A Pilates teacher recommends these three home moves if you can’t get to a reformer class
All you need are sliders, or even just a hardwood floor and a pair of socks, to improve your strength, control and balance at home
Reformer Pilates has taken the workout world by storm in recent years and it’s easy to understand why.
A reformer bed can help anyone build strength, along with control, coordination and balance for a complete longevity package.
But what if you can’t make it to a reformer class? Or you would rather enjoy the benefits of reformer Pilates in the comfort of your own home?
All you need, according to Summer Bradley, co-creator of new class concept Les Mills Reformer, which is launching in the U.S. and U.K., is a pair of sliders or non-grip socks.
“Les Mills Reformer is a challenging but fun workout set to the best music, with the best instructors guiding you every step of the way, and [it’s] open to anyone, whatever level they’re starting from,” says Bradley.
“But if you can’t access a reformer studio, the closest alternative is using sliders—or even socks on a hardwood floor—with mat Pilates to mimic the smooth motion of the reformer.
“You can still get an incredible workout,” she tells Fit&Well.
Here are three beginner reformer Pilates exercises Bradley says you can replicate at home with sliders.
Pilates slider exercises
If you don’t have access to sliders, disc-shaped Pilates accessories you can use to slide your hands and feet across the floor, you can use non-grip socks on a hardwood floor.
Scooter
Targets: glutes and quads
Time: 60sec each side
- Stand with your feet together and your left foot on a slider.
- Hinge your torso forward from your hips, bend your knees and shift your weight into your right foot.
- Extend your left leg behind you, sliding your left foot back.
- Bend your left knee and slide your left foot back to in line with your right foot.
- Continue for 60 seconds on one side, then switch sides.
Bradley says: “You can also try this as a side lunge or with one foot elevated on an office chair, sliding out and in. Most of your weight is on your supporting leg. I like to do it in a little forward hinge to target the supporting glute more.”
Hip bridge with hamstring extension
Targets: hamstrings, glutes and lower back
Time: 60sec
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels pressing into sliders.
- Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees, and squeeze your glutes.
- Slowly slide one foot forward and back, then repeat on the other side.
- Alternate for 60 seconds ,or focus on one side for 30 seconds then switch.
Bradley says: “You can progress to dig your heels into the floor and slide both feet out together. You should notice this in your hamstrings as you pull your feet toward you. That mimics your feet on the foot bar, lying on the back, pushing the carriage out and in.”
Slider plank
Targets: core and upper body
Time: 60sec
- Get on your hands and toes (or knees for an easier version), with your hands on sliders directly underneath your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Slide one hand forward and back, then repeat on the other side.
Bradley says: “This one is mostly about core stability and working the upper body. It’s all about creating a bit of asymmetry that your body has to counteract. You can make it even more challenging by lifting the opposite leg at the same time.”
Les Mills Reformer is rolling out in clubs across the US and UK, making the format accessible to a wider audience. Find your closest class.
Summer Bradley is creative lead for Les Mills Pilates, Les Mills Reformer and Les Mills Dance, having first worked with the company in 2017 and co-created its new reformer class concept. Growing up in Auckland, New Zealand, with a background in ballet, she completed a Certificate in Dance with Village Nation Performing Arts in Sydney, Australia, in 2020 and is currently undergoing reformer teacher training with Polestar Pilates.
