Reformer Pilates: what it is, reformer vs mat, and how to start

A carriage on springs

The reformer is a bed-like frame with a moving carriage, springs, ropes and a footbar. Joseph Pilates' 1927 US patent shows an early version, and the Pilates Method Alliance says it became the Universal Reformer.

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Springs help or resist

Heavier springs add resistance for pushing and pulling, but a lighter spring can make balance work harder, and spring-assisted equipment can make a move easier.

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Mat and reformer give similar results

Ten small trials have compared equipment and mat Pilates. Most found similar gains, a few outcomes favoured the equipment and one trial favoured the mat.

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Beginners can start, with a teacher

Trials started people new to Pilates on reformers after a familiarisation session, including adults aged 65 to 95 at risk of falls. There are no injury statistics, so learn the machine with a teacher.

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A little more energy, still light

In one study, a reformer session used 2.5 METs (metabolic equivalents, where sitting still is 1) against 1.8 for a matched mat session. Both are light.

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Lagree is a different method

Its makers say the Megaformer is not a Pilates reformer, and we found no published studies of the Lagree Method.

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The parts

The Pilates Method Alliance describes it as a bed-like frame with a moving carriage, springs, ropes and a footbar, and calls it the poster child of Pilates equipment. The carriage runs inside a wooden or metal frame, attached to springs, pulleys and ropes, with an adjustable footbar, shoulder rests, and straps for the hands or feet.

A box placed on the carriage is used for sitting and lying work: the short box and long box series.

Sources 1, 11, 4, 16, 17

Joseph Pilates' 1927 patent

His US patent for a gymnastic apparatus, filed in 1925 and granted in March 1927, shows a carriage running on a raised track, with shoulder pieces, a head rest and an adjustable bar for the feet. In its main design, resistance came from a weight on a cord over a pulley. The Pilates Method Alliance says this prototype became the Universal Reformer.

Sources 2, 3

Other equipment you might see

Studios may also have a Cadillac or trapeze table (a raised platform inside a metal frame, with an overhead bar, springs and hanging loops), a Wunda chair (a small box with a spring-loaded pedal), a ladder barrel, and smaller barrels and spine correctors. Joseph Pilates designed the Wunda chair as well.

Sources 1, 3

Springs add resistance

Springs of different strengths add load on top of your body weight. Trials made exercises harder by adding spring resistance, and used heavier springs for strengthening and lighter ones for stretching.

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Springs can also helpEmerging evidence

On spring-assisted equipment, the spring carries part of the load: on the Cadillac, a spring-loaded bar helps you roll up. In a lab study, the teaser drew less trunk and hip muscle activity on a spring-assisted wall unit than on the mat or the reformer, which didn't differ from each other.

Sources 21, 5

A lighter spring isn't always easierEmerging evidence

In 18 experienced women, a light spring made the carriage less stable and raised trunk and hip muscle activity in a bridge, a knee hover and the elephant, compared with a fixed carriage: back muscle activity in the bridge was 54% higher.

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Spring settings

Classical orders give a spring setting for each exercise. Ask your teacher to show you the settings on the machine you use, and change springs only with the carriage still (our advice).

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A classical beginner class

Pilatesology's classical basic order runs: footwork (lying down, pressing the carriage out with your feet on the footbar), the hundred, feet in straps (leg circles and frogs), the stomach massage series, the short box series, the elephant, knee stretches, running and the pelvic lift. Intermediate classes add the short spine, coordination, the long box and long stretch series, the semi-circle and the splits.

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A contemporary class

Classes in trials ran for 45 to 60 minutes: a warm-up of breathing and footwork on light springs, a main block of leg, arm, trunk and back work, and a stretching cool-down.

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Levels

Schools grade the repertoire. STOTT PILATES, for example, asks for essential and intermediate reformer exercises at its first exam level and an advanced workout at the next, and Pilatesology lists basic, intermediate and advanced orders.

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Your first session

Trials began with a familiarisation session to show people the machine. In one energy study, inactive women had 8 familiarisation sessions before they were measured.

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Similar results in most trialsEmerging evidence

Ten small trials, of 20 to 98 people where reported, compared equipment and mat Pilates in back pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), older women, healthy women, footballers, period pain, ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia. Most found similar gains; some outcomes favoured the equipment, and one trial favoured the mat.

Sources 6, 7, 25, 8, 9, 26, 23, 19, 27, 28

Back pain: the same pain reliefEmerging evidence

In 86 adults with long-lasting low back pain, 12 sessions over 6 weeks gave the same results at 6 weeks; at 6 months, equipment was slightly better for disability (3 points) and fear of movement, but not pain. In 98 adults over 12 weeks, both improved pain, disability and deep abdominal muscle activation, the equipment group faster. In businesswomen with back pain, the mat group improved more.

