Strong & Precise Reformer

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Pilates anytime. I am so excited to have my friend and colleague from South Africa with me today, Sarah. All the way from Cape Town, I'm so excited. We are gonna do a athletic reformer class, and you are all invited. We're gonna start on a yellow and a blue spring on this balance body, reformer. So we are on a light resistance today.

It's all about stability, within the movement. Are you ready? Do you have any questions? Okay. Let's go, guys. So see face away from me, and then we're gonna just start with a roll down, and I'm going to give you a bit of tactile feedback. Which I feel you need after that long flight.

Relax your shoulders. Okay. Take a deep breath inhale for me. Start rolling down as you exhale, curling down through your upper body, keeping those knees bent and just move forward into flexion. Nice. Take a breath inhale. And then exhale to cool and roll your body back up How is that first roll down of the day feeling?

Good. Relax. You've got this in house. Reach these arms. XL lower the chin and roll down for me. Call call call call call. Moving forward, I'm gonna give you a little extra stretch here, breathe in, and exhale to roll up tucking the pelvis.

Great. We're gonna do 1 more. Inhale, deep breathe. Relax your neck. Relax your neck. Thank you. And exhale. Stretch your arms down.

Stretch your fingers. Good. All the way down. Inhale to pause. And then you exhale roll back up, move your spine, and always remember that we do this roll down at the end of the session to reassess the changes we feel after we've invested in our bodies with a great session. Awesome. Come sit on the box for me.

We today are going to be on a very light spring. We are going to just start with a spinal articulation, reaching the arms forward, feet on the platform, sitting up nice and tall, breathing in, and exhale lower the chin and roll the body forward. This is your moment to connect your body and mind. You can go. You can go keep going. Keep going. Lower the arms a little bit for me, say good, inhale, and then roll up from the base of the spine, coming back up into your seated position.

More neck extension, great inhale. And exhale lower the chin, roll forward. Pull the ribs into the body. Use the abdominals. Even the most simplest movement can be hard if we work on our pilates principles. Excel to call back up, rolling up, rolling up, rolling up, lengthen, lengthen, lengthen 2 more inhale.

And exhale lower the chin, roll down, pull the ribs and get every individual vertebrae to articulate articulate articulate, articulate inhale pores, and exhale to call up, roll up, stack the spine. And we've got 1 more to go. Elongate those elbows for me says reach your arms. Yes. Inhale. XL lower the chin. Roll down. Being mindful of how your body moves great from here.

Inhale move into extension reach your arms forward Keep your body nice and low, lift your arms up in line with your ears. Great, great, great. Breathing. And then exhale lower your body down. Extension is always a good idea. Roll back up, sit up tall this time. Loose fingers behind the head for me, so we're gonna tilt to the right side, inhale lateral stretch, exhale, come back to the center, inhale over to the left side.

And exhale back to the center and you go in, however, giving yourself that little extra stretch, exhale contract and back up, and inhale over. And exhale up just 2 more inhale over. Beautiful work. And exhale up 1 more great stuff inhale over. And exhale back to the center. Across your left ankle over your right thigh.

For a little glute stretch, you can just ease forward into it. I know you've had a thirty eight flight a thirty eight hour flight to get you stretch those glutes, stretch those bochies, go a little bit deeper, go, go, go, go, go, and back up, change legs for me. Breathing in, exhale, leaning and hinging forward. Take your body to that stretch where you feel it can deal with it or handle it the most, 1 more breath inhale. And exhale.

Awesome. Great. So from here, everyone, You are going to move into a pelvic floor from extension. So you're gonna bring your feet on top of the footbar. You're gonna roll yourself back, but push your carriage in the box out so that your pelvis and your your bum comes off the box. Yes. Even a little bit more.

We're gonna be on the balls of the feet on the foot bar to do our pelvic pulls here with the arms reaching up towards your ceiling, and ideally you're keeping the carriage still As you start in your extension, go down. Go down. Go down. So get that nice extension in the lumbos spine. Good. Breathing in. XL, think of that posterior tilt. As you exhale, cell, cool and roll up.

