When people ask how a reformer Pilates instructor modifies exercises for your body, my honest answer is that the exercise was never the point. The shape on the reformer is a starting proposal. What I actually teach is the version of that shape your joints, your history and your breath can organize today — and that version changes spring by spring, session by session.
If you’ve avoided reformer Pilates because you assume everyone in the room is doing the same thing at the same time, I want to take that worry off the table. Sameness isn’t the goal. Load that matches the body in front of me is.
What “modifying an exercise” actually means on a reformer
Modifying means changing one variable at a time so the intention of the movement survives while the strain leaves. On a reformer I have four main dials: spring tension, range of motion, lever length, and position of the body relative to gravity. I change the fewest dials necessary. If footwork feels sharp at the front of the knee, I may shorten range before I touch springs — because shortening range often solves it and keeps the strength stimulus intact.
That’s the whole craft. Not a catalogue of “easier” exercises, but a decision about which single variable is creating the problem.
The four dials I adjust, and what each one does
| Dial | What changing it does | When I reach for it |
|---|---|---|
| Spring tension | Heavier springs can assist or resist depending on direction — more spring is not automatically harder | When the carriage is moving faster than the body can control, or when a joint needs support through range |
| Range of motion | Keeps the load but removes the end-range the joint is protesting | Pinching, catching or a sudden loss of control near the end of a movement |
| Lever length | Bent limbs shorten the lever and drop the demand on the trunk sharply | When the low back or neck takes over a job the center was meant to do |
| Position & props | Changes the relationship to gravity; a wedge, pad or headrest angle shifts everything | Shoulder, neck, hip or wrist positions that feel structurally wrong rather than just hard |
How I decide: what I’m watching before I say anything
I watch the carriage first, not the person. The carriage is an honest witness. If it stutters on the return, something is being dropped rather than lowered. If it slams home at the end, the body found the finish instead of controlling the whole path. Those two observations tell me more than asking “does that feel okay?” — because many people say yes to anything.
Then I watch breath. A held breath at a predictable point in a movement usually means that point is where the body stopped trusting itself. That’s where the modification belongs.
Then I watch what moves first. If the ribs lift before the arms do in a strap series, the arms are borrowing from the spine. I’ll shorten the lever or lighten the resistance until the sequence reorders itself — and only then build back up.
Modifying for real bodies, not hypothetical ones
Bodies arrive with context. A desk job in downtown Salt Lake City, a ski season in Park City, a knee that’s six months post-op, a pregnancy, hypermobile joints, a shoulder that’s been cranky since 2019. None of those automatically rules you out. They’re information.
Here’s what I need from you, and it’s not a diagnosis: tell me what your clinician told you to avoid, in their words. If your physical therapist said no loaded spinal flexion for now, I can build an entire session around extension, rotation and standing work without ever asking you to compromise. Bring their instructions with you and I’ll work inside them.
What I won’t do is guess. If something is outside what I can safely load, I’ll say so plainly and we’ll work around it. That honesty is part of the service.
Why the reformer modifies better than almost anything else
On a mat, your only real variable is your own bodyweight and gravity. That’s a blunt instrument. The reformer gives graded, measurable resistance in multiple planes, plus a moving surface that reveals control instantly. Springs can lighten a movement as easily as they can load it — a heavier spring in footwork is more work, but a heavier spring in some kneeling or standing work is genuinely more support.
That two-directional quality is why the same piece of equipment serves someone rebuilding after surgery and someone chasing more power on the hill. Same reformer. Different dials.
You can see what the classes are like and how the formats differ, and read more about my background and approach on the about page.
Who this is for
- You’ve been told you “can’t do Pilates” because of a joint, a surgery or a diagnosis
- You’re hypermobile and tired of being pushed deeper into range you don’t need
- You’re pregnant or postpartum and want load that respects where you actually are
- You’re an athlete in Lehi, Draper or Sandy who wants strength work that doesn’t aggravate the thing you’re already managing
- You simply want someone watching closely enough to catch the compensation before it becomes a habit
What you get: attentive verbal cueing, spring and range decisions made for your body in real time, and clear reasoning for every change — so you leave understanding why your version looked different, not just that it did.
Tell me what’s going on with your body and I’ll tell you honestly whether reformer work is the right fit — and what’s currently open.
Get in touchI’m a certified reformer Pilates instructor, and the most useful part of that training wasn’t the repertoire. It was learning to read a body and change one thing at a time. That’s the core of how I modify exercises for your body: not a softer workout, but a precisely chosen one. If you’re curious whether your situation can be worked with, reach out and ask — it’s usually a short conversation.
— Bianca
Will I hold the class back if I need modifications?
No. Modifications happen inside the same exercise and the same tempo, so the room moves together while individual springs and ranges differ. Adjusting your setup takes seconds. A class where everyone is doing the identical thing usually means someone is being under-served.
Do I need a private session before joining a small group?
Not necessarily — it depends on how much is going on with your body and how confident you feel on the equipment. Privates give the most room to problem-solve a complicated history. Reach out and describe your situation, and I’ll give you an honest recommendation rather than a default one.
What should I tell my instructor before we start?
Anything a clinician has told you to avoid, in their exact words, plus any movement that reliably provokes pain. Surgeries, pregnancy, and hypermobility are all worth mentioning. You don’t need medical language — “bending forward under load makes it angry” is perfectly useful information.
Does a modified version still count as a real workout?
Yes. Modification changes the path, not the intensity. Shortening a lever or reducing range can make a movement harder, not easier, because it removes the momentum you were quietly borrowing. The goal is load your tissues can actually use.
Can reformer Pilates work around an old injury that still flares up?
Often, yes — graded spring resistance is well suited to loading around a sensitive area rather than through it. I’d want to know what makes it flare and what your clinician has advised. If it’s outside what I can safely load, I’ll tell you straight.
Bianca is a certified reformer Pilates instructor and the founder and lead instructor at Alchemize Pilates. She teaches small-group reformer classes, one-on-one private sessions and online programs for people across the Wasatch Front who want strength work built around the body they actually have.