Play Reformer

All right, friends. It's Erika Quest and it's time to play. In this session we're set up on our reformer that's kind of similar to Sync, if you've taken that session. I'll talk you through that in a moment, but you're gonna notice that I've got something pretty fun in my hand. This is a small stability ball.

Now, my small stability ball is about 8 to 10 inches, and it's inflated so I've got some really good, firm feedback behind me. Find whatever you have at home or find whatever you have in your studio, but make sure that you have like some good feedback as we're starting to use this tool along this session. You'll notice that I have my foot bar down. And in this session, since this is all about playfulness, you're gonna get a whole body session for sure. I wanna try and minimize as many spring changes as possible.

So we're gonna stay on light or very light for the majority of this session. And in this entire series of Flow, it's all about making things simple, easy, effective, and flowing through all of the exercises. You will not need your small stability ball for the warmup, and we're gonna warm up actually inside the rail. So the best thing to do is to get yourself set up with your long box on the side of your reformer in line with the wooden edge of your reformer, and place the small ball in your shoulder rest. We'll grab that in just a moment.

And also, remember, we may not be on the same reformer, so I'll try my best to help you make some adjustments and/or think about that now and as we move through the session, if you're on a reformer that may be on the floor and those types of things. So let's go. Let's step inside of our rails safely. Make sure that your loops are still on your pegs because you will need those after the warmup when we move to the other side of the reformer. Place your hands down on your shoulder rest.

Cat Cow

Exhale, I want you to drop the tail, round the spine, mobilize it if you will, and let the carriage draw towards your knees. Okay, so your range of motion is your range of motion here. It may be bigger or smaller than mine. I'm not sure. But I want you to just pull that carriage in because you're rounding and hollowing the spine out, starting to activate a little bit of the backs of the arms here as well.

And as you come back to the stopper with the carriage, you go back to that forward fold or that hinged position if you will, if that makes sense. Inhale feels good to kind of, for me, shine my tail feathers up. Exhale, feels good as I round, but just make sure that you're breathing. I'm not gonna always coach your breath on every exercise, so just make sure that you're taking nice, deep drinks of air in, and exhaling out. Good, give me two more of these and then we're gonna pivot our feet.

Inhale, exhaling as you round. And now, I've got my box over to the side of my reformer, so you can't really or maybe you can't see my feet that well. So I want you to know that I'll get you through this. All I want you to do is pivot both sets of toes in one direction. So I've pivoted my toes towards you, and I'm gonna carry on with that mobilization as I pull.

Pivot Feet

So today is a different day. Every minute to minute moment to moment is different. So don't judge your body as you go through this session with me. Now, pause for a moment. Take your front arm, the arm that's closest to your box, bring it up and back behind your head, take your forward leg and reach it out to the side.

Oblique Variation

And that arm is doing a single arm pull now as well. And exhale. You got it, team. You got one more. We'll do five from side to side, and then we'll pivot over to the other side.

But before we pivot, let's hold for a moment and place both hands back down onto those shoulder rest, both feet back onto the floor, make the number 11, toes forward, heels back. Give me two with the feet forward and the heels back or the toes forward and the heels back, just to reorganize a bit, and then pivot your toes the other direction. So I'm just gonna do that slight little pivot. I walked back just a tiny bit to make that micro adjustment on the floor. So please feel free to do that.

Cat Cow

Pivot Feet

Oblique Variation

So let's get to five here. Ooh, I got a shaky standing leg on this side. It's working hard to find its balance and its stability. Good. Two more times.

Exhaling as you rotate. Inhaling as you unfold that line. Last one here. Exhaling as you rotate. Inhale, come all the way out.

Fine that line. Give yourself a moment. Place both hands back down onto the shoulder rest. Just one for reorganization here. This time, toes forward, heels back.

Leg Press

So I want you to place this ball near your low back. Now, here's the deal, team. We all have different lengths in our bodies, in our spine. So depending on how tall you are, you may wanna go up a little higher, but you need to make sure you have some room behind you on that box. Once you've found your spot, you're going to then take the peg or the loop off of the peg that's closest to you and loop up your foot.