Using your hamstrings, everyone, lift up, lift up, lift up, inhale pause, and then exhale to roll down, pressing that vertebra down, taking the curve of your box and extending and going into that anterior tilt more more more inhale and exhale to tilt the pelvis rolling up. I am aware of her ankle stability throughout the movement. Inhale, and exhale to roll down, curling down, curling down, curling down, curling down. I'm gonna take my foot away from the carriage now. Okay? You're on your own. Breathel, tilt the pelvis roll up. Keep the carriage still, stability, stability, stability. If you have done any of my classes, you'll know How obsessed I am with stability with in movements, inhale, exhale roll down, use those hammies. How's your knees? See? You're good? We're gonna do 2 more. Great. And enjoy that extra stretch.

Go for it. Go for it, which is what we don't get on the mat, breathing. XL draw the pelvic floor. Draw the Tash. Then use those hamstrings. Use those hamstrings. Use them. Use them.

Little glute max inhale, and exhale roll down, stretch your elbows for me, sit, tighten those triceps. Good. And the alignment between the ankles and the add this are really, really good. 1 more. Okay? Breathing in. And we excel. I'd love the alignment. Thank you. Work hard.

Work precisely for your own body. Lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, more extension, more extension, more extension, Alright, Sarah. Here we go. Breathing. Single leg lift on the right side. XL lift, tap down on inhale for more exhale. Great stability.

XL three. XL two. And 1, place that toe down, anchor it with a right glute. Leftly comes up, exhale, and inhale, and exhale. Think posterior tilt in this position.

2 more and exhale and 1 more place your toe down breathe and reestablish the position just for that moment of perfection. Lift your left side a little bit higher. Yes. And then roll down, extend your arms back over your head, articulate down, articulate down, into that extension, enjoy it, you deserve it, and off you go grab the corners of your box. You're gonna pull your carriage and your, box in while your body moves over into extension, and this time your carriage will be all the way home. So come all the way home, thoracic extension, ready for some abdominal work, right leg off the bar, left leg off the bar, please.

Amazing. Good. I need a little bit more extension. Enjoy that. Let's do 4 chest lifts, breathing. Turn to chest. Nice position there, Sarah. Good. Good. Good. Good. Pause for the in breath.

And then exhale articulate the spine down, but we keep inviting the abdominals into the spine, and 3 more. XL. Beautiful. Take note if you are observing how beautifully Sarah connects her neck stabilizes before she comes into the flexion. Okay. Very good. 2 more. Inhale lateral breath.

Using the breath, connecting the abdominals, curling up. Use those adductors, everyone. Pull them together together together pause inhale. And exhale lower down. The next 1, we're gonna stay up, breathing in. XL, create the length, create this ability, come into the flexion, up, up, up, up, breathing.

Rotate over to your right side, exhale, inhale center, and rotate over to the left side and center, breathing, and exhale. I'm gonna give you little hands on here. Keep moving everyone and rotate and inhale and exhale, exhale get the rotation inhale and exhale one one each Tash. Keep deflection. Keep deflection. Yes, good. She's not leaning in my arms.

She's holding herself up. I am just guiding her into the rotation. We're gonna finish here. You're gonna deepen the flexion. Cool. Cool. Cool. And crawl, crawl down. Scroll down. Roll down.

Come back down. Hak your knees into your chest. Have a quick little break. We're not finished. Okay? We're gonna go into our single leg stretch and single leg stretch cross cross.

Keep the flexion here. You're in a good position, interlace your hands behind your head, breathing. Reset the legs for me, single leg stretch. Hands can stay there, exhale, and we change, exhale, reach, great work. Use those apex sensors, to push the legs out of the hip joint, hip extension, and hip extension good sera, and 4 more.

XL 3 love the little bassy alignment precision. They're good. 2 more exhale. And 1 more hold it here. Rotate towards me. So imagine I was still there guiding you and your upper body say, and off you go, XL four eight.

