Given that you are reading this article on a Reformer Pilates studio’s website you probably expect to get a BIG FAT YES for an answer. That’s not the case however. Reformer Pilates is not worth the money or the time in many instances. There are times that only reformer group classes make sense and others that unless you do privates, you are “wasting your time”.
In this article I will share in which cases I advise people to sign up for private reformer sessions and in which cases to look for alternatives.
Reformer Pilates classes are expensive in comparison to most other group fitness classes. That is not the case however for private reformer sessions which are priced in line with one-to-one personal training sessions.
Reformer Pilates group classes will be worth the investment if you are in the process of recovering from an injury yet you know how to keep yourself safe. If you don’t know how to keep yourself pain-free during exercise you are better off having some physio sessions or private reformer sessions first.
The 2nd scenario when group reformer sessions are worth the money is when you value highly your fitness. Reformer can compliment other forms of training, including weight lifting.
Private Reformer classes will be appropriate for anyone that want a personalised approach to training and values his or her health. Without a doubt you can stay healthy without doing reformer but if you want to reduce YOUR risk of injuries, improve YOUR core strength, address YOUR imbalances Reformer Pilates is a great investment.
I would DISCOURAGE you to choose Reformer Pilates as the only form of training if your goal is to:
• Be strong
Unless you are allergic to the gym environment, you are much better off going there.
• Improve cardiovascular capacity
In which case you need to make friends with one of the following: run, swim, rowing or cycled. Reformer Pilates is not a shortcut for cardio vascular health because it is limited in how much it can increase your heart rate.
• Challenge yourself
It’s not that Reformer Pilates cannot be challenging, but there is definitely a limit you are likely to reach within a few years of practice.
• If you don’t value your health
This may come as a surprise to some but many people don’t see the need to invest in their health (body and mind). If every time you get injured you think: “Let’s wait until it goes away.” you may fall in this category.
Reformer Pilates classes usually last up to 1 hour. It is a fairly efficient form of exercise and it’s not uncommon for those that practice x2-3 per week to notice significant difference after 1-2 months. only. That is a big benefit because if you are still on the fence with trying, you can give it a go and soon after you will know if it’s the right thing for you. In comparison weight lifting, running, swimming or martial arts can take up to 1 year for someone to notice a difference.
Whether it is worth your time also depends on your current fitness level and expectations. While the following are generalisations here is what most people get after 1-3 years of practice:
• Immense increase in core strength
• Significant increase is stability of hips and shoulders
• Significant improvement in balance (both static and while moving)
• Moderate to Signifiant increase in flexibility
Reformer Pilates is not for those that want to get seriously strong, cardiovascularly fit, or consider their health as a secondary priority.
Reformer Pilates classes are worth it especially if you are injured, pregnant, elder, if you are a fitness-enthusiast and are looking for an edge to your training or just want to train but not push yourself too much. If you decide to take on reformer pilates you can expect improvement in your core strength, hip and shoulder stability, balance and flexibility.