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Pilates MachinesA List Of The Most Popular Pilates Equipment As Well As The Benefits Of Their UsePilates machines and all the Pilates equipment were designed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s. Ingenious for his time, Pilates machines have changed a bit over the years, but the integrity of his vision remains. The Reformer: A classic piece of Pilates exercise equipment. It consists of a moving carriage, a foot bar, straps to pull against and various removable parts like a box and a foot plate or jump board. Benefits: The springs add resistance to your movements so legs and arms are worked as well as core muscles. You can spend a whole hour on the reformer and get a total body workout, so it is * versatile as well as fun! The Cadillac: also known as the Trap table: Looks like a table surrounded by four vertical poles that frame the table. From those poles hang various accessories like leg springs, fuzzy straps, the trapeze, and the push through and roll down bars. Benefits: Because of the height, the caddy is a great place to put someone who is unable to get on and off the floor. Mat work can be performed on the table as well as caddy exercises that offer a bit more movement through the body than the Reformer. Foot Chair: also known as the wunda, low and electric chair: Joseph Pilates designed his chairs to be a part of your living room. It looks like a chair, but remove the pad, flip it over and youre ready to workout! Exercises include pushing the pedal up and down with feet or hands or standing up on it to work balance and legs. Benefits: The springs once again offer resistance to work legs, arms, balance and core stability. Because of the small platform, balance is key when performing the foot chair exercises. Arcs and Barrels: The ladder barrel, arc barrel, spine corrector, and variations on the barrel, all have arcs of varying sizes. The ladder barrel has a ladder on one side and a large padded barrel attached to the other side. Benefits: Used for stretching and lengthening the spine, you can bend backwards and forwards to achieve length and stretch. The barrels can also be used for supporting the spine. Tower: A new design to replace the Cadillac. It looks like a caddy cut in half and placed on the floor. All the add-ons are on one side rather than on a large frame like on the Caddy. Benefits: Meant to save space, Pilates studios can have many Towers all in a row allowing them to offer Tower classes. It is efficient and less costly than a traditional Cadillac. Springboard: A large piece of wood attached to a wall with rows of eye hooks to attach springs for leg and arm exercises. Benefit: Also space saving and less costly than a larger piece of equipment. You can perform many of the Caddy exercises using the springboard. Good for duets where you might need an extra set of springs. Ped-a-pul: A classic Pilates machine. Looks like an over sized hat rack with two springs hanging from either side. Benefits: Because most exercises are performed standing up, it works balance, arms and even legs in some exercises. The ped-a-pul requires a strong core to push against the springs and not fall over. Foot Corrector and Toe Gizmo: Two original Pilates designs. Both small pieces. They were not regulars on the scene until recently unearthed. They look like small crossbows and quite frankly, I cant comment because I have never used them! Benefits: To work the muscles of the feet and to correct misaligned toes. Joe really thought he could cure the world with his exercise inventions! So there you have it. Pilates machines for keeping fit. Visit any Pilates studio and you will most likely find two things; a Reformer and a mat. Other studios might also include a Cadillac, a Ladder Barrel and a Foot Chair. Whatever Pilates machines you see, each one holds the key to well-rounded workouts and variety.
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