Sources 6, 7, 25

Other groupsEmerging evidence

Active women around 65 and new to Pilates gained strength, aerobic endurance, flexibility and agility equally with either, and healthy women gained muscle and lost fat equally with mat or barrel work. In MS, gains were similar, with more trunk strength from the reformer.

The reformer did better for agility and passing in footballers, for pain and sleep in women with period pain, and for disease activity and fatigue in ankylosing spondylitis. In fibromyalgia, supervised reformer and home mat classes each had advantages, but supervision differed too.

Sources 9, 26, 8, 23, 19, 27, 28

Energy: a little more on the reformerEmerging evidence

In 18 inactive young women, a reformer session used 2.5 METs (about 2.6 calories a minute) against 1.8 METs (about 1.9 calories a minute) for a matched mat session, and neither raised heart rate or blood pressure much above rest.

Source 13

How the machine changes the workEmerging evidence

A deep abdominal muscle thickened more in a reformer version of the hundred than on the mat. In the teaser, trunk muscle activity was the same on the reformer and the mat. A single reformer session gave a slightly bigger immediate gain in sit-and-reach than a Cadillac or chair session, and mat and reformer routines put similar, low pressure on the pelvic floor.

Sources 29, 5, 30, 31

Is the reformer better? Not clearlyMixed evidence

Reviews that pooled both formats found benefits either way, for aerobic fitness for example, and quality-of-life gains after the menopause were larger with equipment. The reformer is a good way to do Pilates, not a necessary one: choose by access, cost and what you enjoy.

Sources 6, 7, 32, 33

Older adults at risk of fallsEmerging evidence

In 55 adults aged 65 to 95, a group reformer class once a week for 10 weeks improved balance, walking speed, balance confidence and hip and ankle range, against no exercise.

Source 10

Women with overweightEmerging evidence

In 47 women aged 30 to 60, supervised reformer classes 3 times a week for 8 weeks took off about 1.4 kg, while the control group gained 0.3 kg, and lowered body fat by about 2 percentage points. Grip strength, trunk endurance, low mood and anxiety improved; sleep didn't change.

Source 11

Back and neck painEmerging evidence

In 54 women aged 30 to 50 with long-lasting back or neck pain, reformer classes twice a week for 6 weeks eased pain, fear of movement and fatigue and improved sleep against no exercise. Beliefs about pain didn't change.

Source 20

Yes, with supervisionEmerging evidence

Trials started people who had never done Pilates on reformers: inactive young women, women around 65, adults aged 65 to 95 at risk of falls, and women with overweight. They began with a familiarisation session, under a physiotherapist or trained instructor, and the Pilates Method Alliance strongly recommends a skilled instructor, especially on equipment.

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Mat first is fine, not necessary

Nothing shows that you need to learn on a mat first, and since mat Pilates gave mostly similar results in trials, the mat is a fine place to start too (our reading).

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Over 50 or 60

The falls-risk trial shows older beginners can do supervised group reformer work. If balance is a worry, ask for a small class or a private lesson first, and with osteoporosis skip the deep rounding moves. Our Pilates for seniors guide has more.

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How often

Trials used 1 to 3 sessions a week, and once a week for 10 weeks improved balance in older adults. Our editorial starting point: 1 or 2 classes a week, with mat sessions at home if you like. Our Pilates for beginners guide covers how often in more detail.

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Teachers

In the UK, the sector body CIMSPA publishes a professional standard for Pilates-based matwork instructors. It doesn't cover reformer teaching, so ask what reformer training your teacher has.

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No injury statisticsMixed evidence

No study has measured reformer injury rates. Australia's Pilates association says no Pilates-specific injury statistics are collected there, and that reformer incidents may involve falls or moving equipment. It links injuries to moves progressed too quickly, balance challenges beyond someone's ability, and too little supervision in group equipment classes.

Source 12

Low pressure on the pelvic floorEmerging evidence

In 20 women, mat and reformer exercises raised pressure inside the abdomen no more than standing up from a chair; roll-ups were the exception, building up more sustained pressure.

Source 31

Osteoporosis or a past spinal fracture

The consensus advice to avoid sustained, repeated or end-range rounding of the spine applies to the rounded reformer moves: the short spine, the round-back stomach massage and short box, the rounded elephant, the teaser and roll-ups. People who already move comfortably and smoothly can continue, and balance and strength work is recommended at least twice a week.

Source 34

Neck problems

Skip moves that roll your weight toward your neck, such as the short spine and a full semi-circle, as you would the roll-over on the mat.

Pregnancy

Later in pregnancy, avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes and avoid activities with a risk of falling, which in our view includes standing work on the moving carriage. Ask your midwife, and see our Pilates in pregnancy guide.

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Balance problems or a recent fall

Avoid standing or kneeling on the moving carriage until you're steady, and practise standing balance next to a wall or counter.

