Dynamic Reformer Flow

Hi. I'm Sarah Kahoon, and I am so excited to be back at Pilates anytime. Today, filming my dynamic reformer class. I've got the lovely Tania here with me all the way from Australia to do my class with me. We're gonna keep this class flowing as much as we can so we're gonna move quite quickly through the transitions, but we're really using the exercises today to really layer on so that we progress from the start of the class to a really nice challenging finish with some great standing upright work. I've got my reformer set up all ready to go. So we've got the long box on here already. I've got the footbar down flat and one red spring on.

Roll Down

And we're going to inhale and take the arms up to the sky as you really press down through the feet. On the breath out, start to roll down through the spine, the knees are soft. Take a breath in at the bottom. And then on the exhale, start to roll it back up from that tailbone, stack the spine up tall, reach the arms to the sky, let the right arm go down by your waist, an in house side stretch to the side, x, how pull back up to center. Left arm goes down by your side, side stretch to the left, exh, how pull back up to center, little back extension back, look to the sky, exhale center. We're gonna repeat all that again.

Roll it down, joint by joint through the spine, knees are soft. Take a big breath in at the bottom. Exhale tuck the tailbone under, roll it back up to stand. Reach the arms up to the sky. And let the right arm go down, inhale side stretch over. Exhale back up to center.

Inhale side stretch to the left, exhale up to center, and take a little back extension, really open the heart and chest. Press through the feet back to center. Now we're going to roll down through the spine all the way down until you can grab a hold of your straps. So once you've got a hold of them, take your hands through the loops and slowly roll it back up to stand And as you do, just let that tension go just nice and tight onto the straps there. We breathe out and press the arms straight back inhale to return.

Chest Expansion

Last one and then return the reformer to rest, grab ahold of your straps and reach down and hold onto the ropes and just be careful as you pull up onto the ropes because the reformer bed is going to move. It's a little bit tighter on that tension now. We're gonna exhale and pull the arms straight back for one more lap pull. We take the arms forward We start to bend the knees, stick the buttocks out. The tension is just tight on the straps till you sit to the box, tuck the tailbone under, roll it all the way back and open the chest, tuck the head in, roll it through the spine, till that reformer bed park, and then press through the legs come up to stand, carefully press back into your lat pull back.

Chest Expansion w/Squat Variation

Keep those arms up in line with the shoulders. On the exhale, we're going to bend the elbows and draw them out to the side, inhale, return the arms straight back out in front. Exhale, pull out. Breathe into return. So with this one, we really want to engage the back of the shoulders to start that pull on the straps and try and feel as though your hands are in line with those elbows as you pull back.

Rows

Bicep Curl w/A Round Back

Three more. And two, last one, checking with those shoulders, draw them back as we round the spine and come forward, stack up tall, those arms should still be up in line with the shoulders. Now we roll it back. Palms are still up to the sky. We take a little oblique version, so a little twist to the side and you've got five bicep curls there. One, exhale, two. So this gets a little challenging on the shoulders to keep that stability.

Bicep Curl w/Oblique Twist

Single Leg Stretch

Chest comes up for one each side. Chest goes back for one each side and up. So it's a little bit quicker and up. Back and exhale up. Last time, really push out with those legs and lift, squeeze both legs into the table top, little v with those legs and flex the feet. Exhale push the legs out and point the feet flex feet bending, exhale push and point, flex feet bending.

Double Leg Stretch

We're gonna take it into the crisscross. So we exhale twist towards the left knee. And then change. This one we're really gonna try and squeeze all that breath out of the ribs and the lungs. Like you were ringing water out of a sponge.

Criss Cross

Teaser

So we circle, reach up to the toes. We circle, we come around into the teaser. Tanya's probably wondering why she came with me on this trip right about now. Reach for each. Roll at all the way back down.

Bring those legs with you. This is the last time through. Circle. And it doesn't matter if you don't get up into the teaser. Yep. So just keep working with where your bodies at.

And if that's just reaching to the toes today, that's absolutely fine. Reach towards those feet. Roll it back down through the spine, bring the legs with you for our last one, hands behind the head, take the left leg down, right leg stays to the sky. We're gonna sizzle change. Six, five.

Single Leg Pull

Scissor w/Oblique Twist

We're gonna lower the feet down onto your head rest If you can reach those arms forward, roll up to sitting or grab a hold of the back of your thighs if you need to stack the spine up tall. Good work. Alright. From there, we're gonna spin around. We're jumping onto your tummy so we need the foot bar up for this one. Tanya, just gonna straddle the box, and we're gonna bring that foot back in.

