Floor Pilates is good if you are already in pretty good shape and works the large muscles. The Reformer is an assistance device that will support you until you begin to develop muscle tone. This helps to develop the small muscles that will support the bones and joints and tissues surrounding them. Of course, it makes it easy to “cheat” through the movements, but it is up to you how much assistance you require and if you really want to improve. I’ve been doing reformer Pilates since 2018. About 6 months after starting, I went for a hike, the first one following a hot summer, and was surprised how much my balance had improved. Navigating rocky washes and steep hillsides was suddenly a piece of cake, where previously I was relying on a walking stick.
we have had pro athletes in our studio; they’re usually in the higher level classes, while I stick to the lower levels, but when the catcher on our baseball team started being vocal about how much he relied on Pilates and how he had a studio installed in his house, we saw an uptick in those guys coming in. No famous people that I’d heard of, but a few baseball and football players.