Pilates is a movement system focused on improving physical strength, flexibility, and body awareness, with a deep emphasis on core stabilization. Originally termed Contrology by Joseph Pilates, the method is often associated with large, spring-loaded machines. However, the entire method can be performed without one. The original sequence of exercises, known as Mat Work, was designed to utilize only the body’s mass and the force of gravity to create a complete workout.
The Foundation: Mat Pilates Versus Reformer
The two primary styles of practice, Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates, are distinguished by their setting and the source of resistance. Mat Pilates is the foundational form of the discipline, using only a cushioned mat on the floor, making it highly portable and accessible anywhere. It relies on the practitioner’s body weight and gravity to provide the load necessary for muscle conditioning. This style builds deep, intrinsic strength and requires intense internal muscular control to maintain form and stability throughout the movements.
Reformer Pilates, in contrast, utilizes a specialized apparatus consisting of a sliding carriage, footbar, pulleys, and a system of adjustable springs. The springs provide mechanical, calibrated resistance that can be increased or decreased to either challenge the muscles or support the body. The Reformer’s design allows for a greater range of motion and an expanded repertoire of exercises, often enabling the user to work specific muscle groups with external resistance.
How Mat Pilates Achieves Resistance
Since Mat Pilates lacks the external spring system of the Reformer, it generates challenge through technique and the manipulation of body mechanics against gravity. The primary mechanism for increasing intensity is the strategic use of leverage and body positioning. For example, extending a limb further from the body’s center, such as in the “Hundred” exercise, increases the gravitational pull and the torque on the core muscles, forcing them to stabilize against a greater load. The load is therefore the effective weight of the body parts being moved through space, not external weight.
A second mechanism of resistance comes from the necessity for intense core stabilization, often referred to as the “powerhouse”. Without the support provided by the Reformer’s carriage and springs, the deep abdominal and spinal muscles must work constantly to maintain precise alignment and prevent movement collapse. Mat work forces the practitioner to use eccentric muscle contractions, where the muscle lengthens while under tension, to control the descent phases of movements like the Roll Up. This eccentric loading is effective for building muscular endurance and control.
Precision and a controlled range of motion also substitute for added weight by maximizing the time under tension for the working muscles. By slowing down movements and executing them with exacting form, the intensity of the exercise increases significantly. This focus demands sustained engagement of the stabilizing musculature, often making Mat exercises more challenging than their Reformer counterparts.
Essential Props for Enhancing Mat Work
Mat Pilates can be supplemented with various small, inexpensive props to enhance the feeling of resistance found on the Reformer.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands, or Therabands, are highly effective accessories that simulate the constant tension provided by the Reformer’s springs. These bands can be used to add both concentric and eccentric resistance to exercises, increasing the workload on the limbs and providing feedback for controlled movement.
The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle, a flexible ring, provides isometric resistance when pressed between the hands, ankles, or thighs. This prop helps practitioners connect to their midline and engage inner thigh or pectoral muscles, mimicking the adduction and abduction work often performed on the Reformer.
Stability Balls
Small, inflatable stability balls, sometimes called Overballs, are used to create instability when placed under the lower back or pelvis. This deliberate instability forces the deep core stabilizers to activate more intensely to maintain balance, challenging the powerhouse similar to the Reformer’s moving carriage.