Rocking Reformer Revelation
I know that Pilates teachers can get very
excited about the smallest piece of Pilates equipment, and I am no exception. Remembering
just how excited I got about my yellow reformer spring is frankly quite embarrassing.
However I am unashamedly over the moon about the newest addition to the studio-
my rocking reformer.
The Pilates reformer is a great machine,
easy to use for the beginner and super challenging for the expert. It allows
for creativity and flare, fits all the Fascial Fitness principals. You can use
it as part of a regular workout, it soothes the mind and creates calm, with the
addition of the bounce board it can reduce the fittest client to a sweaty pulp.
It requires concentration and focus, it highlights imbalance in the body and
magically creates the perfect conditions for self awareness and correction; in
fact it has everything a pilates teacher and practitioner would want from a
machine. So how to improve upon perfection? Add rockers.
I first saw the rocker kit on-line a couple
of years ago, but was beyond my pocket at the time. It sat in the back of my
mind until I attended the balanced body convention in London and there it was,
already boxed up just waiting for my name to be scribbled on the lid. I resisted
for 3 days and then gave in about 30 mins from the end of the last day. The
rest is history! It is quite a wonderful addition to my studio and a firm favorite
with my clients. One declared-
“ it’s like working in 3D”
Yes, that’s exactly what it’s like.
So what is it?
The rockers transform the static base of a
standard reformer into a giant balance board. There is a clever way to bring
stability back to the reformer so it can still be used as normal. It stands
higher off the floor, which is popular with my less mobile clients.
At first I used it in the conventional way,
footwork, legs in loops, quadruped etc with the additional challenge of keeping
central, balancing left and right, equalising weight on each side etc, everyone
did really well, it encouraged greater focus and a certain amount of
sub-conscious work as well as increased conscious self stabilization. It was
fun and lots of laughter, especially when I briefly forgot it was on a rocker
and I inadvertently leant on the foot bar and tipped the reformer to one side.
No one was seasick, everyone had a go and
everyone reported back that they could feel the extra work required to
stabilize in their bodies.
I was making the repertoire up as I went in
those early days, mixing known exercises with this new addition.
Then I found a great on-line course by
Elizabeth Larkin, who I had spoken to prior to buying the rockers and who was
very excited by them. She used them in the rehabilitation of service men who
had lost limbs in combat and who suffered with problems with their vestibular
system (balance).
I took the course and the rocking
repertoire she taught is just amazing.
In my studio we adapted this information,
matched it with my clients needs and the results have been astounding. Increased
balance and ease of gait; along with hours of laughter and focused mind/body
work.
So far the best result has been from a
client who has a mild cerebral palsy. Doing the simple rocking movements
appeared to release so much tension in the hips that standing in parallel was
possible. If this can be repeated, then it is the most wonderful of outcomes
and we will be sharing the results with a wider community.
The rocking reformer repertoire is here to
stay, it joins the other exercises and movements only possible on the Pilates
machines.
Tracey Mellor
September2015
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