Many Pilates exercises feel different depending on the brand of reformer, and knowing how each reformer's settings can influence and even improve your Pilates experience is critical to making the best purchase decision for you. We've done a deep dive on how common Pilates exercises on a Balanced Body Reformer and Flexia Reformer compare, so you don't have to. Keep reading to learn more...
Let's compare the Pilates exercise Mermaid on a Balanced Body Reformer first. You'll notice right away that this user is forced to sit in a tighter z-sit position, with shins resting up against the edges of the Balanced Body Reformer carriage. Though this may be an accessible position for some, others may find a tight z-sit deeply uncomfortable or unavailable entirely to their body.
This user, above, is 5'8" and if she had any mobility limitations, or longer legs to fold, she would not be able to fit all of her limbs on the Balanced Body Reformer carriage. Subsequently, one or both legs would be pushed off of the carriage pad, resulting in a frustrating fit or incessant rubbing along the reformer's rails during movement.
The Flexia Reformer carriage is measured at nearly 29" wide and 33" long, giving users the luxury of space to rest their limbs comfortably. This additional 6" in carriage pad width and 3" in length, give users the flexibility they need to successfully train in positions that fit their body type, so they can achieve a successful Mermaid Pilates exercise without compromise.
It's important to note that those with smaller body sizes are not overwhelmed by a larger carriage size on the Flexia Reformer. The user below is just over 5'0" and comfortably accesses Mermaid on Flexia's larger carriage, simply by making some small adjustments to the footbar and shoulder block positions. For more information about Flexia's adjustability settings, please tap here.
Mermaid is not the only Pilates reformer exercise that benefits from a larger carriage. Pilates exercises like Sidelying foot in strap are also deeply impacted by a reformer's carriage size.
On a Balanced Body Reformer, the narrow width of the carriage means that your body has less room to lie comfortably on its side, resulting in limbs exceeding the width of the carriage pad, which can result in discomfort and rubbing against the reformer's rails during movement.
The wider carriage on a Flexia Reformer, show below, makes for a more comfortable experience with the Pilates exercise of Sidelying because there is simply more room on the reformer's carriage for limbs and body to fit.
You'll notice in the photo above that there is significantly more space for the user's knee and shin to rest comfortably on the reformer carriage, without inching over the side edge. Additionally, the Flexia Reformer's carriage glides over the top of the reformer's rails, so there is no rubbing, catching, or sticking to the rails during movement--a huge upgrade.
The Pilates exercise of Snake is an exercise where it may seem like there is no way to replicate the feel of the exercise on a Balanced Body Reformer when performed on a Flexia Reformer; however, the exercise remains just as accessible on a Flexia Reformer.
On a Balanced Body Reformer, the Snake Pilates exercise is typically achieved by standing on the footbar in the lowest position, as pictured below.
With a Flexia Reformer, the footbar is completely removable and Snake is still accessible. Combined with adjusting the gear position and shoulder rest position, the classical shape of the Pilates exercise Snake is still achieved.
Curious about the fundamentals of the Snake Pilates exercise? Tap here for our step-by-step guide to achieving Snake on a Pilates reformer.
For Pilates exercises like Lunges, the design of your reformer can impact your ability to achieve the exercise.
On the Balanced Body Reformer, the standing platform is fixed and narrow, making it difficult for users to place their entire foot on the platform for stability. Take a look at the photo below and you'll notice that this user is only able to fit the tip of their foot on the platform, with their knee further blocked by the footbar in the lowest position.
With the Flexia Reformer, the standing platform is much wider and easier to access, even with the footbar attached, resulting in a much more stable, grounded position for exercises like lunges.
NOTE: An added perk of the Flexia Reformer is that the standing platform is removable, so it doesn't take up extra overall space when it isn't needed, and can even add choreography options by placing it at the head end of the reformer (shown below)
One of the more striking exercise comparisons between a Balanced Body Reformer and a Flexia Reformer is jumping using the jumpboard on the Pilates reformer.
It's easy to spot the difference, isn't it?
The Flexia Reformer's jumpboard mirrors the width of the reformer's frame and carriage, which makes the landing surface more than 6" wider than the standard Balanced Body jumpboard. This means more confident jumping--no more fear of missing your landing--and a wider range of creative choreography offered during classes in the Flexia Online Studio.
This is just the start of the Pilates reformer comparisons between the Balanced Body Reformer and Flexia Reformer. To read the full comparison, detailing everything from dimensions, to accessories, to fit, tap here.
Ready to bring your Flexia Reformer home? Learn more about our Pilates smart metrics here and tap here to shop.
For more questions about our Smart Reformer or Pilates at home, visit our Knowledge Base (our searchable FAQ), book a demo with us, or send an email to hello@flexiapilates.com