If you’re looking for a reformer Pilates instructor who works around injuries and you live somewhere along the Wasatch Front — Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, Cottonwood, out toward Lehi — you’ve probably already been told to “listen to your body.” That’s useless advice when your body is yelling in three directions at once. What you need is someone who will watch how you actually move and adjust the work accordingly, rep by rep.
What “working around an injury” actually means on a reformer
It means we change the variables instead of changing the goal. On a reformer there are more variables than most people realize: spring load, foot or hand position, carriage range, tempo, head and neck support, how much of your body weight is on the carriage versus the frame. An exercise that’s unavailable to you today is usually just an exercise whose settings haven’t been adjusted yet.
It also means I’m not treating anything. I’m not a physical therapist and I don’t diagnose. If you have a diagnosis, a surgical timeline, or restrictions from a clinician, bring what they told you and we build inside those lines.
Who this is a fit for
- You’ve finished formal rehab and nobody told you what comes next.
- You have an old shoulder, knee, hip or low-back issue that flares when you push hard.
- You ski, run, lift or chase kids, and one side has quietly started doing more work than the other.
- You’ve been cleared to move but group fitness feels like a gamble.
- You’re post-partum, post-surgical, or post-long-break and want load added slowly and on purpose.
If you’re mid-rehab and still under active care, keep going with your clinician. Pilates layers well on top of that — but it isn’t a substitute for it, and I’d rather tell you that than take your money.
How I actually decide what you do
I watch where motion starts. If you bend forward and the first thing that moves is your low back rather than your hips, that tells me more than any question I could ask. I watch whether your ribs stay stacked over your pelvis when load comes on. I watch which side the carriage drifts toward on a single-leg press. I watch your breath — when it holds, the exercise has outrun your control, and that’s my cue to change something before it becomes a problem.
Then I adjust. Springs are the most honest tool in the room, and they’re frequently misunderstood. When you’re pressing or pulling the carriage away from the footbar — footwork, leg press, rowing — the springs resist you, so heavier is more load. Where the springs bring the carriage back or help lift you, heavier assists. Lighter isn’t automatically easier; a light spring gives you less to stabilize against, which can demand far more control from a joint that’s still learning to be trusted.
| What I notice | What I change first |
|---|---|
| Breath holds at a certain point in the range | Shorten the range, slow the tempo |
| One hip hikes under load | Reduce spring, change foot placement |
| Neck recruits during ab work | Add head support, drop the lever |
| Knee tracks inward on a press | Narrow or widen the stance, cue the foot |
| Pain, not effort | Stop that movement. Find another road. |
Private sessions, small groups, and knowing which you need
One-on-one privates are where most injury-aware work begins, because every setting can be built for you and nothing has to be generalized. Small-group reformer classes work well once you know your own limits and can modify on the fly — I can still cue you individually, but the shape of the class is shared. You can read through the class formats to see what each one emphasizes, and if you’re unsure which door to walk through, ask me and I’ll tell you honestly.
There are plenty of good instructors, physical therapists and movement coaches across the valley — if what you need is outside what I do, I’ll say so.
A note on honesty: no instructor can promise your pain will resolve. What I can promise is that I won’t push you through a movement your body is refusing, and I won’t pretend a reformer class is a medical intervention.
Starting with a reformer instructor who respects your injury history
The first session isn’t a test. It’s information-gathering. You tell me what happened, what your clinician said, what makes it worse. I watch you move through basic patterns and we find the version of the work that your body says yes to. From there, load goes up slowly, and strength tends to arrive quietly — usually before you notice it.
If you want a reformer Pilates instructor who works around injuries rather than through them, and you’re anywhere from Salt Lake City down to Utah County or up toward Park City, get in touch and tell me what’s going on. You can learn more about me and how I teach, or ask about openings and I’ll let you know what’s currently possible.
Tell me your history. I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right fit.
Get in touch Ask about openingsCommon questions before a first session
Do I need clearance from my doctor or physical therapist first?
If you’re under active care, post-surgical, or have been given movement restrictions, yes — get clearance and bring the specifics with you. Written restrictions are ideal, but a clear summary of what you were told works too. I build inside those limits rather than guessing at them.
Is reformer Pilates safe with a disc issue or chronic low back pain?
For many people it can be, because the reformer lets you load the body in supported positions with adjustable resistance and range. But “back pain” covers dozens of different mechanical situations, and what helps one can aggravate another. That’s why the first session is spent watching how you actually move before anything gets loaded.
Should I start in a private session or a small group class?
If your injury is recent, complex, or you’ve never used a reformer, a one-on-one private is usually the clearer starting point — every setting can be built around you. Small-group classes suit people who already know their limits and can self-modify. Reach out and describe your situation and I’ll give you a straight answer.
What if a movement hurts during the session?
Say so immediately and we stop that movement. Effort and pain are different signals, and I’d always rather lose an exercise than push through something your body is protecting. There is nearly always another route to the same strength.
Can Pilates replace physical therapy?
No. Physical therapy diagnoses and treats; Pilates builds strength, control and movement quality. They work well in sequence or alongside each other, but one isn’t a substitute for the other. If what you need is clinical care, I’ll tell you.
— Bianca
Bianca is the founder and lead instructor at Alchemize Pilates, a boutique reformer studio in Utah, and a certified reformer Pilates instructor. She teaches small-group reformer classes, one-on-one privates and online programs. Read more about her approach.