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Getting on and off

Learn to get on and off the carriage, and to change springs with the carriage still, before anything else. Check the springs are secure, and stop if you feel unsteady.

Each reformer exercise and its mat version

Exercise names and order come from classical reformer orders. The pairings are ours, matched by movement pattern: the springs and moving carriage change the work, so the mat version trains the same shape, not the same load.

• Footwork (lying down, pressing the carriage out with your feet): bodyweight squat, and the slow calf raise for the tendon stretch and running.
• Hundred: the mat hundred.
• Feet in straps (leg circles and frogs): single-leg circle and inner-thigh lift.
• Pelvic lift and semi-circle: pelvic tilt into bridge.
• Stomach massage (sitting, pressing the carriage out): half roll back for the rounded version, boat pose for reach up, spine twist for the twist.
• Short box (sitting on the box): half roll back for the round back, mermaid for side to side, spine twist for the twist.
• Elephant (standing, hands on the footbar, hips high, drawing the carriage in and out): downward-facing dog.
• Knee stretches (kneeling on the carriage): cat-cow for the round and arched shapes, knee hover for knees off.
• Long stretch (a plank on the moving carriage): straight-arm plank.
• Long box (lying on the box): swan for pulling straps, double-leg stretch for backstroke, and the teaser.
• Splits (standing on the carriage and platform): wall side leg lift and low lunge.
• Arm work with the straps: no close mat move; use a band or dumbbells instead.

Sources 16, 17, 37, 4, 21

Not studiedMixed evidence

A search of the Europe PMC research database found no study of reformers used at home (October 2026). Since mat Pilates gave mostly similar results to equipment in trials, a mat gives you most of the same training (our reading).

Sources 38, 6, 9

What to check before you buy

Our checklist: a carriage that runs smoothly on rails, springs that clip on securely, a maximum user weight that covers you, a frame long enough for your height, clear floor space around it, and a first lesson with a teacher. Some products sold for home use are boards with bands rather than a carriage on rails, so check what you're buying.

What Lagree is

Lagree runs on its own machine, the Megaformer, which its makers say is not a Pilates reformer: they share only general parts such as springs, platforms and a moving carriage. Moves are done slowly so the muscles stay under tension, with little rest between exercises, and the company describes it as high-intensity and low-impact.

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No published researchMixed evidence

A search of the Europe PMC research database found no studies of the Lagree Method or the Megaformer (October 2026). Whether it gives better results than reformer Pilates, for weight loss or anything else, has never been tested.

Source 15

How it differs from a classical class

Classical reformer orders include transitions and spring changes between exercises, while Lagree aims to keep you working with minimal rest. That's a difference in how the class runs, not evidence that either works better.

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Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw; severe difficulty breathing, such as gasping, choking or not being able to get words out; lips or skin that turn pale, blue or grey; or if someone has passed out and isn't responding normally.

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Back pain: call 999 or go to A&E

If you have pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, loss of feeling around your genitals or anus, changes in your bladder or bowels or in how sex feels, or back pain that started after a serious accident.

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Get help from NHS 111 or an urgent GP appointment

If you're suddenly more short of breath than usual, have chest pain with feeling sick or a racing, slow or fluttering heartbeat, or have back pain and feel hot, shivery or generally unwell. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.

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See a GP before starting

If you're unsure whether the exercises suit your fitness, have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or you're pregnant or have recently given birth.

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Stop the move

Stop if you feel unsteady on the carriage, or for sharp or increasing pain, tingling that travels down an arm or leg, or dizziness.

"Reformer Pilates is always harder than mat"Emerging evidence

A reformer session used a little more energy in one study, but springs can also help you through a move, and long levers make many mat moves hard.

Sources 13, 5, 4

"A lighter spring is always easier"Emerging evidence

On balance-type moves a lighter spring makes the carriage less stable, and the trunk muscles work harder.

Source 4

"You need a reformer to get results"Emerging evidence

Most of the ten mat versus equipment trials found similar gains.

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 26

"Beginners shouldn't start on a reformer"Emerging evidence

Supervised trials started complete beginners on reformers, including adults aged 65 to 95 at risk of falls.

Sources 10, 9, 11

"Lagree is just harder reformer Pilates"Mixed evidence

Its makers describe a different method on a different machine, and it has no published trials, so "harder" or "better" is untested.

Sources 14, 15

"He invented the reformer by fixing springs to hospital beds"

The Pilates Method Alliance history doesn't say this, and his 1927 patent describes a sliding carriage that used a weight and pulley for resistance.

Sources 3, 2

"Reformer Pilates replaces weight training"Emerging evidence

Springs add resistance, but in trials Pilates built strength no better than other exercise, and to keep muscle while losing weight, European obesity guidance recommends resistance training at moderate to high intensity.

Sources 44, 45, 46