Storyline Margot Robbie, Harry Styles and Jennifer Aniston are just some of the celebrities who regularly practise reformer pilates, a fitness workout developed during the First World War by German circus performer and boxer Joseph Pilates, using a bed-like apparatus of resistance springs and pulleys. More than a century after it was conceived, it’s one of the biggest fitness trends of 2024.
Fine line While it’s no longer just for A-listers, prices are not exactly for us mortals. The average reformer pilates session in London costs £30, classes book up weeks in advance and waiting lists are the norm. Unless you have a spare room and a budget north of £3,000 to buy your own equipment, doing it at home isn’t an option either. Or is it?
Get all the benefits of a reformer session – no reformer needed!
Helpline All hail the Invisible Reformer workout. Created by celebrity fitness trainer Louisa Drake (louisadrake.com), who has worked with Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, the new at-home method delivers the same results as a traditional reformer (improved posture, muscle definition) minus the bulky, costly paraphernalia.
Bottom line The Invisible Reformer Workout Kit, £52, comprises a mini stability ball, resistance bands and gliding discs. The bands take the place of a reformer’s pulleys, the discs mimic the action of its moving carriage, while the ball (don’t worry, it won’t burst) challenges your stability.
Online Along with the kit, Drake has a series of Invisible Reformer online classes (from £20 per month). They are short but effective, lasting from 15 to 30 minutes for full body, lower body, upper body or core workouts.
Pioneering trainer Louisa Drake has pared back the paraphernalia
Start line I eased into the full-body workout with a set of glute bridges (lying on the floor, feet on the ground, pelvis raised) and had the stability ball between my knees to engage my inner thighs, hamstrings and glutes. This was followed by glute bridges with leg extensions, which I did with my feet on the gliding discs, pushing them away from my body then back again to simulate the action of a reformer’s carriage. After five minutes, my legs were trembling.
Adrenaline I then moved on to some upper body challenges. A seated row is one of my favourite reformer exercises as it works both your arms and core. I started by sitting, my legs stretched out in front of me, the long resistance band held in both hands and looped around the balls of my feet. Inhaling, I pulled the band towards my ribcage, squeezing my shoulder blades then exhaling to release. To take it up a notch, you can move your hands further up the band to shorten it and thus increase the resistance, or roll down through the spine into a C-curve between each repetition.
Finish line I was surprised at just how much this method got my heart rate up. By the end of the session my face was red, my leggings sweaty, my abs ablaze. My previous experience on a reformer machine helped me push myself and get the most out of the workout. You may wobble more on the invisible version – but then again, isn’t that the point?
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