Roll Up

Cobra

Now we're going to stay out in this position and do some nice little jumps off the hands. So the chest is in a really baby extension From there, we're going to bend the elbows, exhale push out off the hands jump and land. So I'm looking at that footbar so that I know that I'm gonna land on the footbar each time. Squeeze through the back of the legs. And we're gonna try and get a little quicker with that jump, land and jump straight away.

Prone Arm Jumps

Hold the body out there. Five more. Ambry, three. Two. Last one.

And then rest. Good work from there. Use your hands onto the box. Tuck the legs up into your rest position. So we'll scoop it in and just give yourself a moment breather. So we're just going to breathe here for two deep breaths.

Child's Pose

Spinal Twist

We're going to do two more each side. Really think about those inner thighs engaging and a wrap through the back of the hips. To support the legs, last one each side inhale over to the left, try and drop back with your abdominals. Last one, exhale back to center, slowly lower the legs down to the bar and place the feet onto your heels and the legs are parallel. We're going to press those arms down by your side, really engage through the back of the shoulders.

Bridge

Heels

Heels w/Pulses

Bridge

Last one, roll it all the way down and stay, and now we go into our 10 presses from here. We're going to inhale push, x, how pull in. So we've just flipped the breath pattern a little. Just trying to confuse you. That's all. No, I really want you to see how that breath pattern affects the exercise.

Arches

Arches w/Pulses

Bridging w/Foot Variation

Toes

From there we're going to use the breath out again to pull the reformer all the way in inhale to press out. Try and keep the heels in the lower position now and again feel how that changes the exercise. You've got to work for a little more control to pull the reformer bed in and then the length really has to come up from the hips, the torso, and the spine. Three more. Just check-in with those shoulders and the arms that you're feeling them press back into the mat.

Last one, we're gonna press the legs out one more time and stay out for a little calf series. On the inhale, both heels go under, exhale rise up onto toes. Six times. So we are going for that full range so the heels get all the way under, zip all the way up. Last two.

Calf Stretch

And two. Three. Exhow four. Last two. You can do it five and six hold, bend the legs come all the way in and give those feet a shake out if you need. Okay. From there, we're gonna go back onto the heels.

We are going to try and stay on this spring for the single leg work, but if you need to go lie to sit up and take off a spring, right leg comes up to the tabletop. On the exhale, we pelvic curl up, and inhale, we roll it back down. Bry that. We roll it up and roll it down. Push through the back of the leg. We've got two more Last one, we're gonna stay at the top.

Single Leg Bridge

Single Leg Bridge w/Variation

Single Leg Combo

So again, these ones you can take your time through the spine, really focus on that articulation. And focus on that power coming from the back of that leg. Keep the heat through the back of that right leg as you lower. Last one, stay up at the top, extend that left leg to the sky. It goes down over the footbar, flex the foot kick it to you.

It doesn't matter how big that leg kick is, work for that stability in the hips first, then the flexibility can come through that working leg. Last one, And then bend that leg to the tabletop, roll it back down, joint by joint through the spine. Take that leg under the footbar when you get there. Breathe that push the right leg to straighten, bend left leg to tabletop, inhale under. Nice fluid pace, exhale to press, check-in with the back of that leg that you feel that heat as you push and pull, last one and stay, come in halfway and finish it off as your last set of pulses. Two, three, and four.

Look for that clean fold in this hip. Eight, nine, 10, push out to straighten and slowly come all the way in. Okay. Come onto the toes parallel. We're gonna finish up our footwork with the single toes. Right leg goes under the footbar to start, we breathe out, devlopay the right leg to the sky, inhale back under, exhale inhale under. We need you eight of these.

Single Leg w/Developpe Combo

Just thought I'd throw in some sneaky single leg calf raises. Good. We all need them for that ankle strength, a calf strength, all the way through to that hip. I'm gonna try and get through 10. It can get quite fatiguing once you get to that five or six. So if you fatigue before the ten, then just rest and get ready to start the other side. Last two, Tanya.

And all the way in, place that right leg on. Left leg goes under the bar and we develope. Breathe that extend inhale down. Really think of all five toes on that right foot pressing into the footpath lengthening through the waist, last two Last one, and we stay, bend that top leg, and we lower that right heel all the way under, all the way up. And two, just check-in with that knee, but it's not in a locked back position.

