Pilates Matwork or Apparatus?

The benefits are the same. It just boils down to your preference.

Besides yoga, the other mind-body    exercise that’s starting to gather momentum is pilates. Like yoga,    pilates has its following of    celebrity supporters like Wong Li Lin in Singapore, Malaysian actress-director Ida Nerina, and Madonna and Janet Jackson in the US.

With pilates studios popping up and gyms like Amore Fitness and California Fitness offering pilates lesson, it is not surprising that more and more heartlanders are intrigued with this holistic method of exercise. “Pilates retrains your postural habits, resulting in greater ease of movement and other health benefits,” says Levan Cher, fitness director with The Body Clinic.

People also do it for injury prevention as it is a non-impact workout highly recommended by the medical profession, adds Cher.

But if you were to check out what’s available these days, you’ll also realise some places offer mat-based exercises while others use special apparatus, or a mix of both.

 Matwork and reformers

According to Pilates Method Alliance, the creator of pilates – Joseph Pilates – devised a set of floor exercises while working as an intern in a hospital during WWI in 1914. These were matwork exercises.

  A few years later, Pilates attached springs to hospital beds for resistance and created exercises for bedridden patients. This allowed them to move and build up strength while still confined to their beds. 

Over the years, as his knowledge of anatomy and movement grew, he started creating apparatus that would help individuals regain mobility, gain strength and flexibility.

Pilates created over 500 exercises in his lifetime, says Koh Joh Ju, director of The Studio Lah. “Only 36 are matwork exercises while the rest are on apparatus such as the Reformer, Wunda Chair, Cadillac, small barrel and large barrel,” she adds.

 Same benefits

With both options available, the question that typically comes to mind is: Which is better?

Cher emphasises that whether you choose matwork or the apparatus, benefits are the same. It is not about whether one is better than the other but a matter of personal preference.

Using jogging as an analogy, he adds: “For example, some people prefer to run on treadmill, some like to run on the track and some like to run in the woods to view the scenery.”

Koh agrees. Whether it is matworks or pilates apparatus, each individual will build strength and flexibility with the right guidance and commitment level.

“However, we find that Reformer work tends to improve structural issues faster than matwork,” she adds.

“In fact, for special needs individuals such as those with slipped discs or who had undergone knee surgery, Reformer would be more suitable. The Refomer supports yet challenges the body as the latter learns to move safely and purposefully.”

To an observer, however, the plus of matwork is that the same benefits can be achieved using a simple mat and classes tend to be cheaper than those conducted on pilates apparatus.

For instance at The Studio Lah, a set of four private sessions that enable the teacher to provide assessment and develop a programme suited to a new student’s needs costs $200. For matwork at The Body Clinic, it’ll be $200 for 10 lessons.

  The main reason is the high teacher-student ratio, Koh explains. With apparatus, the studio is limited to a fixed number of clients in each session. At The Studio Lah, there are five Reformers, which means only five individuals can work out in the group session with up to two teachers in attendance.

But for matwork, the class can be larger. In The Studio Lah, they limit one teacher to a maximum of eight students. At The Body Clinic, there are no more than 10 students per class. Ultimately, whether you choose to do pilates matwork or apparatus, it depends on your preference and budget.

“Both matwork and apparatus exercises are complementary. They both deliver the same benefits so the question isn’t which is better. It is what each individual wants to achieve and how he can get there safely. From that basis, the teacher will be able to advise you,” Koh says •