Simple, Essentials Reformer

Hi. I'm Gia, and today we're gonna do my go to reforma class that I do on a pretty much regular basis. So we're gonna start with footwork. So I have my springs set up on three reds and one blue, but you can do whatever works for you. My head rest is up, and we're gonna lie down. So you're gonna start with your feet on the balls of your feet in pilates stance with your heels together toes apart.

We're just gonna take a deep inhale and exhale before we start moving just to kind of center yourself and feel grounded one more time. Inhale. And exhale. And then on the next inhale, you're gonna stretch your legs all the way out, exhale to pull it back in. Inhale stretch long, exhale to come in. Just keep focusing on your breathing.

Feeling the length in your legs. Arms are pushing down. Starting to feel your navel pulling into your spine. Two more. Last one. Then we're gonna change to your arches.

So you're gonna bring your feet to parallel. Legs glued together. Wrap your toes and your heels around the bar and inhales you stretch long, exhale to come back in. Finding that midline really hugging it and in lengthen and return four more. Really wrapping the, feet around the bar.

Two more. Last one. Now we're gonna come onto your heels, staying parallel. Heels on the foot bar. Pull all five toes back on each foot and then stretch long and back in. So try to make sure that you're pulling all five toes back, not just your big toe.

So you're really standing on that foot bar in your heels. Four more. And three, still hugging that midline. Two. Last one. Now we're gonna stay on your heels. You're gonna bring your feet wide to the edges of the footbar, turn your legs out from your hips, knees, or over your toes, and you'll stretch long here, and then back in.

Inhale, exhale to return. Rotating from your hips, feel this inner thighs rotating forward. Four more. And three. Two. Last one. Now we're gonna bring your feet back together the same on the balls of your feet. Heels are nice and high.

You're gonna push out one time and hold. Now from here, you're gonna keep your legs straight. Just lower both heels under the bar and lift up. Lower and lift. Think of pulling all the weight from your glutes, so it's not just your calves.

We'll do four more. And three. Try not to lock the knees too. Really pull up those quads, last one. Now we'll go into running. So you're gonna bend one knee push the other heel under.

Lift and switch. And switch. Trying to stay parallel with the legs, passing right through the center, four more sets. Let's keep breathing three and two. Last one, hold this one down. Just get a nice stretch.

Just take deep inhale and exhale, lift up and switch. And just breathe both heels up, bend your knees come all the way in, and we're gonna change your springs. So we're gonna take off two springs. So I have just two reds left. You can do, something else that works better for you.

We're gonna do single leg work. So we're gonna come on to one heel. You want it right under your sit bone. The other leg is gonna come to tabletop. The foot on the foot bar, you wanna flex that foot as much as you can just like you did when you were on both feet, and you'll stretch long and then come back in. Again, make sure the knee is tracking over the toes.

You're not letting it wobble in and out. We're gonna do two more like this. Last one. Now you're gonna stretch the free leg out and then pull it into your chest as you stretch So you pull into your chest and back in. The other leg is just gonna keep going in and out. One more like this.

Now we're gonna keep that leg straight, and then you're gonna kick it up to the ceiling and then lower it back down. The foot on the foot bar still flexed. Three more. And two. Last one.

And then come all the way in switch legs. So you're gonna bring that foot right onto your sit bone. The other leg is gonna come to tabletop. Will flex as you push out and in. Out and in. Reach. Keep pulling all five toes back on that foot on the foot bar.

Last one, stretch the other leg out. Pull it into your chest and then reach it back out. In and reach. Good. Three more. And two. Keep pulling those toes back on that foot bar foot. Keep the leg straight.

Kick it up to the ceiling, and then lower it back down. And up. And down. Pulling into your abs, feeling them warm up, one more, and then come all the way in. Take a breath. So you're gonna scoop down away from your shoulder blocks just a little bit, grab onto your straps.

