S & M? No, It’s A Pilates Reformer!

If you’ve never seen a pilates reformer before with all the springs, bars and leg straps, you might confuse it for a S & M apparatus. It looks a bit intimidating. Many men think pilates is something for women, but did you know pilates was invented by a man for men? It’s true.

Joseph Pilatu (a Greek name which he later changed to Pilates) was a Boxer and Circus performer in England when World War I broke out in 1914. He was interned with other German nationals in a camp on the Isle of Man where he became something of a nurse rehabilitating  internees who suffered from wartime diseases. He devised exercise equipment for these men by taking the springs from the beds and rigging devices for bedridden men to perform exercises for rehabilitation. 

After the war, he perfected the equipment he invented, and moved to New York City where he opened a gym where he trained dancers and provided them with rehabilitation. Joseph sounds like quite a character! According to a brochure I received from Equinox Fitness, “He was renowned for liking cigars, whiskey, and women, and was to be seen running on Manhattan streets in the dead of winter in a speedo!”

I love working with Jodi Rakoff (pictured at right) in a private pilates reformer session. She is phenomenal! In the Pilates room at Equinox Fitness, they have a ton of equipment including Reformers, Towers, Ladder Barrel, The Chair, and something called The Cadillac. She told me that there are over 500 exercises which can be done with this equipment, but she suggests individual exercises which target the specific issues for each of her clients.

Apparently, my rib cage sticks out further than it should, but when I bring it back toward my spine, it makes my shoulders curve down. I also learned that my left shoulder is slightly lower than my right shoulder, which may be related to the horrible car accident I was in as a child when I broke my femur and had pins in my thigh and was in traction for almost two months. I share all this with you, to show you how personalized the sessions are at Equinox. They really get to know every nuance of your body.

Jodi and the other pilates trainers hold Private Classes, Duets, Semi-Private and Tower Classes. Their prices are very competitive, and the quality of the services is amazing. You’ll love Equinox. If you are interested in trying it out, please email me at missa@askmissa.com and I can connect you to the right people there!

- Miss A