And remember on the box, you've got space so you can move. There's no numerous that can rest on the floor. So get the rotation, get the rotation, and 3 more exhale, and exhale, and one one each side, and rotate and center pause. Hold onto the back of your legs and bring yourself up into your seated position. Amazing. You can straddle your box.

Bring your feet on either side of the box. Amazing. Great, you guys. Good work. Let's bring in some arms. You're gonna reach back and hold your straps for me, please. Awesome. Bringing your arms out into your tee position.

Remember we're on a light spring. We haven't changed our spring. But if you feel you need to at this stage, then go for it. Breathing in. Just exhale, just move your arms, test your spring. Is that okay?

Brilliant. We're going to add inflection and extension with the arms. So we're gonna exhale shoulders over the hips, and then inhale come out and give yourself that extension as the arms move into your teeth. Beautiful, exhale, cool, cool, cool. And inhale long movements, wide movements, extend. Open your heart, open your heart, and exhale. Cool. Beautiful work. And inhale. Nice capital placement, lift the sternum, 1 more, and exhale to cool flexion flexion flexion and inhale.

Here we go for 3 circles in each direction. We exhale, bring the arms forward. Lift the arms. Don't let those straps pull you back. Use your abdominals. Get your little extension there and 2 more in this direction. XL.

And lift up, and exhale 1 more in this direction, reaching and leading with the pinky fingers there, lift up, lift up, maybe go a little bit more, find that, find that, yes, and reverse. Inhale up, exhale, press down and wide, and 2 more, lifting and reaching. Pull those ribs in, exhale, and wide 1 more up and over. Pull your arms back to me. Come on work those abs, exhale, and around, and this time, bring your arms over your head hinge from your hips leaning forward, leaning forward. Good.

Move your arms a little bit higher for me. That looks amazing. Let's do a tricep inhaled solutea overhead. XL extend. And inhale to bend and bend, and exhale, reach and hold.

Thank you. For more inhale bend, and exhale extend and 3 inhale. And exhale lean your chest forward down. Yes. That looks good. 2 more inhale. And exhale, exhale, exhale. 1 more full elbow extension, hold it here.

Bend 1 arm with control and bring it back, stabilize, and change. Great stability, Sarah. No movement in the carriage. While she unilaterally works into her extenses, and inhale bend and exhale just 2 more please and inhale and lean a little bit more to me for that last 1. Inhale 2 bend and exhale hold. Lift your arms up 1 more time as your body comes back up and circle placing your arms back down. Awesome.

So you can either put your straps back down for me, or I'm gonna help you because, you know, you're all my clients, and I wanna serve you, spin around, and we are gonna put the feet in the headrest everyone, working a little bit more on spinal articulation and abdominals with the straps, we are gonna hold onto the rubbery part of your ropes there, and lift your arms up in line with your shoulders. And we're gonna breathe in and move back into pelvic lumbar flexion, exhale to cool. Tucking and tucking and curling articulate, articulate the arm stay in line with the shoulders, pause for the in breath. And then exhale resist the carriage as you come up, resist the springs. And then sit up nice and tall, breathing in.

Initiate the movement with the pelvis, exhale deep abdominals. Great, curling, and curling, and curling, abs deep and away from my hand, breathing. Pull away from my hand as you exhale good, Sarah. Amazing. And lift up 1 more.

XL, deep flex using the abdominals. The whole body is working as a unit. I want you to pause here for me, breathe in. 3 single leg lifts on the right side, exhale up in, held down. Excel lift. And I love her. She's using the full range of motion over the box, okay, of that hip change.

XL and down. And lift. Was that 4, we do 4 and down. And you see sometimes we just have to follow our clients. They give us good cues. Two, and one, exhale, hold it here, breathing, 4 leg changes, excel 1, inhale, exhale 2. Keep drawing those abs in.

Have you noticed the carriage is not moving because of the stability? 2 more. XL, you're doing so well. And 1 more. Bring to the legs up for me. Say, hold it. Yeah. Yes. The challenge. Everyone, breathe in. Move into the teaser.