We're gonna go into the arm circles. Gonna bring your legs to tabletop, glue your legs together, push down in your straps just a little bit, and plug your shoulders in. So you wanna make sure your low back is on the mat so you're pulling your abs in. We're gonna start with the arms out to the side, down to your hips, and then back up in a nice circle. Open, down, and up. Two more in this direction, and up one more, reaching the arms long, reverse your circle.

Push down, open, and up. And down. Try not to flare the ribs. Keep the back of the rib cage on the mat. One more. Now you're gonna press your arms down and hold. All those are gonna stay glued to your side. You're gonna bend your arms. And straight for a little tricep press spin and stretch. Keep the chest open and reach two more.

Last one. Now we're gonna repeat all of that with the chest lift. So arms come back up to the ceiling. You're gonna open out to a tee. You're gonna curl up as your hands come down by your hips, and then lower back down as the arms come up to the ceiling. So open, curl up, and then back down. Two more in this direction, curl up, and lower.

Last one, reverse your circle, push down curl up, open, and then lower down as the arms come back up. Push down curl up, open, lower. Two more. Open, curl up, or sorry, lower down. Last one, curl up.

Open lower down. Curl up and hold, elbows stay by your side. We're gonna keep your chest up as you bend and straighten. Bend and stretch. And stretch two more. Last one. And then lower everything down.

Take a breath. Hang it. Hang up your straps. We're gonna come up to a seated position. So we're gonna change your springs. We're gonna do one red spring, take off anything else, and we're gonna do some rowing.

So you're gonna sit all the way against the shoulder rest, legs in front of you, like to flex my feet just so that my legs stay active, and you're gonna bring your thumbs into the straps. So think of as tall as you can, you're gonna reach your arms out to a high diagonal, lower your arms down, bring the arms back up to your ceiling, and then open circle back to your hips. So you reach out, lower down, reach up, or around back to your hips. Two more in this direction. And down, earth like this, I should say, up, and around, and down.

Last one. And lower back up or around. Now we're gonna change it a little bit. So you're gonna round forward, reach toward your feet. Keep your arms reaching forward as you come up, and then you're gonna reach your arms up and around. Circle back to your hips.

So you're gonna reach forward toward your feet. Roll up. Keep reaching toward your feet and then up and around and back to your hips. Round forward. This time, you're gonna bring your arms with you as you roll up. And circle out and around. Back to your hips.

One more. Round forward. Roll up. Bring your arms with you. Circle up and around. Back to your hips. Go ahead and cross your legs.

Sitting up at all still, you're gonna reach your hands into a triangle behind your head. If this doesn't feel good on your shoulders or your back, you can bring your hands just in front of your forehead. Sit forward at a high a slight diagonal and then make sure your ribs stay connected as you reach your arms forward. And back. Trying to keep the index fingers and the thumbs together. Reach forward and back. Elvis are wide. And then think of pushing your knees down so you're not using your legs to help you.

Pulling into your abdominals. Two more. Last one. Now you're gonna bring your arms out to a tee. Switch to the other leg is in front. Arms are just slightly bent. You're gonna hug your tree in front of you and then open out.

Hug. Just like before, keep pushing your knees down so you're not using your legs and open, close, and open. So think of as tall as you can. Last two. Last one, and then hang up your straps. We're gonna lie on your side for some side length. So you can put your headrest all the way down and just have your elbow here if you'd like.

I'm gonna lie all the way down because that feels better for me. Bottom leg is gonna stay bent. Your top foot's gonna come into the strap. You want it right on your arch. Make sure your hips and shoulders are stacked one on top the other, and then you're, reaching this top hip toward the foot bar so your waist stays long.

We're gonna start with the stretch. So you straighten your leg and then bend it back into your chest. Stretch and bend. Reach through that heel and reach four more. Inhale, bend, exhale stretch, and bend last two.

And last one, keep your leg straight. You're gonna bring your leg forward, and then bring it back in line with your body. Bring it forward. And back. Three more and back and two. Last one.