Try and feel the pull up through the muscles around the knee. Use that breath out to help support that rise up. Last three. Two. Last one. And bend the leg and come all the way in. We made it through. Alright.

From there, we're going to come up to sitting. So bring yourself up and we're going to do a spring change. So by taking it down to the lightest spring we've got on the reformer, which for us, that's a yellow spring. If you don't have a yellow spring, you can always use the blue spring and just take your gear back a setting, which will make the reform a bed feel lighter as well. So we're gonna spin around. I accidentally left my red spring on.

Plank w/Ab Series

I walk my hands out a little bit further than what's comfortable. Pull the reformer bed just off the stopper so that I'm feeling that tension of the reformer bed. On the exhale round the spine and bend the knees, inhale, take it back out to the straighten. Exhale round and bend inhale, back out to straighten. One more, back out and hold.

Do a little swivel of your feet and your hips to the right so your left hip is slightly dropped down. Exhale, pull in round the spine, inhale, back out length and plank. Two, we're really looking for that control in both directions. Hold, swivel the feet to the other side. Exhale pull it in one.

Inhale lengthen. Exhale two. Inhale lengthen. Last one. Back to center.

Stay let your a former bed park from there, walk the hands in. Pike the hips up to the sky, and this is your breather. So enjoy it. Breathe into the back of the body and we're going to inhale rise up onto toes. Exhale lower the heels down.

Big breath in. And let all that air go exhale. Last one, big breath in. Let all the air go exhale and get ready to come back out again. So we walked our hands out.

Good get your plank position first, now go out a little bit further than what's comfortable. Pull the reformer bed off the stopper. Hall. Now we go for straight legs so we park it up, exhale. Inhale lengthen out to that plank, exhale, hike it up to inhale lengthen.

Remember the return journey is just as important as getting into the exercise. We've got two more to go, Tanya, exhale, lift it up. Inhale. Last one, and hold your plank. Let your a former bed park.

And then from there, walk the hands in, Take it back up into your plank position. This time, let's open the left leg up to the sky. Take a big stretch with that left leg up. Just breathe. Let the breath just slow down.

And then slowly lower the leg down. Take the right leg up to the sky, let the hip open up and just breathe. Let all of that old air just get flushed out of the body. Last one, and then slowly lower that leg down, pass through a little rest position. So let the spine just round, let the arms hang And again, just breathe.

So taking one more deep breath in and deep breath out. Slowly roll it up through the spine. Then we're going to spin around and do another spring change. So we're going to two red springs now in the reformer and take off that yellow spring. We're going to have the hands onto the footbar tuck the toes under and slide the feet back up against the shoulder rest for our high bar cobra.

High Bar w/Cobra

We bring it forward. Open those hips, press right back. Scoop and round. Bring it forward. Open the hips and the chest.

Big exhale. Three more. Just check-in with those heels, see if you can press the heels into the shoulder rest. Last two, and round. Last one, open up that chest and scoop and round stay.

We're going to push the knees back until the torso is horizontal with the reformer bed And I want the knees directly underneath the hips, so we're at that right angle. On the inhale, we bend the elbows into a tricep press, exhale push out. Inhale bent. Exhale press up. So we're thinking of those elbows coming in towards the ribs.

Kneeling Tricep Press

So be kind to your body. Last one, press it out, and then scoop around the spine all the way in. Take a little breather. Good work. Okay. Our foot bar goes down flat next. So we're popping that all the way down. I'm going down to one red spring, and we're going into a little side support series.

Side Support Series

So as I'm bending in, my back heel is lifting up, and then as I press out, the heel is pushing into the reformer bed. We need to two more, and then I'm just warning you we're staying out there. Last one. Stay out. Take this hand behind the head.

Now we twist through and we pike the hips. Exhale. Come back around, open. Twist and pike, back around open. Use that breath out.

Squeezing all that air out of the body. Three more. Press into the feet. It's okay. Last one, and slipping is normal. Good. From there, we're gonna command our roll to the other side. So Tann will come back and join us when she's ready, and we're gonna take that top hand.

Down onto the reformer, commander roll, land on the other side, and top leg is forward. Top hand is to the sky. We inhale bend, exhale push out. Inhale to bend, exhale pusher. And hopefully you can see from this angle that I'm really working the shoulder stability on my underneath arm.

