Reformers Pilates - to go or not go

Hi zesties!

This has been sitting in my drafts for awhile, time to send it out.

I took 3 weeks sabbatical (is that even considered one…?) in June and wanted to have get back to an exercise routine. I was doing pole but fell sick several times and had to miss classes. Eventually I decided to give my body some time to rest. Well, it could be due to my work environment too, so I left 😅

I read so much about reformers Pilates on Lemon8. Price of classes are usually on the steeper side (comparable to pole), but I wasn’t sure if it’s really for me. I made a quick list of Pilates studios where I can go for trial classes before deciding.

1. Absolute Pilates - 3 classes @ $59 (several outlets including Great World, Centrepoint)

2. Club Pilates - first class FOC (Wood square)

3. BE Studios - 2 classes @ $70 (Maxwell)^

4. Flow Playground - 3 classes @ $72 (Chinatown)

^Not limited to reformers.

I didn’t include studios in to the East or West areas because they are too inaccessible for me. Eventually, I went for a total of 4 classes - at Absolute Pilates and Club Pilates.

What I liked about both studios is that they have water dispensers. This is great especially for those who forgotten their bottles or need a refill. Absolute Pilates even provides lockers, towels, bathrooms equipped with changing, and vanity areas for you to freshen yourself up. Great World outlet also came with toileting and showering facilities within the studio as the nearest mall toilet is far away. Overall, I preferred the Centrepoint outlet more since there’s also plenty of rest spots after class. Being able to hop around the different Absolute outlets for trial classes was also a plus for me.

I had great experiences with all the instructors I booked. They checked in on the students, including myself, regularly and were all very encouraging. Instructors gave clear and specific instructions on how to use the reformers for each set of exercise. It’s quite fun to use the reformers to get into certain form - which may otherwise be impossible 🤣 Class size is up to 22 pax if I remembered correctly. Both studios offered special packages post trial class but I hesitated to sign up because after work hours classes are snatched up really fast (and students’ reviews about having expiring packages due to inability to find suitable class to attend also worries me). I only managed to book weekday morning/ pre-lunchtime slots for my trial.

Reminder for you

Bring your own grip socks! If you didn’t, you’ll have to purchase a pair at the studio and that cost at least $8-10. You can easily get a pair off Shopee or Taobao at 1/2 that price (plan ahead!). The one I got on Taobao looked exactly the same as what was sold in the studio, except the additional printed logo. Comment if you want my grip socks link.

Conclusion

I think it’s worth it to give the trial classes a go especially before you commit it since they ain’t cheap. Otherwise… I feel like there’s not much difference in going for more budget alternatives like regular pilates for toning. I think the hype is mainly around the exercise machine which you can order it online as well. That’s my personal opinion, you do you!