Keep your leg back and little circles around up and around and up and around. Try not to make it too big but make them smooth four more. Three. So it should be burning by now too. And one, reverse that circle back and around. Two, three, four. You have four more. Try not to rock, forward, and back on your torso. Staying nice and quiet in your upper body.

Last one. Now we're just gonna keep the leg long. Just lift it up and down just a little higher than your hip and down. Up and down. Just four or more. We can do it.

And three, two, and one, bend your leg, come all the way in. Take your foot out of that strap, hang it up, and then we'll go to the other side. So again, lying on your side, making sure your hips and shoulders are stacked. You're gonna put your top foot in the strap bottom leg stays bent. And we're gonna go into a stretch and bend.

So you're gonna stretch your leg out and then bend it into your chest. Think of it staying just hip height and in. Stretch long. And in. I already feel this side. Hopefully, you do too. Four more. And in three, making sure you're staying stacked. Two, you're not rocking forward or back.

Last one, hold it out. And then we'll bring the leg forward and back. Trying to keep it the same line the whole time so it's not bouncing. Three more. And two, keep pushing down with that bottom leg to help stabilize the last one. And then circles around for eight.

Seven. Six. Five. Keep breathing, especially as it gets hard. Three, two, and reverse. Back and around. Reach out through that heel.

Keep the leg as long as you can. Four more. Three, keep pulling into your abdominals for support. And then keep the leg out. Just look up and down. Up and down.

Four more, and three, two, one, come all the way in. Take this drop off your foot, hang it up, and then lying on your back. We'll stretch out your hips before we move on. Turning to take the first leg that you did, cross that foot over your opposite knee, and then pull your leg into your chest for a figure four stretch. Keep turing that knee out to the side.

Breathe into it. Do you wanna rock side to side. Sometimes that feels nice. And then when you're ready switch legs, just cross your foot over your opposite knee, pull your leg into your chest and try to turn that knee out to the side. Let that hip release.

Release your legs, and then we're gonna come up for long stretch series. So I'm gonna add a blue spring. So I have one red and one blue. You can do this all in one red if that feels better to you. Foot bar or headrest is already up, and you're gonna bring your hands onto the foot bar and your feet onto the headrests right in the little crevice there. So you wanna pull your abdominals in, keep your legs long, reach your heels back toward the headrest, and then you're gonna reach back with your arms and then come forward over the foot bar.

Squeeze your glutes, squeeze your legs together. Try to stay in one straight line from your heels all the way to your head. One more. And then come all the way down to your knees, feet against the shoulder rest. Try to get those toes really tucked under and really push the heels into the shoulder rest.

Hhips are gonna push forward. Open your chest when you down stretch. You're gonna push down. And, think pushing your heels into the shoulder rest again, opening your chest, pulling up in your abdominals to protect your low back. One more.

Stay on the balls of your feet. We're gonna lift your, knees up. He also gonna slide down to the middle of the shoulder rest for up stretch. So you're gonna push back into a plank, hold. Keep your upper back rounded as you come forward over the foot bar. And then push your hips back over your heels.

So legs push back into your plank, come forward with your round back, and then lift your hips back up. Three more. Push back. Upper back stays rounded as you come forward, and then lift your hips back up. Two more. Keep pulling into your abdominals, find that support, come forward, and then lift up. Last one, find that long plank.

Come forward. Make sure you're not dropping your head though, and then come forward. Heels down for elephant. I like to have my back rounded, so I'm gonna bring my weight forward a little bit. So it's kinda centered, not just into my heels. Lift your toes up and then push back and in.

Try to get all five toes up and in shoulders away from the ears. Four more like this. And three, two, and one. Keep one leg where it is. The other leg is gonna reach back. You want it to be straight back. So you're not going all the way up to the ceiling.

Try to keep your hips square and then push back and in again. Two more. Try to keep the hips even. You're not favoring one side, bring that foot all the way down. The other leg's gonna come back. Again, hips are square.