You saw some of these similar shapes in the Sync session if you've taken that session. And we're gonna do them here with a different feedback tool behind our back, and it's gonna feel so different. So I'd like you to keep your core stable as you start to press out and in with that leg. Okay? And maybe you wanna reach that other arm forward.

And if you're feeling really good about yourself, you let go of those rails. The rails are here for your support if you need them, and you reach the other arm forward. So you're just starting to feel your stability core in action. Imagining that this is like a hard boiled egg behind you. Give me two more, and then we're gonna start a little bit of that lift and lower of the leg.

So hold the leg long. And from here, you're just gonna let that leg come up and down. So your range of motion might change here, and that's totally fine. It's all dependent on what your hamstring can give you and what your flexibility level is, so don't judge it. Just know that it's gonna be different.

Leg Lift

Chest Lift w/ Single Leg Lift

We're getting some spine mobility. We're challenging ourselves with that ball. Whoo! Starting to heat up here for sure. Last one here, inhale, and exhale as you lift. Now, can we add some rotation?

Release that arm from the back of the head if that feels okay to you. And from here, I want you to unfold that line. So the leg is gonna lower, the arm is gonna reach back. And as the arm comes up and the leg lifts, I want you to rotate and reach towards that ankle. Inhale, unfold the line, feel that nice sense of opposition.

Chest Lift w/ Rotation

Inhale, exhale, lift and rotate. Really starting to feel that sling system, and that inner thigh fire up on this side. Fantastic job. From here, we are gonna flow you through over to the other side. So bring yourself up off of the box.

Bicep Curl to Punch

Bring your knees up onto the box and just start to find this side body position. Push into the box so that you feel that side body really nice and strong, and let's test the waters here. We did this in sync, but it felt very different because you did not have a ball underneath your waist and you were also using the box in a totally different position. So this is your bicep curl to your punch. Yes, I love it.

And then why not? Let's add that leg extension. So we got about four to five of those out those. Let's carry on with about four to five with the leg extension. Woo.

Bicep Curl w/Leg Extension

Arm Sweep

And one. From here, now the knee is gonna bend and the arm's gonna go back. You reach to me. Are you with me? Yeah, you are as you reach.

Oppositional Arm and Leg

Four. Awesome. And last three. I'm gonna get you around to the other side, but it's gonna take me a little bit, so I'm gonna flow you through in a facing the risers position after this last one. As you reach, hold it.

Beautiful job. From here, just turn right on over. Face your risers and place that ball again close to your low back position. You're gonna wanna pick up both loops with your hands. Just making sure my small stability ball doesn't roll away.

Overhead Reach

You let the spine go back. you make a nice, big circle and come all the way around. If you wanted more tension without changing the spring, what could you do? You could just choke up a little bit higher towards the ropes. Maybe you have a D-ring on the top of your loops and you would grab that or hook your thumb into that.

Totally up to you. Nice, big bold shoulder mobility here, spine mobility. Definitely work through the mobility core. Good, let's lift one leg. So we're gonna start to change your contact points and challenge things by lifting one leg and reaching it out and pulling it in as you return.

Overhead Reach w/Leg Lift

And you've got one more. That might've been a bonus repetition. I'm kinda known for those. I oftentimes feel like I don't go short, I go long. So let's switch to that other side.

We'll go for about four to five here as well. So reach that leg long, circle around, pull it back in. And last three. And then you kinda have the roadmap of where we're headed 'cause we're gonna turn right on over to the side body and do that other side before we bring the box back down to the floor. Good, that's number four.

Now, do you think we could maybe do a couple with the double leg lift? I don't know. Let's try it. Shall we? If you're willing and you want to, you're gonna come with me. So we're gonna take the arms overhead.