We've got two more to go, Tan. Last one, we stay out there, take this top hand behind the head we twist, exhale, inhale open. Really think of that movement driving from your center first. Last three, and then we're gonna do another little transition. Last one, and we're gonna come back into a commander role.

But this time, take the hands against the shoulder rest. Press it out so we're in a plank position. Now if you need a breather, take it and join us when you can. Breathe out, push the arms out. In how they come back under.

Forearm Plank w/Pike

Tuck the head in, take it out, find your plank, push out with the arms. We've got three more to go, pack it up, and all the way out, and press two more. See if you can get that reformer bed in, and then out lengthen. Last one, you can do it, pike it up, and press it out. Push, park your reformer bed all the way in, slowly lower your knees down. And breathe as you come up.

Well done. Alright. We're gonna slow the pace down a little and take our legs into straps. You'll be happy with that, I'm sure. So we're gonna jump down onto your back. We're gonna take it to one red and a blue spring and bring the foot bar up.

Leg Circles

Breathe then bring it up. Exhow circle the legs out and around. So I think it's really nice in the dynamic classes to have moments that are really challenging but then moments where you also get to slow it down and just work on range of movement through the body, and just work on bringing the breath back to a normal pace. So that we can go back into those challenging exercises. Last one, and then we're going to reverse it.

X how to press down. Breathe in circle around. X how to press. Really work with that breath to guide you around through the movement. Last two, and last one, circle all the way around.

Press the legs down to 45 so they're on a low angle. On the inhale, open the legs out wide, exhale close the legs low. Inhale open out wide, exhale close at low. And lengthen out I do five more. Really feel that closing of the legs is coming from that zip up through the inner thighs all the way up through your center.

Supine Leg Splits

Short Spine Massage

Last one and check-in with those shoulders as you lift up, press them back into the mat, roll it down, joint by joint, and then reach it all the way out. Gonna bring the legs back in towards the chest to bring the feet out of the straps, so let the knees bend, tap the feet out, and pop your feet back, pop your straps back onto your hooks, pop your feet onto the footpath, and the hands come around behind the head. On the exhale, we're going to push out off the legs and go for a little jump and land. As you get your confidence up, you can make your jump a little bigger, two more, and then take it into a little v with those feet. The spring is still on that one red and a blue, so it's nice and light.

Jumping Combo w/Abdominal Curl

And then we're gonna go on to single leg. Right leg jumps to five. As you get your confidence up a little bit further away, now left leg, stretching those toes, last one and changing legs. Can be a little scary on the change over the legs and make sure you're looking at that footpath. Use that breath.

Jumping Single Leg w/Abdominal Curl

We're gonna take the footbar down flat now. And change it down to one red spring. Make sure if you've got the little extra silver bit that that's flipped out of your way for this one, and we're coming up to standing onto the reformer. So bring yourself all the way up. We're going into a little standing scooter series, so our right foot is going to be onto that timber platform. Left foot is wrapped around the edge of the reformer bed.

Single Leg Scooter Series

The front leg should stay nice and steady. Last one, hold it out there. Now come in halfway and hold, rotate towards your front leg, back to center and then push it back out. Halfway in hold, rotate towards your front leg, back to center all the way out. This is really tricky on the balance, as you saw on my first one, a little shaky.

It does feel like it gets a little easier as you go through. Last one, halfway, rotate back to center now push that back leg all the way out to straight and keep it straight, bring the reformer bed in and straighten your front leg, now push out, bend the front leg, back leg is straight. Pull in straighten that front leg, then push out. Two more of those. Exhale.

Last one. Push out. Bend that back leg all the way in, rest and change sides. Oh, that's a tough one. Okay. Place that left foot on so I've got my toes onto the footbar, and I've got my back foot toes wrapped around the reformer bed. Arms into your genie, find the bend of the knees, stable supporting leg, we exhale push. Just making sure your tail doesn't go with you as you push, keep that sense of zip up, lance down through your tail.

We all have a more challenging side usually. This one is mine. Now we're going to push back, come in halfway, rotate to the left, back to center. Push back, halfway, rotate to the left. So that rotation should really be from the upper body.

The hips are staying nice and square. Two more. Last one. Rotate. Now we push that back leg back and keep it straight, straighten the front leg come up, push out, bend the front leg, straighten the front leg, come up, zip, zip, zip, and out.

