Pilates Equipment: The basics

Pilates, is nothing without its equipment, from the simple mat
to the complicated trapeze, Pilates Equipment is very integral
to the program itself. Pilate equipment is what produces the
resistance that your muscles overcome, and these resistances are
what make your core strong. Here is an overview of the basic
Pilates Equipment

Reformer.

The reformer is probably the most popular Pilates Equipment; it
is used by a lot of Pilates practitioners, and can be seen on
almost every Pilates Studio in the world. It is basically a
sliding carriage that has foot bars, jump boards, leg and arm
pulleys. These features allow the exerciser to work on different
parts of the body with the same machine.

There are two types of reformers, spring reformers and gravity
reformers. A spring Pilates equipment reformer, makes use of
springs for resistance, it is usually used while lying on the
back and pulling with your arms or pushing with your legs. The
Gravity reformer has the same concept of push and pull, but
instead of springs, it makes use of the person’s own weight. The
person is diagonal in position in order for the gravity to pull
down on him/her, creating the resistance needed for the exercise.

Cadillac

The second type of Pilates equipment is the Cadillac or the
trapeze table. This Pilates equipment looks like a cage, without
the bars though, just the frames, and attached along the bars
are springs, straps, and extra bars that are used for several
types of exercises. For example, for the legs, you can lie down
facing the opposite direction of the strap that you are going to
use, and then putting the strap around your leg, you pull it
down, and the resistance goes through your thighs and calves.
Another way to use a Cadillac is to sit down, this time facing
the strap that you are to use, and then holding the strap in
your hands pull on it while simultaneously lying down, then sit
back up again, this works on your abdomen.

Wunda Chair

One other Pilates equipment is the Wunda chair, which looks like
a bench only slightly higher; it has two bars on each side with
spring attached to it. One exercise that can be done is to push
on the bars while standing or sitting on the bench, or standing
or sitting on the floor.

Mats

Pilates has a series of mat exercises that improve certain parts
of the body, therefore, the Pilates Mat, is definitely a must
have Pilates equipment. Mat exercises are usually taught as to
groups. These exercises focus mostly on the trunk and hip, to
strengthen then, and on the spine and hips again for
flexibility. The mat, is probably the least expensive of Pilates
equipment, and it is also the most limited, the amt is basically
for back protection and doesn’t offer any form of resistance for
the user, but still mat exercises are very good ones, especially
for those on a budget.

These are only few of the most common exercise equipment that
you may see in a Pilates studio, there are however, other
equipment that you might be able to use at home, like barrels,
Pilates balls, and Pilates rings, these are however, not part of
the original Pilates equipment that Joseph Pilates designed
initially, but rather a derivation and application of the
different Pilates techniques from other types of exercises.

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