What are the most common pieces of Pilates equipment?

Pilates Reformer
Wunda chair’ or ‘Stability chair
Pilates Cadillac or Trapeze
Pilates Mats
Swiss ball’ or ‘Stability ball

As the popularity of Pilates has grown so has the development of the equipment available. We will look first at the Pilates equipment that formed part of the original Pilates program.

Pilates Equipment – Pilates Reformer

The Pilates reformer is probably the piece of Pilates equipment that is most associated with Pilates. It is strongly favored by Pilates practitioners and will be available to use in most Pilates studios. It consists of a sliding carriage with foot bars, jump boards, leg and arm pulleys. The Pilates reformer enables the exerciser to work on different parts of the body by just using the one piece of equipment.

There are two types of reformers:

• Spring reformer – uses springs to create resistance. You lie on your back and pull with your arms or push with your legs.
• Gravity reformer – makes use of the exerciser’s own weight instead of springs. You lie in a diagonal in position for the gravity to pull down on you. This creates the resistance needed to make the exercise effective.

Pilates Equipment – Cadillac

The next piece of Pilates equipment is known as the ‘Cadillac’ or ‘Trapeze table’. It looks similar to a cage but without bars, just the frame. Along the bars are attached springs, straps, and extra bars that are used for different exercises.

One leg exercise involves lying down facing the opposite direction of the strap you are going to use. You wrap the strap around your leg before pulling it down. The resistance passes through your thighs and calves.

An alternative way to use a Cadillac is to sit down facing the strap that you intend to use. Hold the strap in your hands and pull on it at the same time lying down and then return to a sitting position. This works on your abdomen.

Pilates Equipment – Pilates Chair

The Pilates chair sometimes called a ‘Wunda chair’ or ‘Stability chair’ looks like a bench only a little higher. A great many different exercises can be performed using a Pilates chair.

Pilates Equipment – Pilates Mats

A Pilates mat is most likely the least expensive piece of Pilates equipment that you will need to buy but it  also has limited use because there is no form of resistance.  Exercises using the Pilates mat are designed for back protection, focussing mainly on the trunk and hip, to strengthen them, and on the spine and hips again for movement and flexibility.

These represent just a few of the appliances that anyone interested in Pilates can use in their Pilates workout. There are other recognized items of Pilates equipment available to you such as: Pilates dvd and video, Pilates rings, Pilates bands, the ladder barrel, the arc barrel, the spine corrector and the ‘Swiss ball’ or ‘Stability ball’

Pilates Equipment – ‘Swiss ball’ or ‘Stability ball’

This is simply an exercise ball but as part of your regular Pilates workout it becomes a very versatile piece of equipment that enables you to perform a host of different exercises to help sculpt and tone your body