Reformer Embodiment & Practice Logbook

Date of practice: 2026-06-06

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL Fitness Studio

Exercises I practised: Double leg press (Arches), double leg press (toes), Walking, Running, External double leg press, Internal double leg press, Single leg press (Arches), single leg press (toes), arm arcs, the hundred, tricep press, arm circles, t-arms, Coordination, legs bend & stretch, legs lift & lower, legs open & close, leg circles, frogs, heel beats, hamstring stretch, adductor stretch, single leg stretch, single leg circle, swimming frogs, short spine, pelvic tilt, bridge, bridge with marching, semi circle, low row, high row

What I noticed in my body: Exercises felt intense & liberating at times, my expectation of reformers pilates was that it was "easy". However my perception has changed I loved the way my body felt while in deep stretches & how mobile it made me feel. I was amazed at how strong I felt in some movements Vs others, it identified my strong points & weaker points. The breath work really helped

Challenges I experienced: Level of flexibility especially in the hip areas & glutes. It was tougher than I expected overall, a completely different type of workout that I have experienced before.

Insights for my teaching: That your body is capable of more than you think, focus on breath & connecting the body. Being present is very important, Cues such as pull your body back into the carriage, as if you had a corset on, peach under chin.

Reflection: I learnt the capacity of my body, the range of movement I have & my strong areas Vs weak areas. I now understand that I am capable of more and that I can become more flexible with practice.

Date of practice: 2026-06-07

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL Fitness Studio

Exercises I practised: Roll back, bicep curl, Chest extension, Half roll back & low row, Half roll back & high row, Kneeling bicep curl, The hug, chest press, salute, Arm circles, Elephant, Long stretch, Push up, Oblique roll back, long stretch, down stretch

What I noticed in my body: With my second day of practice I felt I was getting more into the swing of it, really embracing the core principles of reformers & utilizing my breath & consciousness to really work the target area. I really enjoyed the session today, technique & form is key to correctly executing the exercises.

Challenges I experienced: I found the fall back exercises difficult to execute at times, instructor guided me on how to act correctly. Once I had the roll back perfected it was easier to modify & add in variations ie Roll back & low row etc

Insights for my teaching: - Bringing carriage home, Knees parallel to hips, relax your shoulders, peel ourselves down into the carriage

Reflection: Regular practice over the last two days has really enhanced my understanding of the reformer, I now know all the parts of the reformer & the impact of the different springs & when to adjust them for different types of exercises. I now feel comfortable using the reformer on a regular basis.

Date of practice: 2026-06-13

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS CLUB

Exercises I practised: Pulling straps (box), T arms (box), Tricep extension (box), breaststroke (box), swan prep (box). knee stretch exercises - knee stretch curve spine, knee stretch flat back, knee stretch flat back off carriage, knee stretch on carriage. Round back, flat back, spine twist, the tree, the tree advanced, T arm & twist, side to side (core focus on box).

What I noticed in my body: Really good feel like I’m making good progression, breathing helps with the posture needed for exercises so trying to focus in on that. Fell more at home with working with the reformer machine and adjusting straps as needed. Flexibility is improving & feel more capable than before

Challenges I experienced: The tree was very difficult, I felt I didn’t have the level of flexibility required for the movement. driven by tight hamstrings

Insights for my teaching: Sit tall, neutral spine, pulling the hips into the carriage, twist and hold.

Reflection: I feel more at one with the machine and confident in my use of it, no longer feels abstract and have better control of during more complex exercises. I can now adjust as needed ie straps which I was nervous to do in the first weekend

Date of practice: 2026-06-14

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL Fitness Club

Exercises I practised: Leg adduction & abduction, scooter, skater, squats In & Out, Hip flexor lunge, overhead reach, internal & external rotation, the sword, T arms kneeling side & front, single leg series - arches, toes, heel (Press), double leg frog press, flying split squat. Stomach massage series - round back, flat back, twist. Mermaid standard & improver

What I noticed in my body: Hip mobility isn't great, noticed that when I was practicing the mermaid.
Focus on the breath helps me focus & maintain proper form.
Flexibility overall isn't as bad as I thought it was before beginning this course.
I really enjoy the flexibility exercises more so than the higher intensity "HIIT" focus exercises.

Challenges I experienced: - Hip mobility in the mermaid pose, getting the legs to 90 degrees was tough in the side position. My body does not want me to stay vertical in this position.
- Fatigue impacts the enjoyment of the session, it set in later in the day & really impacts client enjoyment
- Hydration is so important especially after a tough session & heat, note for clients going forward

Insights for my teaching: - Pre exercise cues are as important as cues during an exercise
- Demonstration is key, understanding the exercise & ability to demo is key for client belief
- Setting the mood, difference classes require different mood settings - Be vigilant of this going forward

Reflection: - Not all areas of my body are as strong as/flexible as others & that is ok, key here is to be aware of this & try to improve it using the reformer going forward

Date of practice: 2026-06-22

Duration: 50 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS CLUBE

Exercises I practised: - Pelvic tilt, breathing with neutral spine, arm reaches, double leg press (Heels), double leg press (arches), wide heels, wide toes, running, calf raises, articulated bridge. bridge marching, single leg bridge, supine tabletop arm work (tricep press/T arms/Arm circles), the hundred, coordination, heel beats, chest expansion, bicep curl, hug, salute, tricep press, squats with pulse, skaters, scooter, standing lunges, long stretch, elephant, knee stretches, pike to plank, leg circles. short spine. legs open and close, legs bend and stretch, closing breath

What I noticed in my body: - Flexibility is improving
- Importance of breath work and form while completing exercises
- The rehab benefits of reformer pilates

