It can feel as though you have to be a specific type of person to be into workouts, exercise or the gym – but I realised that was just my anxiety talking.
So in 2022 I decided to embrace my anxieties around fitness and joined a swimming class.
Learning how to swim has completely transformed the way I feel about fitness and myself, so I wanted to take it a bit further and challenge myself to exercise at least three times a week.
First up, I started going to the gym after weeks of fighting with my gym anxiety. Eventually, I learned that the gym isn’t that scary – but I still struggled to motivate myself when I was there.
I thought about other ways I could incorporate movement into my life, so I decided to brave a reformer Pilates class.
I was familiar with Pilates, but last year the exercise really took off after socialite and model Lori Harvey sported toned abs at the Met Gala. When asked what her secret was, she said: “I started doing Pilates consistently for a year, I’d done it for a few years, but I’ve been more consistent in the last year.”
I’ve tried Pilates before at my local gym but didn’t find it nearly as challenging as I thought it would be. In fact, it felt quite boring.
So when I went to my first reformer Pilates class last year, I thought: how hard could this be? Well, I was truly humbled as I was out of breath within 10 minutes of being there.
Recently I wanted to pick up the baton again and see if this could be a consistent form of exercise for me. So I popped down to the East of Eden studio in Walthamstow for a couple of sessions.
Upon arrival, I was already quite nervous. As someone who can be a bit of a perfectionist, I don’t like the idea of being a beginner. What if I fall on my face? Would it be obvious that I’m not a regular reformer Pilates girl?
Before the class began, I started speaking to someone in the waiting room. I informed her that this was my first session at the studio. When she asked me if I’d taken a beginner lesson and I said I hadn’t, she replied “Wow you’re brave,” which scared me even more.
We were invited into the room and attendees went over to their beds and began to stretch. I copied them so I didn’t look like a fish out of water. Shortly after, the instructor came and greeted us all. Eighties pop music was playing in the background which made me feel a bit more relaxed.
The instructor started us off easy, getting us to warm up a bit. Then, it was show time. For our first exercise, we lay flat on the bed and put our legs in a tea cup position. We started by stretching out one leg on the bar which forced the bed to move with us. If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is!
This is what makes reformer Pilates difficult – there are multiple things happening at once and your body feels like it’s being stretched like you’re Elastigirl from The Incredibles.
It was evident that I was a beginner as the instructor came over to help me a few times, which made me feel slightly embarrassed. I even fell off the bed at one point.
After the session, my legs were shaking like a leaf on a windy day. It was a struggle just to walk to the station. So it’s safe to say I wasn’t particularly looking forward to my next session.
However, when my next class rolled around a few days later I put my big girl pants on and went back to the studio. Though I was still quite nervous I felt a bit more confident as I had more of an idea of what to expect.
The second class felt more relaxing as I wasn’t in my head as much. It was quite – dare I say it – fun. The sessions were both one hour long and the time flew by. Whereas when I’m in the gym, I’ve found that time can drag on.
Reformer Pilates instructor Ana Stefan thinks there’s really nothing out there that compares to the benefits of reformer. “If you take into consideration the fact that it’s fun and does not feel like a chore. I always say it’s like a playground for adults,” she says.
“Yes, you get to challenge yourself physically but with time, as your strength, balance, and flexibility increase, you begin to have more and more fun on the machine.”
The fun doesn’t come without a challenge though, but Stefan wouldn’t say that Pilates is inherently difficult.
“The level and style of the class play a big role in the level of difficulty. For instance, in my level 1 Reformer class, I frequently have students who are recovering from injuries or dealing with back pain,” she explains.
“What sets reformer Pilates apart from other forms of exercise is that it requires much more control, coordination, and focus. The movements engage small, stabilising muscles that might not be worked as intensely in other types of workouts.”
The machine itself adds resistance to the movement, so all your muscles work just that little bit harder – hence the burn after an hour-long session.
Stefan says the exercise has several benefits including improved strength, balance and coordination. “Plus, it can really help you breathe better and destress. When you’re on that machine, you’re totally focused and everything else just melts away,” she adds.
It’s great for anyone recovering from injuries or dealing with stiffness and pain as it’s a low-impact exercise.
Did I feel like I was dying during my reformer Pilates class? Absolutely. Would I go again? Absolutely. Everyone should give reformer Pilates a try, especially if you aren’t fond of the gym like me. If I’m being honest, I can’t wait to go back.