Overhead Reach w/Double Leg Lift

We'll do four of these as well. Overhead reach, circle, and lift. Last one. Feels so different and definitely challenging using that ball behind our back. Fantastic job.

So you guys know where you're headed. I'm gonna turn and face away from you now, and that ball is going back into the side of my waist. So as I turn, I'm gonna place that ball into the side of my waist. My forearm comes back down onto the edge of my box. My knees are tucked up towards me.

Bicep Curl to Punch

Bicep Curl w/Leg Extension

Arm Sweep

Oppositional Arm and Leg

Last two here. Boom. And you've got one more, please, and reach. Fantastic job. So that gets us through our side.

It's time to now move that box over onto the other side of your reformer. So I'm just gonna simply take my box off the carriage, align it yet again with the edge of the reformer, and have a seat. Think about where you placed your ball last time and try and go about in that same position. Now, as you hear me talk all the time in my classes, micro adjustments are fine. No two bodies are the same.

Leg Press

Hand can go on the rail and just start that leg press just to see where you're at. Yep. And if you're feeling good, maybe you reach that other arm up. Watch the rope though, make sure that it's out of your way, and then hold that leg out, and take that lift and lower on this side. Now, think about the angle of the rope.

Leg Lift

And from here, let's go ahead and start a little bit of mobility. From here, that leg is gonna lower, the arm's gonna lift, and exhale. You come straight in. And you can also always put that outside arm behind the head if your neck needs a little bit of help or a bit of comfort as well. Last two.

Chest Lift w/ Single Leg Lift

Chest Lift w/ Rotation

And reach. And last one here. Inhale, and exhale, lift, and reach. You did fantastic. Safely take your foot out of that loop.

Bicep Curl to Punch

And the best way to do this is actually to grab the loop that's closest to you and bring the edge of the box to your hand. You can now safely get onto your long box, and I love a supported back extension and place the ball right around your chest area. Again, this is gonna be contingent upon how this makes you feel. For me, I struggle with getting into my back extensor, so this really helps me find them. My other arm is just gonna hold onto the front of the box.

I've got my legs out nice and long. If you wanted to cross yours over, you could. You could also bring your legs right up next to one another. For here, for me, I'm gonna stay about hip distance apart, and I'm gonna take an overhead reach, and come back down. So I narrowed my legs a little bit so that they can fit right through the risers.

So don't go too wide here, team. And exhaling as you reach. So we've seen this kind of bicep curl to a punch in a variety of different ways. Let's hold it and let's add in a nice arm sweep. So you're gonna come out, maybe look to that arm, feel what's happening on the side body, and then take it all the way out and forward and back down.

Arm Sweep

So from here, what we're gonna do is safely, Erika, get off the box. Grab onto the box like you were, and let the carriage come down to the stopper, and we'll remove that box off of the reformer. Just put it on the floor. You'll need it again in a moment. So you can lift your headrest up now if you'd like to.

Bend and Stretch

Give yourself a moment to notice how you feel in this position because, primarily, we've been in other body positions where you don't have the feedback on your back. Take one foot, put it on your foot bar or your platform. I don't have the foot bar up, but I think we can still manage to this. And place one foot in your loop. As you press into that foot, you're gonna place the ball in and or around your calf area, and you're gonna come into a nice bent knee position.

So you've got one rope and a small stability ball to create some variation in your body. So from here, just start to press out and in. Yes. I'm gonna leave my legs parallel for now. That rope is not bothering me.

If you feel like you wanted to externally rotate, you absolutely could. If you wanted to bring the knee on the outside of the rope, totally fine. You're just training a different angle of the hip there, but I want you to really tap into the inner thigh line here. Last one, and then go ahead and leave that ball in between the legs and lift the legs up. I'm just moving my ball, minor adjustment, micro adjustment, as I lift and lower, It's all right.

Lift and Lower

Single Leg Stretch

You could also lift an arm up off the carriage to challenge yourself. Just have a little bit of fun with it. It's all about play here, and seeing how we can create that moving environment where our nervous system and our righting response system have to respond, firing up different elements and different areas of the body. Believe it or not, you're training balance right now as well. Last one here.

