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I’m no newbie to Pilates. Full disclosure: I’ve been doing the now wildly viral workout at home for a few years, having started, like many, during the lockdown of 2020. I carried on with my online workouts purely because of how convenient they were – I need only lay my workout mat out, hit play on my laptop, and I’m off.
But discovering Reformer Pilates was a total game-changer for me. After heading in-studio, I immediately loved how strong and engaged my body felt. I knew that making it back to those classes was a pipe dream, though, after giving birth to my second baby five months ago. So, in the interim, I decided to put Fold’s Reformer Pilates machine to the test.
I was very curious and keen to find out if using one of the machines myself at home could actually rival the burn of an in-studio, expert-led session. Would the price tag be worth it? Would I actually use the machine, or would it sit getting dusty in my spare room? And would the workouts actually be as good? Well, you’ll have to keep reading to find out.
Of course, it’s worth noting here that I waited to get the all-clear to work out from a medical professional, and would advise you to do the same.
For my Fold Reformer review, keep scrolling. Keen to invest in an at-home Reformer machine yourself? Don’t skip our edit of the best at-home Reformer Pilates machines, here, or check out our Editor’s picks of the best Pilates sliders, best Pilates bars, and best Pilates boards, here.
My honest Fold Reformer review? It’s revolutionised my at-home workouts
Is a Fold Reformer good for beginners?
I’d only tried Reformer a handful of times before, so considered myself a beginner when starting.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised – there are loads of workouts targeted to beginners on the Fold App, so you’re in safe hands. Not to mention, the machine is fairly intuitive – you’ll be surprised at how quickly you pick things up and manage to navigate your way around the machine after a few uses.
What Muscles Does a Fold Reformer Work?
As physiotherapist, Pilates instructor and founder of CoreLDN Claire Mills previously shared with MC UK: “The Reformer allows you to work against the spring resistance and your body weight, creating varying levels of challenge and optimising strengthening and lengthening of muscles.”
She goes on: “Reformer Pilates is a low-impact, resistance-based exercise which works on the deep core muscles and postural muscle system alongside the global muscles system to optimise overall muscle balance, control, strength and flexibility,” says Mills. “Through the spring resistance, the Reformer works muscles eccentrically (lengthening under a load), which is required for strengthening and toning. The springs also allow exercises to be progressed and add challenge to your workouts and progress fitness, as well as regress exercises, which is perfect for injury rehabilitation.”
Studies back up the expert’s points, too, with this Journal of Physiology & Behaviour study concluding that Reformer Pilates boosts core strength, posture, balance, and mood.
On the Fold app itself, you can filter workouts by which body part you want to work (think upper, lower, core, and full body), and you can also choose exercises that build on strength, provide a stretch, or improve your posture. I try and mix it up with a leg day, a core day and an arm day every week. Bring on the burn!
How Big Is The Fold Reformer?
The Fold Reformer isn’t the most compact of at-home Reformer pilates machines you’ll find on the market, but it’s the most compact, studio-quality one.
I have the Original Fold Reformer, which you can no longer buy. But the new version, which has just launched, is a slightly more compact design which promises to fold more easily. When it’s open, it measures 92.5in in length and 23.6in in width, versus 50in length and 26.8in width.
My Fold Reformer review?
As previously stated, the main benefit for me as a time-poor mum is convenience. My son doesn’t have a set routine yet, and I never know how long he will nap for, so making it to a Reformer studio, even a local one, is not an option. The fact that I can just jump onto my machine and do a quick workout has been pretty revolutionary – Fold workouts can be as short as ten minutes long.
Although the Fold looked a bit daunting at first, as it’s pretty much the same machine as you’d find in a studio, I found that I quickly became confident using it. It comes with a box and jumpboard as well as the inbuilt straps and springs, and with each workout, I also became quicker at installing and modifying the different accessories to maximise time on the Fold.
While I was initially apprehensive that the novelty would wear off, but honestly? I’m still as obsessed with my machine as the day I started. I manage three 20-minute workouts a week at the moment, on the days my eldest is at pre-school, and I really crave them.
The benefits of Reformer Pilates are well-documented. Workouts help elongate and strengthen the body, build muscle and improve posture, among many things. But a Reformer machine can be intimidating, and without a teacher to physically tell me what to do, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to work it out, or achieve the same form as with an IRL workout.
But I needn’t have been. The Fold Reformer comes with free access to the Fold App for the first six months (£9.99 a month after that). In the app, there are set-up instructions, as well as back-to-basics videos and workouts with clear instructions from teachers throughout, so all bases are covered. There are so many workouts on the app that I’ve never felt bored, and have rarely had to do the same one twice.
The Fold Reformer machine unfolded in Penny’s home office.
(Image credit: Penny Goldstone)
I found that as my confidence increased, I moved on to intermediate and advanced workouts after just a few weeks, modifying the springs slightly if the resistance was too much for me (the instructor always gives the option during the video workouts).
I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to “get back in shape” post baby, but I did want to build my strength back up again, and the weight I’d gained during my pregnancy dropped off naturally throughout the months of workouts, combined with a balanced diet.
Worried about set-up? Again, they’ve got you covered. When you order your Fold Reformer, you get a two-person delivery service to help you set it up at home. It’s a heavy piece of equipment, and although it’s in theory possible to fold and unfold on your own, I did need my husband’s help. For ease, I’ve just kept it unfolded in my office, although it does fold upright to save space.
Bearing in mind I’ve only been using my Fold Reformer for three months, I can’t wait to see how it’ll benefit my life for the next few months. What I love most about it is that it doesn’t compromise on studio quality, and it’s seriously stylish too, with its oak frame and vanilla upholstery (it comes in chocolate, black and mocha).
If you’re on the fence – I can’t recommend one enough.
Penny’s loved using the at-home machine so much, she now can’t imagine going in-studio again.
(Image credit: Penny Goldstone)
How much is a Fold Reformer?
There’s no denying that the Fold Reformer is a huge investment, currently retailing at £1,999.
That said, if you’re serious about Reformer, it’s well worth your money. Plus, if you think about it, a yearly membership at a fancy London Reformer studio would cost upwards of £2,200, so you’d be quids in after less than a year.
The new Fold Reformer machine is equally as gorgeous as the former model, and now comes in dark as well as light oak, with chocolate, black, vanilla or mocha upholstery.
Investing in a good sports bra for your sessions is always a good idea – and you can’t go far wrong with lululemon’s designs. This Energy bra boasts a four-way stretch, sweat-wicking fabric, and thick, supportive underband for maximum support, this bra is ideal for low to medium impact activities and butter soft.
Vuori Clean Elevation Shorty
We’re big fans of Vuori here at MC UK, and their soft-yet-supportive cycling shorts are the ideal Pilates companion. Add a pair of their Clean Elevation shorts to basket for a quick-drying, comfortable, sweat-wicking workout kit option.
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