Why We Love The Pilates Chair
There truly is a whole world of Pilates equipment beyond the Reformer. Each piece was designed to support and challenge the body in different ways, making Pilates accessible to people of all different experience and ability levels.
Simply put, the Pilates chairs are so cool. At Pilates on 10th we’re lucky to have a fully equipped studio with three unique chair types: the Baby Chair aka Arm Chair, The High Chair and the Wunda Chair.
The Wunda Chair is the most widely used and was originally designed by Joseph Pilates to double as a piece of furniture for New York City apartments with limited space for exercise equipment. If you flip it over and sit with the pedal behind your back it functions as a seat for everyday life, turn it back over and use it for a full body workout without taking up too much space—no excuses, right?! The design of the Wunda Chair has been essentially unchanged through the years, a true testament to its effectiveness.
All three chairs have different design features and ways they can add support and challenge to the same exercises we do on the Mat and other equipment.
The Baby Chair is close to the ground, it has lighter springs and the back of the chair can lean back or be brought forward. This wonderful little apparatus is great for improving your posture, and for folks with neck or shoulder issues that will benefit from the gentler springs. You can work up to the Arm Spring Exercises on the Tower/Cadillac seated in the Baby Chair to find that strength and opening in your chest with added support. The Arm Series seated on the chair can really change your posture if you’re rounded forward in your spine.
On the chair, you’re still seated but you lean forward like you would if you were standing. The upper half of the Baby Chair will lean forward with you and the challenge is to keep it forward while doing exercises like Shave and Hug—moving your arms while keeping the back of the chair still is not as easy as it sounds! This is just one example of how the Baby Chair can add to your Pilates practice, but it’s also great for working on Horseback from the Reformer to build more connection from your arms to your back for this advanced exercise, or as a kneeling is option for exercises like Swakate and Chest Expansion.
The High Chair is a high-backed version of the Wunda Chair with a pedal with two heavy springs. This is a great place to find stability in your hips for exercises like Knee Stretches on the Reformer. Pumping with the pedal is a good way to balance the work through your legs: you’re seated with both feet on the pedal and the high back of the chair helps you keep a long neutral spine instead of arching your back. You can also stand on this chair. This is where you build up to Going Up Front with the support of the handles you do later on the Wunda Chair, but without handles.
The Wunda Chair is the most versatile—you can do a FULL workout on the Wunda Chair or simply use it at the end to balance out your session. Equipped with a pedal and two springs that can change positions with the exercises. Exercises on the Wunda Chair challenge you with gravity and balance. You can do the Footwork from the Reformer seated while attempting to keep your spine lengthened and your hips still. Take Elephant on the Reformer to the next level with the Pull Ups, getting a deeper stretch through your spine and more challenge for your upper body with your feet on the pedal and your hands on the chair. Instead of moving the carriage in and out, you lift the pedal up using your Powerhouse to pull the weight of your body against gravity while also practicing balance and flexibility.
If you play a twisting sport like tennis/pickleball or golf, one side of your body is often stronger and less flexible from the repetitive motion of swinging a racket or club. The Wunda Chair is a great tool for working on the rotation of your spine, and you can begin to even things out by doing the exercise three times working your tight side first and last, or if the exercise focuses on strength you can do the same for the weaker side, helping to even out your strength.
Which chair is your favorite?
Pilates Chairs are part of a balanced Pilates practice. What we mention here just scratches the surface…there are SO many ways they can be adapted to suit your individual goals and needs.
Our Instructors are here to help you get the most out of the equipment in the studio to reach your fitness goals, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to try out each chair, sign up for a private session and ask how the Pilates Chairs can enhance your practice.