You’ll use a footpad or pull strings to move the platform and increase the intensity of your workout. Pilates reformers can be adjusted to provide varying degrees of resistance for different exercises.

The Pilates reformer is a piece of Pilates equipment that features a bed-like frame and a flat platform that moves back and forth via wheels that are connected to the frame. The platform moves by springs, which are activated by pushing and pulling on different resistance ropes and levers, depending on the exercise that you’re attempting.

Pilates was not just created as a physical exercise, it was made to engage both mind and body at the same time. What does this look like? Our members often comment about the increased focus, concentration, and meditative-like states they create for themselves during our Pilates classes. Our experienced instructors help beginners and advanced students alike concentrate on the different muscle areas throughout the experience. Many members comment that they feel an “alive” state of being after Pilates class and that it is unlike any other exercise routine they’ve tried before.

Most people see the Pilate Reformer machine and assume that it is primarily used for core and leg routines. To the contrary, some of our most intense workouts during Pilates Reformer classes are our arm workouts. They involve resistance from the Reformer machine and various toys/tools from our Private Classroom. Whether it’s arm circles, pull ups, or curated upper body strength routines plan on giving your biceps, triceps, forearms, and shoulders an intense strength workout.

If you take enough classes with our head instructor, Luisa Parker, who has been teaching Pilates for 33+ years, you’ll begin to learn about the many misconceptions we have about our bodies. The first and arguably most important is about our core. Many people believe “core”: means just the stomach/ab area. This is a common misconception, as your core is a much larger area of the body. Think about it like the foundation upon which you’d build your home. At Elite Pilates we’re core experts and we focus on results. Whether it’s losing inches from your waist, giving you a stronger swing, or helping a nagging back injury – strengthening your core is a priority for us!

Spend the majority of your day sitting at a desk? Stand all day? Play a strenuous sport that results in out of alignment body issues? So many of our Elite members complain about hip pain and inflexibility in their central pelvic areas. We believe this is a growing epidemic in America. As computer jobs become more prevalent, the amount of hours we sit and remain sedentary severely affects our body positioning. Our own head instructor, Hugo Quinonez, began his Pilates journey after a painful hip injury kept him from his beloved Martial Arts competitions. After experiencing the results of Pilates Reformer classes on hip pain, he’s converted for life!

Your legs are your power muscles. They help you power through the day and they’re key ingredients for athletes and moms, alike. When we think of leg health, most people think about strengthening common muscle groups such as hamstrings, calves, and shins. At Elite Pilates we believe that strengthening is important, but it’s not enough. To reach peak health and performance, we must strengthen AND elongate. At our live classes, you’ll engage in hundreds of different Pilates Reformer motions that work out leg muscles you didn’t even know you had! The amazing flexibility of our Pilates Reformer machines allows us to engage your legs at a range of motion that other exercises aren’t able to achieve.

One of the first things you’ll learn at Elite Pilates is how to position your feet. We call this technique “Pilates Feet” and it involves an elegant movement that involves pointing your toes with both heels touching. Our instructors will demonstrate and help you begin honing your “Pilates Feet.” This simple movement, coupled with our proven pilates exercises will help you both develop a core-centered posture and improve your overall strength. Grace and coordination are common results our members rave about – and it all begins with….Pilates Feet!