Will Pilates be your next at-home workout?

Pilates workouts are touted by world-class athletes and celebrities alike. A single private training session for Pilates costs upwards of $125 per session, costing thousands monthly. But with the high costs for training and the pandemic limiting affordable group options, the at-home Pilates reformer workouts with Youtube and other digital providers are growing. More and more people are taking advantage of practicing Pilates at home and the competition is building for the best at-home Pilates reformer.

Onyx Interactive just announced its campaign for pre-sales of their patent-pending Pilates Reformer on January 18th. Other companies old and new are entering the space as well. Merrithew announced a new "modern" reformer coming to market later this month and ReformRX launched their connected reformer just this week.

So why Pilates?

Pilates is one of the best functional workouts rooted in exercises centered around a machine called a "reformer". The reformer offers a sliding carriage connected by spring tension. Keeping tension in the muscles with slow, controlled movements integrated with focused breathing patterns called "Pilates" results in better posture, spine alignment, flexibility and balance. Anyone who does Pilates finds the workout may look like it's easy but is challenging and produces great results. As Christian Jones, a professional eight-year veteran linebacker in the NFL, says, "It targets all the little muscles, especially for men it makes a big difference, I felt like I wasn’t as good an athlete as I thought I was, after just one Pilates workout."

Pilates is great for athletes looking to improve performance and decrease their risk of injury as well as for anyone looking for a safe, effective workout. So what should you look for in an at-home Pilates reformer workout?

1. Look for dual-directional tension. Most Pilates reformer workouts use spring tension with handles to allow for pulling and pushing exercises. When the spring tension is only on one side of the carriage the push and pull movements must be performed facing front or facing back. If you have a private trainer come to your house, they will move with you to guide you to perform these movements. But with using a digital screen as the trainer, you will find yourself turning around looking back a the screen, and twisting your spine--something that puts your body out of alignment. Most at-home reformers have only one side of spring tension. The Onyx reformer is the only one that has patent-pending technology for solving this problem by having two sets of springs and two sets of handles.

2. Look for a machine that will fit in your home. Before purchasing your reformer, know where you want to have it and whether it can be stored easily. Most Pilates reformers are between 84" and 102". But while the length and width of most reformers are the same, the way they can be stored may be quite different. The ReformRX has the advantage that the screen is attached directly to the reformer but the weight of the machine toppling over 200 may make it difficult to move. Folding reformers are an option like at Pilates Equipment Company but the disassembly takes time and practice to loop the handles back through the cleats and pulleys. Onyx reformer has a modular design that can allow it to lay flat under a sofa or bed and uses a slot-pin and clip system to attach its accessories making it easy to take apart and store.

3. Look for hybrid machines. Hybrid Pilates reformers are great because they allow the traditional Pilates exercises as well as the new high-intensity, athletic style movements that are seen in Legree and Solid Core classes around the country. Hybrid machines have two platforms so movements can be done off the front platform or back platform that challenges the muscles from different base points. Hybrid machines also have a greater variety of tension options. Although most Pilates machines have 5-6 springs, they can be combined to differentiate the resistance. One hybrid to look at is the Onyx reformer featuring two platforms and multiple spring tension plus the modular design allows for a longer carriage push with removing the headrest when needed.

4. Look for a community. Peloton has created one of the most followed communities in digital connected fitness. With first-in-class instruction and a way to communicate with others in the workouts, they have created an engaged community. As you look at Pilates reformer platforms, look at what the community has to offer. Look for certified instructors to keep the workouts both safe and effective. Onyx promises to build a team of engaging, dynamic, certified instructors to guide your at-home workouts and connect its participants to support each other. Having a community has been proven to help people achieve their goals.

Andrea Metcalf is a celebrity fitness expert and Pilates instructor for more than three decades. She is the co-founder of ONYX Interactive. “We wanted to give our beloved audience a better experience with their at-home Pilates workouts and the best price. Due to Covid my Pilates studio had to cancel classes but to keep members coming, we set up TV's and allowed members to workout on their own. I saw the biggest problem with the one-sided tension. Students were stopping and turning around because of the reformer design. At ONYX, I want to be known for the patent-pending technology that solves this problem created by Jonathan Montet, but more importantly to help our clients get a more functional workout and piece of equipment that allows them to get more out of life. While Onyx might not be the first and only company to be doing this, I'm extremely confident we will do it the best and so expect Pilates peeps will continue to choose us over others in this space. Customers will choose Onyx because it's more functional, affordably priced and it's a better workout experience.

Further details about the price, function, online classes, programs and design can be discovered at https://www.myonyxfit.com