The arms are gonna move into extension. Pull back. Pull back with the arms as the body comes up. Up. Love the focus. Love the focus. Inhale, bend, and come back down arms up. Call back. Call back.

You've got this. And we're gonna do 2 more, and we lift up. Arms are pulling back, they're active Tash the body comes forward. Yes. Pull with the arms to bring that body up. I know you can. I know you can. I know you can. And go down, down, down, 1 more. Work the posterior adult.

Let's go. And pull up the arms work with the legs. Pull down with the arms. Put on the strap. Put on the strap. Good sero. Hold it. Yeah.

I love this. Breathing. Feel tall and feel awesome as you hold it. XL. Hold it. Sarah, hold it. You can. You can. That's amazing. Breathing.

And she's smiling. I mean, really? Excel come down. Good job. Come set up for me all the way. Well done, Steve, put your straps down for me. Amazing.

Alright, everyone. We're gonna move into some glute work on the box. Step down. I'm gonna remove the yellow spring, so we're on blue spring. From the front of the carriage, you're gonna kneel sideways, and I'm gonna help you.

You're gonna come and step on, hold on to the corners, knee at the edge of the box, and then I'm gonna help you get into the strap. If you don't have a teacher with you guys, you hold on, be safe, put your foot in your strap, set yourself up, in your 4 kneeling, and we're gonna move into the glutes from hip flexion, into extension. If the upper body is too much for you, you can come down onto the elbows. Alright? You have options. You always have options. Okay. But I'm gonna help you. So you're gonna nail up.

Bring that leg right leg all the way to the side of the yes. Okay. So if you feel the 4 arms are gonna be better than the straight arms, then you can make that adjustment for yourself. Say, pull your sorry. You're gonna have to put your foot here and just bring your right knee a bit forward to me.

Just yeah. That's it. Okay. And what I'd like is to move from hip flexion so pull your leg forward to me, breathe in, find that hamstring, and the glute, and exhale reach your leg out up into extension. Good girl. And then lower down, inhale, inhale, inhale. And exhale. Good. We're gonna aim for 6 on each movement with the glute work and lower down.

Great stability. And for health. See the quality of movement, which is what we are after. It's not about how many we are doing. Less, there's more, guys, quality of movement, quality of movement, 3 more. Excel, exhale, and getting to the end range of that muscle activation.

Good. 2 more. XL, lift up, reach, extend, and extend, and extend. And 1 more inhale. And exhale lift up. Use that glute, lift and hold.

Stay here. Palvet glumbar stability. Keep your abdominals away from my hand, hold the leg here. We're going to abduct the leg, inhale in your own range. You can feel it, exhale draw back into adduction for 5 more. Inhale out to the side and exhale back to the center, adduct, adduct. And 3 inhale out.

And exhale back back back 2 more inhale out to the side. And exhale lift that leg a little bit higher, Sarah. Come 1 more. And inhale, lift it, lift it, little stave of our case, and pull back, reach and hold it here. Oh, I'm so inspired to just push your body a little bit further. Hold it there. Okay. See, this is not in the in the prep, but you I know you can do this.

You're gonna inhale, bend your elbows, reach your leg away, and a exhale little press up there for me. Thank you. For more inhale, and exhale. Keep reaching your leg up and away. 3 more higher. Higher, higher. Keep the leg up as the arm stretch. Thank you. 2 more.

And exhale, stretch and hold. Reach your toe all the way to the ocean. 1 more. And press and hold picture moment. Thank you. And come down.

Good stuff. Amazing. Well done, everyone. You can walk around to the other side. Oh, those glutes feeling. Alright. Remember the leg is all the way to the edge of the box, starting with your hip flexion, breathe in, and we exhale activate, reach, and lift, and hold.

Inhale down. Be aware of your own head and neck alignment, everyone, and exhale reach up and hold. Lower down, keep your hips squared, little bit down in the right side, and exhale 4 more, lift and reach hold, hold inhale down. And exhale four three. Abdominal supporting that pelvic lumbar stabilization.