And down lift. I think this is the most serious tanner I've ever been. Last one now bend that back leg in and take a breather. Good work. We are almost there. I'm gonna do some standing arms.

Standing Arm Series

Breathe that push up with the arms. Be really mindful as you come into this. Circle around, scoop back like you're starting a running race. Exhale push up. Breathe in, circle it around.

We've got one more. Exhale push up. Inhale, circle around. And you guessed it, we've gotta reverse it. Exhale up and out. Inhale, scoop to pull it in. Exhale, keep those arms in your peripheral vision.

Round, inhale, scoop pull it in. Last one, we're gonna stay up there. Bring the arms around in front, in line with your shoulders. And we do a chest press from here. So bend the elbows in, exhale push out.

Ban elbows, exhale push out. Two. Let's keep it moving. Exhale four. Last one. And scoop, lower it all back down with control, tilt that carriage parks, and change the other side.

So now we bring that right foot up against the shoulder rest, left foot forward, scoop it in, Find your start position, exhale, circle it up, inhale around. Exhale. If you can keep the fluid pace, if you need to slow it down, absolutely do so. One more. And, Aranda, the other option you can do with these ones, we're going you can do a kneeling version so that you don't have to be upstanding, and you can do the same arm circle. Last one, stay up. Arms come out in line with shoulders. Ben, exhale push up. And two, keep the pace. Three, exhale, four. Last one, you can do it, scoop, pull it down, and take a breather.

Good work. We only got two more exercises to go. We're gonna keep it on that one red spring. We are going into the snake and twist. So if you need more support, add on your yellow or your blue spring. I'm gonna start facing you so we've got our left foot onto the footbar.

Snake Twist

Now we're gonna twist, so we inhale, lower the hips, stretch the side, eyes look up, and then exhale. Inhale. And doesn't hurt to do it with a smile. Exhale. Pike it up. Last one.

Inhale. Good, really smoothly, pipe it up. Stay park that reformer bed, step it back off, roll it up through the spine. Take a breather as you walk to the other side. Good.

Okay. So this time my right foot comes onto the footbar, left hand around the shoulder rest, right hand around the edge of the reformer, pull that reformer bed in as you pike up, And then on the inhale, lowering it down like a cobra, exhale pack it up. Inhale. This time, I'm thinking of lowering my right hip down towards the mat, smoothly pulling that reformer bed in on the way back. And now we've got three twists. Inhale, opening up through that left side of the body, exhale.

Now you can't see it, but I'm still smiling as well. Exhale, hike it up. Last one, and hike the reformer up. Hold that reformer in as much as you can. Slowly step down, roll it up to stand, take your time.

And from there, we're gonna bring the foot bar up and we're gonna finish off with our reverse lunges. So pop that back into the middle setting and add on a blue spring. So we're on a red and a blue. Head rest is going to come up for a little bit of extra support. Come up to standing onto the reformer. Take the right foot half on the headrest, half on the reformer bed, take your left foot back, find your footbar, come out into your lunge.

Reverse Lunge w/Splits

Now we're gonna keep the leg out straight. Bring the reformer bed all the way in, and exhale take it out towards your split, and all the way in, take it out towards your split. Last one all the way in, and take it out. And now we're just gonna finish off with a combination. So bend back to your start, take it out, pull it up, take it out to your split, bend it back in. Keep that breath nice and calm.

And bend in. Last one, pike the hips up. Come back to your start position. Try and hold the reformer out there if you can as you change to the other side. Bring that left foot forward, take a moment, find that stretch in the back leg, inhale stretch, exhale then. Really opening up through the back of that left leg.

And now we keep the leg out straight, pike the hips to the sky, take it back down towards your split, and pike the hips up, tuck that head in, take it down to your split. Last one, and now back to the start position and finish off with the combination. Keep focusing into that breath. And then last two inhale, exhale. Last one.

And band, return the reformer bed all the way in. Step both feet just onto the middle of your reformer. Just let the body hang down. Take a deep breath in. And then on the exhale, soften the knees, slowly start to roll up, reach the arms to the sky, and just give yourself a little back extension.

Bring the arms down whichever way you like, roll it down through the spine. There's no right or wrong. And just let it breathe. You've done a really tough class. You've done really well.

Take a deep breath in. And last roll back up all the way through the spine. Take one more back extension. Big breaths. And then slowly bring the arms down.

Thank you so much for joining my class with me today, and thank you Tanya so much. I hope you enjoyed it. Bye.