As any fitness buff will tell you Pilates is one of the best ways to lose weight fast and to tone and strengthen the core muscles of your body. However, without Pilates equipment, Pilates won’t work for anyone. Pilates equipment is an integral part of the Pilates program, since it creates resistance for your muscles to work against. Following is a brief review at some of the key Pilates equipment.
Pilates Equipment #1 - The Reformer
The Reformer is by far the most well-known piece of Pilates equipment and can be spotted in just about every Pilates studio in the world. It consists of a sliding carriage with foot bars, jump boards, arm and leg pulleys. The combination of these features allows the exerciser to work different muscle groups in different parts of the body using the same equipment.
Reformers are basically of two types. These are Spring Reformers and Gravity Reformers. As the name suggests, spring reformers use springs to produce resistance. This reformer requires the exerciser to lie on their back and pull with their arms or push with their legs. Similarly, the gravity reformer also works on the push and pull concept; however, the key difference is that the gravity reformer uses a person’s own weight to create resistance, rather than springs. The gravity reformer keeps the person in a diagonal position so that gravity pulls down on them, producing the necessary resistance.
Pilates Equipment #2-The Cadillac
The Cadillac, also known as the Trapeze, is a bit like cage minus the bars and just the frames. It is along the frame that springs, extra bars and straps are attached. These are used for performing several Pilates exercises. For instance, if you want to exercise your legs, you need to lie down in the opposite direction to the strap you want to use, then wrap the strap around your leg and pull it down against the direction of resistance offered.
Pilates Equipment #3-The Wunda Chair
Another popular Pilates equipment is the Wunda chair. A Wunda chair looks like a bench but is slightly higher, has two bars attached on each side with a spring. One of the exercises that can be done on the Wunda chair is to push on the bars while sitting or standing on the floor or the bench itself.
Pilates Equipment #4-Mats:
Pilates also includes a series of exercises that can only be done on a Pilates mat in order to tone and strengthen certain parts of the body. Mat exercises usually focus on only the trunk and the hips. The mat is basically used for protecting the back during exercise and doesn’t offer any resistance for the user. At the same time, Mats are the cheapest of all Pilates equipment and mat exercises are very good, especially for those on a budget.
The Pilates equipment mentioned above is only a few of the variety of equipment that you may find in a Pilates studio. Those, however, aren’t part of the original Pilates equipment and are either derived from the original equipment or created based on different applications of various Pilate techniques. For anyone who wants to experience the very best results of Pilates exercises, the appropriate Pilates equipment is a must.