And 2 more, not rushing anywhere, moving nice and slow, all the muscle fibers have an opportunity to work, 2 more exhale, and down. And the last 1, exhale, lift up, lift up, hold it a little bit higher into the abduction. Inhale, inhale. Exhale. See how she's focusing not to lean into that supporting side, 4 more, and exhale, work the adductor back, and reach out of the hip 3 more inhale. And exhale, exhale, exhale, 2 more inhale.

And exhale, and you continuously checking in with your body, head alignment, shoulder alignment, stability, lift and reach and hold for push ups. We go inhale and exhale press and hold. Keep that serratus. Keep that serratus. XL up and hold. Good say 2 more. And stretch and hold 1 more inhale, inhale, exhale up, and lower the leg down.

Beautiful work, come and step down. Great stuff. Are we gonna move the box this time into the short box setting for your lateral flexure? Oh, wait. For your front support. Yes. Okay. So we are going to step onto the carriage. Bring the toes onto the box for me.

Mhmm. Step your feet back a little bit for me. Keep your shoulders over your wrists, everyone. 4 kneeling. Breathing.

Extend the legs away and then inhale hip flexion. Good, Sarah, exhale out. Inhale to bend. For more, exhale, exhale, exhale, inhale bend. And 3. Use the glutes and hamstrings there as the legs are straight and 2 more. And then we're gonna do 1 more and we're gonna go into the single leg changes. Okay.

Reach and hold. Point your right toe off the box for me, inhale. Alternateate, pull the right knee in and change. Boom. 1. 2 we do 4. Okay? 2 more. Move this box leg.

Move the left leg in in in in and good. Good. Good. Good. 1 more on the other side, not 1 more. Inhale and change. XL inhale. 3 more. Keep the stability.

So good, Sarah, two more. And 1 more. Good job. Place the toe down, hold it here. If you need a break, have the break now. Do you need a break, sir? Yeah.

Let's have a break. Let's have a break. We know the feeling. We know the feeling. Don't worry. Have a quick little seat.

Have a break. Alright, Sarah. Quality over quantity. That's why we have breaks, guys. We'd rather have the break and then get back into the exercise and do it really well. Okay.

Let's go into your oblique. So you're gonna bring your hands back onto the football, bring your feet back onto the box, extend out into your front support position again, breathe in and 2 knees rotate through the waist, exhale, and inhale. Good. XL. And make sure it's the waist rotating. We want those obliques to work. 3 more. XL, give me a little pause, pause, pause, pause, pause, and inhale back. Yes, 2, exhale.

Rotate inhale. And the pause is the magic. The pause is the magic. Stretch and hold it. Yeah. Look at this Cape Town, Blackback Table Mountain.

Hold it. Hold it. For those of you who don't know Table Mountain is an iconic mountain that's Sarah. Has on her backyard and bend your knees and come down. Well done. All the stories. I'm sure someone's gonna know what Cape's on Table Mountain is.

Okay, Sarah, you're gonna turn to face your right side. We are going into a lateral flexion. Get your foot strap out everyone, and we are going to sit right over the edge of the box. Bring your hand onto the headrest, stabilize, find your stability there, left hand behind your head, then bring your right hand behind your head. And from here, we inhale into the lateral and exhale back up, good, formal, inhale, inhale, exhale lift up deep, deep, pull yourself towards yourself, and 3 more.

An exhale, lift up, bring this right elbow a little bit forward. 2 more inhale. An exhale, exhale 1 more inhale. An exhale lift and hold the chair, rotate to the right side, rotate, rotate, and back to the center. 3 more.

XL and inhale. And the last 1 hold the chair, make sure your back is active, everyone. Extend your arms out into a t position, twist, twist, twist, bookie. Go. Go. Go. Table top. Where's tabletop? Table mountain?

Polster arms up for 5. 4. Don't lean into my hands, Sarah. Thank you. Do your own work. Reach your arms back forward, and have that well deserved stretch. Yes. Good job.