You're gonna push back. Try to keep your weight even in both arms. Shoulders are still away from the ears. Make sure that leg that's reaching back isn't bouncing, and then bring that leg all the way in. And then come all the way off.

We're gonna change your springs one more time. So I'm gonna lower the foot bar down. And then I'm gonna change to one red spring. I'm gonna move this. So it's here.

Take off my blue spring. We're gonna go into side splits. So step onto the sable side first. Then onto the moving carriage, feet are pretty narrow, but make sure they're even. I like to bring my hands on my hips just to kinda help keep me lifted, shoulders down.

I'm just gonna push out, and then come all the way in. And push long. Keep pulling up in your quads so you're not locking your knees and in. Good. Former like this. And in three, trying to keep your weight right in between both legs. Last one. Now, I wanna keep your weight over the, stable side.

Bend both legs. You wanna keep your weight into your heels and then keep your weight over the leg as you push the other leg out and in. So you look like a speed skater. You can even bring your hands together in a prayer position if that feels better to you. Four more. And three.

Two. Last one. Come all the way up. You know, heel toe this leg on the carriage out. Go at least to the middle if you can.

If you can get all the way to the opposite shoulder rest, go for it. Doesn't usually feel good on my hips. So I'm gonna stay in the middle. Arms out to a t. You're gonna push all the way out, and then use your inner thighs to come back in.

Push all the way out. Make sure you come all the way into that stopper. And then back in, try to keep the outer edge of your feet on the mat so you're not rolling in on your arch. And three more. To control it in. Hold this one out. Now you're gonna keep the carriage out.

You're gonna bend over with a flat back and then come all the way up. Try to keep the carriage still. Come all the way in. Keep the carriage into the stopper, same thing. Lower down with the flat back halfway, and then keep that carriage in as you come all the way up, and then heel toe your foot back in, and then we'll step down and do the other side.

You're gonna walk up to the other side, zip onto the platform first, then the moving carriage, feet are narrow. Again, make sure your feet are even. Pull up in your quads as you push out, and then back in. Try to keep the shoulders still and away from your ears. No tension.

Just think of using your hips, your glutes. Four more. Make sure you're coming all the way into that stopper. And three. Two.

Last one. Now we're gonna bend down into your squat. Keep your weight towards your heels and then over the platform leg as you push the other leg out and in. Try to keep your head at the same level the whole time. You're not bouncing up and down.

Four more. Three, two. Last one. Come all the way in. Now you're gonna heel toe this carriage side out. And try to get to at least halfway into the carriage.

Arms out to a t. From here, you're gonna push all the way out. Intercise pull you all the way into that stopper. Make sure you go all the way into that stopper because sometimes we like to leave out that last inch, and it does make a difference in your inner thighs. You'll feel a little bit more of a burn.

Four more. Control it in each time. And three. Two. Last one, hold it out. Now keep the carriage still as you lower down with the flat back and then come all the way up. Bring the carriage all the way in, hold it in.

Try to keep it touching the stopper as you lower down with your flat back. Use those inner thighs to hold it still. Come all the way up, and then heel toe your foot back in, and then come on down. Last thing, we're gonna bring your foot bar back up. I'm gonna finish with Eve lunge.

So we'll stay on the same spring. Just bring your foot bar to the level where you like it. You're gonna have standing foot all the way at the front of the carriage, the other foot, right against the shoulder rest, bring your knee down, hips are under, and you're just gonna push back. Shut your hips. Try to keep your shoulders down.

Any tension that you feel, try to release it. And then slowly come back up. I will walk over to the other side and stretch the other hip. So again, that foot's right against the shoulder rest. The standing leg is right at the front of the reformer, knee is down, but your hips are under, and then push back.

A nice stretch on that hip flexor. Let's breathe into it. And then come back in and release. So I hope you enjoyed that class. I appreciate you taking it with me, and I'll see you next time.