We’re all pretty familiar with the gym, even if we’re not very good at paying it a visit as often as we should. For our latest issue of 15 Minutes, we decided to look at ways to shake up your workouts and make them a little more interesting and challenging. Enter Reformer Pilates. We know you may be raising your eyebrows right now, but bear with us. We’ll tell you why you should try it out if you haven’t already; especially if hitting the gym hasn’t been working out for you. See what we did there?
We sat down with Adam Cooper, the Ten Health and Fitness Notting Hill studio manager and Personal Trainer, to find out more about Reformer Pilates and why we should be taking it up.
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Why Reformer Pilates?
Reformer Pilates is great for injury prevention (it’s always easier and best to prevent rather than bouncing back from an injury), mobility and increasing core strength. A lot of men may initially think it’s only for women but that’s a huge misconception. I’ve been doing it for years now myself, having originally focused more on weight training, and I’ve seen a huge improvement in my core strength. The best way to look at Dynamic or Reformer Pilates is as a base foundation for your posture and core. It is especially good for desk-bound people who have got into bad habits by slouching at their desks.
It’s also important to note that Dynamic Pilates is very results driven, so guys who would have otherwise thought it would be too easy need to think again. Dynamic Pilates is faster paced than its sister workout, mat Pilates. You’re able to burn a lot of fat and tone at the same time.
How to get started
Start with a one-to-one consultation. Taking the initial first step and being shown what Pilates is about and how the exercises help individual concerns and health/exercise targets is the most important thing to do when you’re a newbie.
Keeping up your Reformer Pilates workouts
Consistency is key. You want to be training at least 3 times per week and ideally more if it’s rehab injury related. Also remember that mixing up your workouts is a great way to get maximum results. You shouldn’t necessarily be replacing your Reformer Pilates classes for weight training or vice versa, but rather by incorporating your gym sessions. It will make you stronger and increase your performance. Through Reformer Pilates you’ll be working on muscles you probably wouldn’t normally focus on or knew you even had!
Have you tried Reformer Pilates before? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook.