Home Refinement

A guide to home Pilates equipment

By Regina Joseph

Creating an area within your home for effective workouts hinges on two critical facets: space and means. But whether you've got a mouse hole or McMansion, peanuts or gold bullion to spend, all it really takes to build a mini home studio is some common sense and wise shopping tips.

• No matter how small the area, keep it uncluttered and preserve it from encroaching possessions not directly related to your exercise regimen.

• Think minimal and multifunctional; aim for equipment that can be repurposed for some other use, like the Wunda Chair.

• Beware of Pilates equipment sold via infomercial. Pilates studio equipment is big and heavy for a reason: it should be solid enough to support your weight and the resistance of the springs. Much of the mass-market-produced equipment-especially apparatus that mimic Reformers and Cadillacs-is designed to be cheap and portable, which often translates as flimsy and unstable.

• If investing in studio apparatus, make sure to set aside a portion of your budget for a good teacher to instruct you at home. No matter how long you've been doing Pilates, you need a trained teacher's pair of eyes-even if it's just once a month-to provide the alignment guidance necessary to move safely and to prevent bad habits from forming.

• Doing Pilates doesn't have to be expensive. Joe Pilates would often use whatever was around and fashion it into equipment. For example, if you can't afford resistance bands and Spine Correctors, towels and stacked pillows work as reasonable substitutes. Work with a Pilates teacher to make sure you're getting it right.

EQUIPMENT GUIDE*

STABILITY BALL: Balls are great for stretching, and they can also be used as decorative accents in a room. Add a stability ring on the bottom to turn a ball into a chair. Be sure to purchase a ball that is specifically intended for your height and weight. Gymnic (sitincomfort.com) and Sissel (backbenimble.com) are two quality, burst-resistant brands. Prices range from $26 to $60. Rings and ball-chairs can also be found on these sites for about $50.

MAGIC CIRCLE: A Magic Circle is a fantastic aid for isolating and targeting specific muscles in your matwork. For an inexpensive circle, try Stamina's version for $25 (buy.com) or Stott Pilates Fitness Circle Lite for $33.95 (stottpilates.com). For sturdier products, check out the triple and quadruple-banded Spring Circles from Balanced Body (pilates.com) at $58, or a Medium Power Circle from Peak Pilates (peakpilates.com) at $49.

RESISTANCE BANDS AND WEIGHTS: Consider buying sets of 2- and 3-lb. hand weights, and at least two medium-resistance latex bands, in case one breaks. Try nefitco.com for dumbbells,
starting at $12, and Stott Pilates for bands, starting at $4.95.

MIRRORS: Your form will improve once you can see what you're doing. Ikea offers good, inexpensive mirrors that can be propped against a wall and then tucked away. Try the Minde or Fanaholm models, both at $19.99.

DVDs: Many teachers find the The Classical Pilates Technique DVD series to be the most comprehensive set available. Bob Liekens, program director at Power Pilates, provides the instruction. If using apparatus, check out the other two DVDs in the series, covering Reformer, Cadillac, Barrels and Wunda Chair workouts. Available on amazon.com for $19.99 each. (Also see "Homework" on page 90 for more DVD and book reviews.)

SPINE CORRECTOR: Spine Correctors are versatile and small enough to be tucked into a closet or used as a seating accessory. Balanced Body and Peak Pilates offer quality, economical models. Prices start at $295.

PILATES SPRINGBOARD: If you don't have the floor space for equipment, you can use a wall with Balanced Body's wall-mounted Springboard, a space saving way to do a variety of traditional Cadillac and Wall Unit exercises ($395).

WUNDA CHAIR: Use this ingenious apparatus for your workout, then flip it over for a funky chair. Upholstery colors are available in a vibrant range. Prices start at $785 from Balanced Body; convertible chairs also available through Peak Pilates ($1,195) and Gratz ($1,200).

REFORMER/CADILLAC TOWER: If you're ready to turn a large room into a studio, get a combination Reformer/Cadillac and maximize the space. Peak Pilates offers the foldable yet sturdy PPS Deluxe ($3,899). Other convertibles include Balanced Body's Allegro Tower of Power ($3,455) and Gratz's Portable Reformer ($2,900).

*Prices are subject to change.