REFORMER PILATES FOR BEGINNERS
Everything to know before your first class
First Reformer Pilates class booked?
If the machine looks slightly intimidating, you’re not the only one. Springs, straps, a moving carriage… from the outside, it can look much more complicated than it actually is.
The good news is that you don’t need to know how any of it works before you arrive. Your instructor will guide you through the machine, the movements and the spring changes as you go.
Your only job is to show up and give yourself time to learn.
SO, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO IN REFORMER PILATES?
The reformer has a moving platform called the carriage, connected to a system of adjustable springs.
Throughout the class, you’ll move through different exercises lying down, sitting, kneeling or standing.
You’ll also use different parts of the machine:
The carriage moves with you as you perform each exercise.
The springs change the resistance or support depending on the movement.
The straps can be used with your hands or feet to work your arms and legs against the resistance of the springs.
The footbar gives you a surface to push against or hold during different exercises.
A class can include work for your core, legs, glutes, arms, balance and mobility, usually through slow and controlled movements.
And no, you don’t need to memorise which spring goes where. Your instructor will tell you.
WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE PILATES SO MUCH?
One of the things people often enjoy about Pilates is that it combines strength, control, balance and mobility without relying on fast or high-impact movements.
Instead of rushing through repetitions, the focus is usually on how you move: your alignment, breathing, control and the quality of each movement.
And some exercises that look incredibly simple from the outside can feel very different once you’re actually doing them.
That’s part of the fun.
YOUR FIRST-CLASS CHECKLIST
Save this for later.
- □ Book a beginner class if your studio offers one.
- □ NAVIKA Grip Socks. Many studios ask for grip socks, so check their requirements before your class.
- □ Wear something you can move comfortably in. Our pick: the INDIRA Pant + IRIS Top.
- □ Bring water.
- □ Tie your hair back if needed.
- □ Arrive around 10–15 minutes early so you have time to check in without rushing.
- □ Tell the instructor it’s your first Reformer class.
- □ If you have an injury, limitation or something doesn’t feel right, tell your instructor before starting.
ONCE THE CLASS STARTS
Try not to worry about the person on the reformer next to you.
They might have been doing Pilates for years.
Listen to your instructor, move at your own pace and ask whenever you’re unsure.
Which spring? Ask.
Where does my foot go? Ask.
Should I be feeling this here? Ask.
You’re there to learn, not to already know.
And if at some point you realise everyone is facing the opposite direction, it happens. Fix it, laugh and carry on.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER
Your first Reformer class doesn’t need to be perfect.
You might forget which spring you need. You might need an exercise explained twice. You might spend half the class checking what the person next to you is doing.
That’s completely normal.
Give yourself a couple of classes to understand the machine, recognise the movements and discover how Pilates feels for you.
MOVE. BREATHE. FLOW.