Issue #449 – Wednesday, January 22, 2025
A Short and Sweet Reformer Exercise
by Brett Miller
I have a sweet little Reformer exercise for you today that you can do after a hard workout.
I think you would call it something like a variation of the stomach massage – but let’s see what you think after I present it.
Prepare the Reformer bu putting the box on the Carriage in front of the shoulder rest and engage 2 springs (or whatever you find best).
Sit on the carriage with your back against the box and your heels on the outer corners of the foot bar – your feet are flexed. Grab the center of the foot bar with your hands. Right from the start, relax your hips and feel that lovely stretch. It looks like this:
Okay, feels great already, let’s get moving!!
All you need to do is pull back in the center, bring your head down push out with your feet to stretch away.
You may not be able to see it in the picture, but when I’m in a deep opposition – that is to say that I’m really lifting and scooping in the center as I stretch forward my arms and legs forward. This is really important!!
After a short pause in that stretch, bend your legs and bring your head up and let the the box push you back into the start position.
Continue the exercise by pulling on the bar with your hands and I’m lift your chest. It is an intense stretch for your hips and a nice opening of the chest.
From that lifted postion, start all over again!! Push with your feet draw pull back in the center and take your head down close to your knees being very active in the center.
Whatever you want to call this exercise, it’s a nice treat to do after a workout. And if you give it to your clients, they will love you even more than they already do.
Here is a video demonstration.
Brett Miller is the founder of Pilates Intel, he started his professional life in the world of ballet, working with various companies in the US. Later on he moved to New York and branched out into modern along with the ballet. Since then, he has lived in Finland and now in Stockholm Sweden.
Brett became a Pilates instructor in 2005 and has been teaching ever since. The intelligent technique that Pilates is, and the chance to continue to be physical, attracted him to this field after being so long in the dance world. Along with teaching Pilates and publishing Pilates Intel, Brett is a software developer for Ericsson.