Keep getting injured in pilates

[PilatesWannabe]

I started reformer pilates about a month ago. I am doing a foundation course learning how to use the machine. I have a good level of fitness, but wanted to add something for stretching and flexibility. I follow the instructors lead and she does correct form, but I now feel like I have pulled something both in my hip and legs so badly I have booked physio.

I thought reformer pilates was a gentle form of exercise you could do on a rest day. It could of course be that I have picked up the injuries elsewhere, but reformer is the only new thing I have added.

Has anyone else tried reformer and not gotten on with it or picked up injuries? My class is full of women older than me who don’t look particularly fit so class isn’t hardcore at all. I am 50 by the way so probably more prone to pulling things than younger people these days….

I would look for classes run by a qualified physiotherapist. I had the same problem with the mat type rather than reformer Pilates when I switched from the qualified physio classes to an ordinary teacher. Turned out to be an expensive mistake as whatever it was I twanged set off sciatica and I was in bad trouble with that for the best part of a year and still have to be careful what I do several years on.

@CrotchetyQuaver , the classes I go to se included in my gym membership so don’t really want to fork out additional money. I was more wondering if others have had similar problems as Pilates and yoga are always recommended as gentle exercise you can do on a rest day. Sorry to hear you have also picked up some injuries from doing it.

I've not tried reformer Pilates, but my instructor of mat is very attentive to each persons individual needs. 'Correct form' for one person may be injurious to another!

Did your classes start with a one to one session, and does the instructor check at the start of each class if anyone has injuries , tailor exercises for some people?

Reformer pilates is most definitely not gentle! Indeed I think it's a harder work out than anything I do at the gym.

I love reformer pilates, and Lagree fitness even more. I've never had an injury and I've done it at 4 different studios.

Have you done classic pilates on a matt before? I wouldn't do reformer without that experience first. Pilates and yoga can be gentle exercise for rest days but that doesn't mean ALL classes are like that.

Lol it's not gentle. Pilates kicks my arse.

I combine it with yoga twice a week - as that stretches out your muscles helping with flexibility and recovery.

Try a yin or hatha yoga for a more gentle stretching session

Reformer Pilates is not gentle ! I'm fit but when I did reformer it was tough . You need a really strong core to be able to perform the movements correctly. Maybe your springs are on wrong setting - ask for less tension . Probably pulling muscles as your body is in the wrong shape as the tension is too high .
Reformer really works you - would love to do it more but it's always expensive!

Sounds like you've gone too hard, too fast to me as well, OP.

I have a bit of a thing about learning Pilates with properly qualified physiotherapist teachers, like others on this thread; especially as I was suffering badly with fatigue issues (CFS/ME) when I started doing it.

I don't think most leisure centre instructors have the knowledge, skills and understanding to teach Pilates properly, to be completely honest, as most of them are coming at teaching it from a faster-paced, "no pain, no gain" angle.

Oh dear I might try a bit of yoga instead then. I specifically started with the foundation classes, but although the teacher is attentive there are around 15 people in the class so it’s not 121. I really dislike Matt pilates which is why iI wanted to try reformer, but I probably do it all wrong. Too scared to go back now.

15 in a class is too many.

How can one instructor keep an eye on that many people to ensure they are doing it correctly.

I agree, Pilates, but unfortunately, it's a normal enough size for leisure centre classes, which is another reason I don't really rate them for Pilates or yoga, especially newbies.

That's way too many people in a class for the instructor to be keeping people safe. A physio-lead pilates class is much safer than something run by a gym instructor.

Is your body giving you any hints along the way, are things hurting in a bad way that you’re pushing through?

For my back, some standard reformer Pilates hurt (in a ‘bad’ way) so I ask for alternatives or make up some gentle exercise till that one finishes.

I wonder if listening to your body more, and definitely not pushing through pain till you learn more about your limits, would stop you injuring yourself?

Nothing hurts during the class and I am really careful (and a bit scared of the machine). The reason I think it must be the reformer is that it’s the only thing which has changed in my exercise plan. I now suddenly have pain in my hips and lower back. So bad that I am booking physio to sort it out. I only did 4 lessons so far as as I said it was a really gentle foundation class….

Does anyone have any recommendations for physio led reformer Pilates? I am in London (southeast).

I used to love Embody Wellness in Vauxhall (and had a physio as the teacher, for a matwork class) but haven’t been for years now.

I don't know who runs their reformer classes but this place in SE London has both physio and gym on one site and it is more integrated than normal gyms. So you might be able to get physio input into how to do the class even if they aren't the instructor.

https://www.fitforgym.co.uk/

Agree 15 too big for a class. The teacher won’t be able to correct form etc for that many people. The issues could have been underlying for other reasons and ‘brought out’ by doing a different form of exercise.

Small reformer classes are very expensive, sadly!