Pilates Reformer Exercises on the Mat

Yes, you read it right. People do reformer exercises on the mat. I did not know this until I heard about a workshop on the subject being given at the Pilates Aligned studio in Denver. So I braced myself for the "big city" trip and headed in to find out what reformer on the mat could be.

It turns out that reformer exercises on the floor is not a new idea. Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph Pilates original and most well known students, has taught this work. What I hear is that it is typically reserved for very advanced students, and for some reason, particularly men - maybe because of the strength factor.

Not to fly in face of tradition, but we were a mixed level group of mostly women. We did fine. Our instructor, Gina de Soto, took a "lets explore this together" approach which made it a fun investigation into something very new to many of us, even those who have been around a while.

So what's it like - doing reformer exercises  on the floor?
It's hard. We wore socks so that we could slide our feet along the floor more easily, but the level of general strength and core control you need in order to do some of these exercises without the support of the springs is very high.

I can see why this work is thought of as for advanced students. If I didn't already know, from practicing on the reformer, what I needed to be doing in terms of alignment and muscular engagement, I don't think I would be able to "find" the shape and meaning of the exercises as well. Not having springs and a moving carriage makes you really appreciate the support and feedback the reformer gives you.

Many of the exercises made a lot of sense on the floor. I could see the value of exploring them off the reformer without the distraction of straps, springs, and the moving carriage. For example, pull straps, the rowing, even short spine were instructive and easy for me to translate back to reformer work. Exercises like stomach massage and the footwork felt really awkward (backward if you can picture it), without the slide of the carriage.

I had a lot of fun with some of the exercises too. Long stretch felt great. I found that with socks on I could really mimic the feeling of being on the reformer, though it was serious core work. Same with long back stretch. Horseback, on the other hand, turns out something like an advanced yoga firefly pose where you balance on your arms with your legs struck straight out in front of you on either side. I was nowhere but on my butt with that. We ended with side splits which was like being a kid again, sliding the legs open and back in stocking feet - with good form, of course. For those of you wondering, we skipped snake twist, and the star, and a few other really advanced moves.  Next time.

Reformer workouts on the floor is a very interesting concept. I have much left to learn about it. This is just the beginning of my investigation. I'd love to hear your thoughts and insights about it. Please feel free to comment below.