Your First Reformer Pilates Class: What to Expect

The first time you walk into a reformer studio, the machines can look a little intimidating: rows of sliding beds, springs, straps and bars. The good news is that nobody expects you to know how any of it works. This guide covers what happens before, during and after your first class, so you can turn up feeling ready.

Not sure yet whether reformer is right for you? Start with our comparison of reformer vs mat pilates.

Before you go

Book a beginner class

Look for a class called beginner, foundation, fundamentals or intro. These run slower, explain the machine and focus on getting the basics right. A mixed-level class moves faster and assumes you already know how to change the springs. Many studios also run intro offers (a few classes or a couple of weeks for a fixed price), which is the cheapest way to start. Our guide to reformer pilates prices has typical figures.

Tell the studio about injuries or pregnancy

Most booking systems include a short health questionnaire. Fill it in honestly. If you have a back, neck, knee or shoulder problem, are recovering from surgery, or are pregnant or postnatal, mention it when you book and again when you arrive. The instructor can then give you safer versions of the exercises. If you have a medical condition, check with your GP or physio first.

What to wear

• Fitted clothing. Leggings or close-fitting shorts and a fitted top. Loose tops slide up when you lie back, and baggy trousers can catch in the springs.
• Grip socks. Most studios require them. If you don’t have any, the studio will usually sell you a pair.
• No jewellery or zips that could scratch the upholstery or catch on the straps.
• Hair tied back off the back of your head, as you’ll spend some of the class lying down.

Arrive early

Get there 10 to 15 minutes before the start. Reformer classes start on time, and some studios won’t let you in late because there isn’t time to set your machine up safely. Arriving early gives the instructor a chance to show you around and check you in.

Getting to know the machine

The instructor will walk you through it, but here are the parts you’ll hear about:

• Carriage: the padded platform you lie, sit, kneel or stand on. It slides along the frame on wheels.
• Springs: attached under the carriage, usually colour-coded by strength. More or heavier springs make the carriage harder to move. Fewer or lighter springs make it lighter, but often less stable.
• Footbar: the bar at one end that you push against with your feet or hands.
• Straps: loops attached to ropes and pulleys, held in your hands or placed around your feet.
• Headrest and shoulder blocks: to support your neck and stop you sliding off the end of the carriage.

One thing worth knowing straight away: heavier springs don’t always mean harder. Some exercises feel more difficult on a light spring, because the carriage is less stable and you have to control it yourself.

How a class runs

Most 45–60 minute classes follow a similar shape:

1. Warm-up and breathing. Often lying on the carriage with your feet on the footbar, getting used to the movement and the breathing pattern.
2. Footwork. Pressing the carriage out and back with your legs, a staple of almost every reformer class.
3. Core, arms and legs. Exercises with the straps, kneeling, sitting and sometimes standing on the machine, working through the whole body.
4. Stretch and cool-down. Slower stretches to finish.

The instructor will call out the spring settings for each exercise and come round to check. If you’re unsure, ask. Every instructor would rather you asked than guessed.

How it will feel

Expect it to feel slow and surprisingly hard. Pilates is built on small, controlled movements, and keeping the carriage steady while working muscles you don’t often use is tiring. Your legs may shake. That’s normal, and it isn’t a sign you’re doing it wrong.

You’ll also hear a lot of cues that may not make sense at first: “neutral spine”, “imprint”, “draw your navel to your spine”, “articulate”. Don’t worry about getting them all on day one. They start to make sense after a few classes.

Studio etiquette

• Put your phone on silent and leave it in a locker or under your machine.
• Don’t let the carriage slam back into the stopper. Return it slowly; it’s part of the exercise.
• Wipe down your machine at the end if the studio asks you to, and put the straps back where you found them.
• Cancel within the studio’s cancellation window if you can’t make it. Reformer classes are small, so a no-show leaves a machine empty that someone else could have used.

After the class

Drink some water, and expect some muscle soreness for a day or two. It’s most common in the deep abdominals, inner thighs, glutes and the backs of the arms. Gentle movement, such as a walk, usually helps. Any sharp or lingering pain is different: stop, and tell your instructor before you go back.

To see results, aim for consistency rather than intensity. One or two classes a week for a couple of months will teach you far more than a burst of five classes in your first week.

Ready to book?

Search for reformer studios near you and look for ones that list beginner classes. Or browse the busiest towns in our directory, such as Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol.

Frequently asked questions