FITNESS
areas that many workouts miss. From athletes looking to improve performance to older adults wanting better balance and mobility, and people who can lift seriously heavy weights but struggle to control a basic movement, it exposes the gaps. And then it helps to close them.
MYTH 4 THE MACHINE IS SCARY Truth: It’ s designed to support your body.
The Reformer might look complicated, but it’ s built to help, not harm. The springs can take some of the load off your body, helping you train without placing excessive pressure on your joints.
“ It’ s a judgement-free zone,” Anderson explains.“ We break everything down: how to set up the machine, where to place your hands and feet, and how to move effectively. It’ s like learning to drive. It feels impossible until you figure out what each part does. Then it just clicks.”
MYTH 5 YOU NEED TO BE FIT OR FLEXIBLE TO START Truth: Beginners often see the biggest gains.
You don’ t need strength, flexibility, or prior experience to get started. The adjustable springs allow you to modify movements to your level, making it an accessible strength workout for many people. This supportive setup is also why Reformer Pilates is often used as part of general injury prevention and rehabilitation programmes.
MYTH 6 IT WON’ T HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS Truth: It can play a supporting role in fat loss.
Reformer Pilates might not torch calories like high-intensity interval training does, but it can help build lean muscle, and muscle is metabolically active. The more lean muscle you build, the more energy your body uses at rest.
MYTH 7 THE RESULTS ARE SUBTLE Truth: The transformation can be surprising.
Perhaps the most telling results are the ones you don’ t expect. Anderson says she has worked with clients who had chronic back pain and struggled to bend properly. A few weeks later, they were moving more freely again.
“ Some strong people can’ t balance on one leg, which is important for simple things like putting on your pants later in life. Others can’ t move their shoulders through a full range of motion, which is crucial for golfers and padel players. But then suddenly, after a few sessions of Pilates, they can. That’ s the shift.”
It all circles back to the core. Not just as a set of muscles, but as the foundation for how you move through the world.
“ Once your core is doing its job properly, everything else starts to fall into place,” Anderson says.“ That’ s when the training changes. It’ s not just about what you can lift, but also how well you can move.” IB
64 INBOUND SA / JUNE 2026