Pilates is no longer a simple, mat-based exercise class. Now the popular activity involves a wooden contraption that looks like something from a 1950s hospital.
Reformer pilates – exercises performed on a special sliding bed – is growing enormously in popularity, with the number of UK studios increasing tenfold since 2024.
It is said that the belts, pulleys and springs attached to the bed add extra resistance to the exercises, making them more challenging and encouraging muscle growth and tone.
But reformer pilates is not new-fangled. In fact, the workout was originally designed using a simplified version of the beds seen in trendy studios across the country.
Joseph Pilates – the founder of the exercise – added springs to hospital beds during World War I to help patients rehabilitate using resistance exercises.
But today the price of a reformer pilates class is eye-wateringly high: up to £80 in some parts of the world. London – compared to around £15 for a standard mat class.
Worse still, reports of serious injuries linked to the machines have led experts to describe pilates classes as the ‘wild west’, with unqualified instructors causing ‘traumatic injuries’.
Here, experts reveal whether it’s worth investing in, and highlight the potentially disabling risks.
The number of pilates studios popping up in the UK has increased tenfold since 2024
What is reformer pilates?
Reformer Pilates is a low-impact, full-body workout performed on a bed using a sliding sled, springs, straps and a foot bar to provide controlled resistance.
Fans say it strengthens and targets muscles in ways that mat pilates cannot because it involves pushing and pulling a heavier weight than just your own body.
Rhian Cowburn, pilates instructor and co-owner of London studio Strong and Bendy, says the appeal lies in the machine’s versatility.
‘A beneficial class – mat or otherwise – will challenge all the major muscle groups.
‘But by adding extra resistance with the reformer you can create pulling movements that you don’t get with mat pilates.
‘It increases the range of exercises you can do, recruiting a wider selection of muscle groups.’
She adds that pushing movements strengthen the shoulders and chest, while pulling activates the key back muscles responsible for the posture and upper body strength that many people struggle to build.
“For example, pulling the bands on a reformer strengthens the muscles needed to perform a pull-up, an exercise most people can’t do.” Regular mat pilates may get you there, but it will take much longer.’
Will a reformer make me tighter than a matles?
The biggest difference between mat and reformer pilates is the external resistance.
The springs on the machine, which are attached to the belts and pulleys, increase the load on the core and glutes and ensure that they are engaged consistently throughout a given exercise.
This is much more difficult to achieve on the floor, where participants must consciously squeeze parts of their body to ensure muscle growth.
Cowburn says this is why many feel they make faster progress with a reformer, as they find they need fewer sessions to see changes in strength and control.
In 2019, Maya Meron successfully sued a London studio after a reformer caved in on her
The springs also allow movements to be performed through a greater range of motion, which can improve flexibility and joint stability, while still providing support.
While reformer pilates won’t completely transform your physique — Cowburn says genetics is the main driver of a person’s body shape — it can visibly strengthen muscles in multiple areas.
“It’s much easier to achieve this with extra resistance,” Cowburn explains.
Another advantage that is often overlooked is that the reformer can take advantage of injuries.
“The springs reduce pressure on the joints, so you can build strength without worsening pain,” she says.
The controlled resistance can also make movements like squats or lunges more accessible for people with arthritis or mobility issues, while still challenging the muscles that support the joints.
Cowburn adds that reformer allows for standing exercises, which can be helpful for older adults who have trouble getting on and off the floor.
“Most people who come to my classes are between 25 and 45 years old, but the benefits extend well beyond their 50s,” she says.
But beware of the potentially deadly risks…
Experts have recently warned of the risks of the ‘potentially dangerous’ exercise, following a spate of serious injuries linked to the classes.
The chief executive of training organization Health and Fitness Education called the reformer a “human slingshot,” adding that many instructors have “no supervised training.”
There have been several casualties. In 2019, Maya Meron, an acclaimed violinist, sued a London pilates studio after breaking her left elbow and injuring her abdomen when a reformer machine collapsed on her.
And last year, Kirsty Morgan, a 30-year-old pilates teacher from Essex, needed four layers of stitches and a tetanus shot after a metal frame came loose from a reformer and fell on her head.
Morgan narrowly escaped a much worse fate; She was told that if the 50-pound structure had fallen on her temple, she could have died.
However, Cowburn says that reputable studios, which require instructors to have recognized certifications such as a level three pilates qualification, pose a low risk.
The most common mistakes are those made by Pilates goers who adjust their own springs.
“In classes that involve lifting weights, the heavier the weight, the harder the exercise becomes – but this doesn’t necessarily apply to reformers,” says Cowburn.
“So there is a danger when people switch sources in the hope of ‘increasing’ their challenge, without understanding what they are actually doing.”
Pregnancy also requires caution, as some movements are more difficult to modify on a reformer than on a mat. Still, Cowburn emphasizes that serious injuries are rare.
“The risk of getting hurt is very small if you listen to what the teacher tells you.”
