Is Reformer Pilates really worth it? Experts reveal if paying double for a machine class will make you more toned – and warns of the serious risks

Pilates is no longer a simple mat-based exercise class. Now, the popular activity involves a wooden contraption that looks like something from a 1950s hospital.

Reformer pilates – exercises performed on a special sliding bed – is booming in popularity, with the amount of UK studios rising ten-fold since 2024.

The straps, pulleys and springs attached to the bed are said to add extra resistance to the exercises, making them more challenging and boosting muscle growth and tone.

But reformer pilates is not newfangled. In fact, the workout was originally designed using a simplified version of the beds seen in trendy studios up and down the country. 

Joseph Pilates’ – the founding father of the exercise – added springs to hospital beds during World War 1 to help rehabilitate patients using resistence exercises. 

But today, the price of a reformer pilates class is eye-wateringly high – up to £80 in some parts of London – compared to around £15 for a bog-standard mat class.

Worse still, reports of serious injuries related to the machines have led experts to describe pilates classes as the ‘wild west’, with unqualified instructors causing ‘traumatic injuries’.

Here, experts reveal whether it’s worth investing in, and highlight the potentially disabling risks. 

What is reformer pilates? 

Reformer pilates is a low-impact, full-body workout performed on a bed using a sliding carriage, springs, straps and a foot bar to provide controlled resistance.

Fans say it strengthens and targets muscles in ways that mat pilates cannot, as it involves pushing and pulling a heavier weight than simply your own body.

Rhian Cowburn, pilates instructor and co-owner of London studio Strong and Bendy, says the appeal lies in the versatility of the machine.

‘A beneficial class – mat or otherwise – will challenge all the major muscle groups. 

‘But by adding in extra resistance with the reformer you can create pulling movements that you don’t get with mat pilates.

‘It broadens the range of exercises you can do, recruiting a wider selection of muscle groups.’

She adds that pushing movements strengthen the shoulders and chest, while pulling activates the major back muscles responsible for posture and upper‑body strength that many people struggle to build.    

‘For instance, pulling the straps on a reformer will strengthen the muscles required to do a pull up, which is an exercise most people can’t do. Regular mat pilates might get you there, but it would take far longer.’

Will a reformer make me more toned than a mat class?

The biggest difference between mat and reformer pilates is the external resistance. 

The springs on the machine, which are attached to the straps and pulleys, increase the load on the core and glute muscles and ensure they are consistently engaged during a particular exercise. 

This is far harder to achieve on the floor, where participants have to consciously squeeze parts of their body to ensure muscle gains. 

Cowburn says this is why many feel they progress more quickly on a reformer, finding they need fewer sessions to see changes in strength and control. 

The springs also allow movements to be performed through a greater range of motion, which can improve flexibility and joint stability, while still providing support.

While reformer pilates won’t completely transform your physique – Cowburn says genetics is the main driver of a person’s body shape – it can visibly tone muscle in multiple areas. 

‘It’s far easier to achieve this with added resistance,’ Cowburn explains. 

Another benefit that’s often overlooked is the reformer’s use for overcoming injuries. 

‘The springs reduce pressure on the joints, so you can build strength without aggravating pain,’ she says. 

The controlled resistance can also make movements like squats or lunges more accessible for those with arthritis or mobility issues, while still challenging the muscles that support the joints.

Cowburn adds that reformer allows for standing exercises, which can be useful for older adults who struggle to get on and off the floor. 

‘Most of the people who come to my classes are aged between 25 and 45, but the benefits extend far beyond the 50s,’ she says. 

But beware of the potentially lethal risks… 

Experts have recently warned of the risks of the ‘potentially dangerous’ exercise, following a spate of serious injuries related to the classes. 

The Managing Director of training body Health and Fitness Education referred to the reformer as a ‘human catapult’, adding that many instructors have ‘no supervised training’. 

There have been several victims. In 2019, Maya Meron, an acclaimed violinist, sued a London pilates studio after she broke her left elbow and injured her adbomen when a a reformer machine collapsed on her.

And last year, Kirsty Morgan, a 30-year-old pilates teacher from Essex required four layers of stitches and a tetanus shot after a metal frame came apart from a reformer and fell on her head.

Morgan narrowly escaped a far worse fate; she was told that if the 20kg structure had fallen on her temple she could have died. 

However Cowburn says reputable studios, which ask instructors to hold recognised certification, such as a Level three pilates qualification, are low risk. 

The most common mistakes are those made by pilates-goers who adjust their own springs.

‘In classes the involve lifting weights, the heavier the weight the harder the exercise becomes – but this isn’t necessarily true of reformer,’ says Cowburn.

‘So there’s danger when people change springs with the hope of “increasing” their challenge, without understanding what they’re actually doing.’ 

Pregnancy also requires caution, as some movements are harder to modify on a reformer than on a mat. Still, Cowburn stresses that serious injuries are rare. 

‘The risk of being injured is really low if you’re listening to what the teacher is telling you.’