Hold it. Yeah. Beautiful. That Barnard. Hey. Walk yourself up on the frame. Come up other side.

Alright. Hand on the headrest. Set yourself up already intentionally for the movement. Inhale. Inhale. And exhale up and hold and breathe in. Get the stretch, then the contraction, 4 more.

Inhale. And exhale. Exhale, exhale, and 3 inhale, inhale, and exhale up 2 more. Inhale, long, long, long, long, and lift 1 more. Inhale, and exhale up breathing in. Rotate 3 times. Beautiful. This side has got more range. 2.

And 1 extend those arms out twist more twist more twist more pulse up 5. 4, 3, 2, 1. Come back. Picture your moments. Right back and off. You go.

Well done. Stretch over. Enjoy this quiet moment. 1 more, walk your hands up, come back up all the way, and you can step down and out. Well done.

I'm gonna move the box back into the long box setting. We are going to do the breast stroke. We are going to finish off with a breast stroke. From here, you are still on your light spring, everyone. Bring your thumbs through the straps.

Keep the straps between the carriage and your body stepping the furthest leg out into a lunge, grab the corners of the box, slide your chest over the box at that t l junction. Great. Bringing your elbows into your sides. Your palms are facing the floor. We're going to inhale extend the arms out and away, circle the arms with the palms facing the floor, and then you exhale bend the elbows and lower the body back. And again, inhale and circle up, up, up, and exhale.

We're gonna do 1 more Sarah, and then I'm gonna assist your leg so you can get into your deeper senses. Alright? So 1 more on your own. Inhale to reach. Extend those elbows. Circle the arms, circle the arms, pinky fingers, touch the glutes and bend and exhale lower down. So I'm here. You can rely on me to resist you as you go, inhale into your extension.

Good girl, circle and lift up, lift up, lift up, beautiful say. And exhale down 2 more, everyone. Keep those abdominals engaged to keep the stability in that lower back? Or the protection should I say? Not stability. 1 more, 2 more.

Inhale up. Left the arms. Left the arms. Save your arms higher. Work your back. Work your back. And exhale down. Last 1. Inhale.

Extend and reach away. Make this your best 1. Left up. Be proud. Extend and lift your heart. Beautiful and lower down. Hold on to the corners of the box.

Slide yourself back on the same side that you came in from and let the box slowly slide back. Bring your straps back onto the home and face the box for a little stretch. Just face the box. Great. Take a step back for me, step your right leg over the box, interlace your hands, stretch your arms up towards the ceiling, and then allow your body to go into a hamstring stretch here. Go for it. Go for it. Go for it.

Inhale to lift up. And 1 more exhale. Go down. This time, you can reach for your foot. Go down all the way.

Rotate over to the right side for me, Sarah twisting and rotating. Good. And come back to the center. I have a jump forward, go into your glute stretch on the box. Lean over.

Beautiful. Give yourself a little rotation, left hand across, right arm lifts up, up and up nice. Good job. Come down and we'll repeat that on the other side. Left leg over. Hands up.

Breathing and lean up and over. Good. And inhale up. Let's see the long legs. Stanley leg has to bend a little bit, not my problem. Reach down.

Hold the hand hamstring stretch rotate to the left side. Beautiful and come back into your glute stretch, bending, and over. Right arm across, left arm up. Nice square pelvis. Great job.

And come back. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Come stand to the front of the Reforma. Well done, Sarah. Well done, everyone. We're gonna finish with your roll down.

I want you to stretch these elbows, and this is your moment to be thankful and enjoy the changes that you feel in your body or if you go. Be grateful that you have a body that can move so freely and so beautifully. And exhale to roll up curling up and celebrate the changes that you feel guys. 1 more. Inhale.

And exhale to roll forward. Curling down, enjoy the freedom in your joints, inhale, and exhale to roll back up. Tash a breath, inhale, and exhale. 1 more inhale. And Excel.

Thank you so much. Thank you, sir. You are amazing. Well done, everyone. Have a awesome day.