Reformer Pilates in Guildford

Sara McGowan
Aug 15
2 min read

Pilates and Rehabilitation (Sara McGowan, Physiotherapist)

After years of hiding in the shadows and being the reserve of ballet dancers and Hollywood A-listers, 2025 is the year that Pilates hit the headlines. It seems that Reformer studios are popping up all over the area and social media has hundreds of reels and TikToks showing flexible young people doing crazy moves on a Pilates Reformer.…even Jeremy Clarkson has a Pilates reformer!

So what is Pilates and how can if help people back to fitness following injury?

There are many different approaches to teaching Pilates, some staying very close to the original Joseph Pilates programme developed in the 1920’s. These traditional methods can place significant strain on the body so with the development of movement science, contemporary Pilates has evolved from the classical repertoire.

At the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI), Pilates movements are applied to clinical conditions following an individual assessment of a client’s movement and goals.

Pilates is a graduated system of specific exercises with an emphasis on improving core stability, balance, flexibility and strength. Beginner-level Pilates focuses on improving control of movement and core stability. At more advanced levels, Pilates focuses on functional movement patterns, integrating strength and conditioning principles and returning the client to their previous activity level.

There is an emphasis on appropriate breathing control which enhances mindful movement.

Contemporary Pilates often blends Pilates movements with yoga postures so that at the end of a session, clients report feeling relaxed and rested as well as feeling stretched. It really is a mind-body form of exercise and classes can be a moment of calm in a busy world.

Reformer Pilates is seeing a growth in popularity. This is a full body workout, using a Pilates reformer machine. The Pilates reformer works using cables attached to pulleys and a moving carriage operating on spring resistance. It is often used in conjunction with matwork Pilates and is a lot of fun!

Reformer couch at Guildford Chiropractic Centre — Reformer at Guildford Chiropractic Centre

It’s suitable for many rehabilitation situations and can be adapted depending on clinical need.

Physio-led Reformer Pilates at the Guildford Chiropractic Centre

Sara McGowan (MSc, MCSP, Grad Dip Phys) is a Physiotherapist who is a certified Pilates Instructor with APPI. Sara works at the Guildford Chiropractic Centre

Sara McGowan Physiotherapist at Guildford Chiropractic Centre — Sara McGowan (Physiotherapist)

on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and offers individual Physio-led Pilates sessions using the Pilates reformer, tower and matwork Pilates depending on clinical need.

She has experience of working with clients with a variety of different conditions, such as management of back pain, recovery from joint surgery and other musculoskeletal injuries and neurological conditions, such as stroke and MS.

Sara offers one -off ‘Introduction to Reformer’ sessions which are ideal if you are planning to join a class at a local studio but want some individual guidance before signing up.