Metrics that Matter: Control

The Flexia Smart Reformer is the first tech-enabled reformer on the market, which is actually much cooler than it sounds...

Our sensors talk to our Online Studio during class to ensure you're getting your best Pilates workout yet. We'll let you know if you're correctly following the verbal cues of your instructor on-screen, if your consistency during reps is waning, or if you're going too fast for an exercise. 

We do all of these by using three core movement metrics: Control, Speed, and Consistency.

Let's explore our Control metric:

Control is a huge deal in Pilates...

The problem in Pilates:

How is your body moving through space on the reformer?

Are you executing each exercise as intended?

What about form...? How can you check that you're releasing an exercise slowly to keep spring tension and muscle engagement?

Our Solution: 

Our Control gauge lives on the right-hand side of your class screen and can detect your speed and distance traveled down to the second. This gauge will alert you with a ⬆️ if you need to adjust or a ✅ if you’re right on target.

Additionally, your Speedometer gauge (more on Speed here) will update to a Stillness meter when exercises requiring you to keep the carriage still are cued in class. This meter will stay motionless in the center ✅ when users maintain stillness during relevant exercises (like Bridging) and will hover left ⬅️ and right ➡️ if the carriage inches farther or closer to the stopper, respectively--just another function of Control in class. 

The Purpose:

The Control gauge tracks your carriage movement and instantly compares it to the exercise cued by your instructor on the screen. 

Some exercises, like Chest Expansion, require slow, controlled carriage movements with equal speed and tension on the springs coming out as returning in.

(A cue from your instructor might be, "slowly release the movement by resisting the tension of the springs, don't let the springs pull you home")

Other exercises, like Bridge, require zero carriage movement. 

(...with cues from your instructor like, "keep that carriage still!")

If you notice your Control or Stillness dipping in class, that’s your cue to bring more attention to how well you’re following the instructions from your instructor. This allows you to correct your form in real time and helps you stay present and accountable during your workout, so you can get the most out of every exercise. 

The Benefits:

The benefits to great Control in reformer Pilates are endless, but here's a few:

• Increased Coordination
• Body Awareness
• Form
• Mindfulness

For a closer look at this metric, let's chat with our Founder + CEO, Kaleen: 

And Control is just the beginning...learn more about our Speed and Consistency metrics. 

Ready to shop our Flexia Smart Reformer? Shop here. 

For more questions about our Smart Reformer, visit our Knowledge Base (our searchable FAQ), book a demo with us, or send us an email to hello@flexiapilates.com