Great job. From here, you wanna bring that loaded leg up, remove the ball, come back down, and unload that foot. I'm gonna find my foot bar, I'm gonna find my peg, and it's time for the other side before we go back to that prone position. So again, take a moment, press off of that foot bar or your platform, Load up that foot, feel good about it, and then push out. I'm loading that ball back into my calf-ish area.

Bend and Stretch

Last two, and then we're gonna go straight into that lift and lower. And one. Good, from here, I'm gonna lift my legs up. I did it on the other side, so I'm gonna do it right here as well. I'm making my micro adjustment as I lift up and I lower.

Lift and Lower

It's about illuminating those different feelings and sensations in your body. Last one here. I'm making you feel good of course as well. Great, from here, you're gonna bend those knees. Remember we're gonna go ball underneath the pelvis now, so you're gonna simply kinda come up into that roll, slight roll up position, but we're not going up onto our shoulders, and you're gonna keep that unloaded leg bent, and then you're gonna bend the loaded leg and straighten the unloaded.

Single Leg Stretch

You could go into some scissors. You could take one arm up. And last one here, fantastic. Do yourself a favor. Take that ball out safely.

Bicep Curl to Punch

We'll do your prone position with the ball, and then we are headed into, ta-dah, ta-dah, ta-dah, your cool down. So nice, quick, fun, playful session. Oftentimes we can't fit in an hour of a workout. Oh, let me... Hold the phone, please.

Let's do this. So I'm gonna take my loop that's closest to you. I'm bringing it over to the edge of the box 'cause that will allow me to grab the box and be careful about getting in. And as a reminder, make sure that your legs are narrow-ish, so that they clear the risers, and we're coming up. I'm holding onto the front of my box with my other arm, and I'm gonna take again that bicep curl to the punch.

Boom. And then I'm gonna come back down. So let's get a few of these done like we did on the other side, really focusing on that back body, that upper middle back. We can get fancy and call it the longitudinal system, whatever you wanna talk about it. But more than anything, it's that postural area of the body that we're really working on right here.

You're gonna take that arm up and over, and you're gonna hold it on this one. Boom, boom, boom. Take that sweep. Hello. I see you. You see me?

Arm Sweep

Yeah, we do. And reach it. Come wide and down. I hope that you've really enjoyed using a little bit of the ball in this session. I find it to be such a great small tool to add to any Pilates inspired reformer session or session just in general to really change things up, maybe assist things a bit, but also challenge things.

Last one here. Sweep that arm wide. Look towards those fingers. Come all the way around, and bend, and come down. Now take the ball out of the equation.

Keep it close to one of your hands. You can stay on a very light spring. Let's put that loop back on the peg and step to the end of your foot bar. So if this setup doesn't work for you, you could always just take the box off the reformer, but I'm gonna keep one leg on the floor and I'm gonna take my box side leg and I'm gonna bring it right up about the center of the box. So start here and just see how this feels.

Side Lunge Press

Lateral Flexion

Rotation

And open face me. Fantastic, let's get the other side done. So bring that box in, dismount, and turn right on around. Try and set yourself up as similar as you can to the other side. I'm switching that ball just to my outside arm to be consistent, and I'm just gonna simply start to press that box out and in.

Side Lunge Press

And as you side bend, the box comes towards you, uh-huh, and then open it back up. Think up and over as you pull the box towards you and you side bend. Gosh, what a beautiful day. Look at what's happening out in front of you. Be present in what's happening in your movement as well.

Lateral Flexion

Rotation

Think about your tripods of support with your big toes, your little toes, your heels. I hope you really enjoyed the playfulness of this session, and that movement can and should be playful even when you're getting a great workout, and noticing how this really changes up a lot of similar Pilates-inspired exercises that we do and work out with on a regular basis, and can make it more fun, more challenging, and more playful. Let's play.