Challenges I experienced: - No challenges, comfortable with the exercises worked on

Insights for my teaching: - Cues & there importance
- Embodiment is important, knowing the exercise is key before instructing

Reflection: - This session will help with my teaching as my knowledge & experience of the exercises is improving, embodiment of movements is a key step to being a successful reformers instructor

Date of practice: 2026-06-23

Duration: 40 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS CLUB

Exercises I practised: - Pelvic tilt, breathing with neutral spine, arm reaches, double leg press (Heels), double leg press (arches), wide heels, wide toes, running, calf raises, articulated bridge. bridge marching, single leg bridge, supine tabletop arm work (tricep press/T arms/Arm circles), the hundred, coordination, heel beats, chest expansion, bicep curl, hug, salute, tricep press, squats with pulse, skaters, scooter, standing lunges, leg circles. short spine. legs open and close, frog splash, closing breath

What I noticed in my body: - Flexibility is improving
- Focus on controlling the carriage makes me focus on the class and nothing else

Challenges I experienced: - No challenges, comfortable with the exercises worked on

Insights for my teaching: - Cues & there importance
- Embodiment is important, knowing the exercise is key before instructing

Reflection: - My flexibility isn't that bad, better than I thought.
- There is more than one way to build strength, other than traditional gym work

Date of practice: 2026-07-02

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL Fitness Studio

Exercises I practised: - Double Leg Press - Arches
- Double Leg Press - Toes
- Walking
- Running
- Single Leg Press
- Arm Arcs
- The Hundred
- Tricep Press
- Coordination
- Legs Bend & Stretch
- Frogs
- Leg Circles
- Hamstring Stretch
- Short Spine
- Pelvic Tilt
- Bridge
- Bridge with Marching
- Bicep Curl
- Chest Expansion
- Low Row
- High Row
- Alternating Row
- Kneeling T-Arms
- Elephant
- Long Stretch
- Down Stretch
- Up Stretch
- Pulling Straps
- T Arms - Long Box
- Swan Prep - Long Box
- Hamstring Curls - Long Box

What I noticed in my body: - Importance of breath work & embodiment, connection is so important when doing the movements on the reformer
- Flexibility is improving
- I enjoy the more challenging spring settings for the easier movements ie footwork
- I find it interesting that the lighter springs make some movements more difficult

Challenges I experienced: - Prep for exam, was trying to fully rehearse & understand the exercise before coaching it. It was important for me to perfect the movement

Insights for my teaching: - Imagery cues, by knowing the exercise imagery cues come easier for each exercise
- Spring tension is very important, especially for adaptations for clients with contraindications

Reflection: - This session has increased my level of expertise on these exercises and increases my level of embodiment

Date of practice: 2026-07-03

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS STUDIO

Exercises I practised: - Breathing
- Pelvic Tilt
- Arm Reaches
- Double Leg Press - Heels
- Double Leg Press - Toes
- Wide Heels - External Rotation
- Wide Toes - External Rotation ·
- Running
- Calf Stretch
- Articulated Bridge
- Bridge with Marching
- Single Leg Bridge
- Tricep Press
- T Arms
- Arm Circles
- The Hundred
- Coordination
- Heel Beats
- Chest Expansion
- Bicep Curl
- Hug
- Salute
- Tricep Press
- Squats
- Skaters
- Scooter
- Standing Lunges
- Elephant
- Long Stretch
- Double Arm Press
- Sit Ups
- Leg Circles
- Short Spine
- Legs Open & Close
- Legs Bend & Stretch
- Closing Breath

What I noticed in my body: - Importance of breath work & embodiment, connection is so important when doing the movements on the reformer
- Flexibility is improving
- I enjoy the more challenging spring settings for the easier movements ie footwork
- I find it interesting that the lighter springs make some movements more difficult

Challenges I experienced: - Prep for exam, was trying to fully rehearse & understand the exercise before coaching it. It was important for me to perfect the movement

Insights for my teaching: - Imagery cues, by knowing the exercise imagery cues come easier for each exercise
- Spring tension is very important, especially for adaptations for clients with contraindications

Reflection: - This session has increased my level of expertise on these exercises and increases my level of embodiment

Date of practice: 2026-07-04

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS CLUB

Exercises I practised: - Footwork - Toes
- Frog
- Circles (Down & Up)
- Running
- Pelvic Lift
- Short Spine Massage
- Long Stretch
- Elephant

What I noticed in my body: - My shoulders drop away from my ears much more naturally now than in earlier sessions
- Noticed tightness in my hip flexors during Long Stretch — needed to consciously lengthen through the front line
- Core engagement feels more automatic during transitions between exercises
- Balance on the carriage during Elephant has improved significantly since Session 5

Challenges I experienced: - Struggled to keep the carriage controlled during Short Spine Massage — tendency to rush the return
- Coordinating breath with movement on Running felt clunky at first, took a few reps to settle
- Second-guessing my own alignment cues out loud while trying to focus on my own form
- Time management - ran out of time to cool down properly after focusing so long on Long Stretch

Insights for my teaching: - Cueing "resist the spring" rather than "control the spring" seemed to land better for engaging opposition
- Realized how much verbal pacing matters — counting out loud too fast rushes clients through transitions
- Contraindication awareness for Short Spine Massage (neck/back sensitivity) needs a clear modification ready
- Demonstrating an exercise slowly first, then at tempo, seems to help retention more than just describing it

Reflection: - This session highlighted how much progress I've made with sequencing and flow between exercises
- Still building confidence with the more advanced repertoire (Short Spine, Long Stretch) but feel closer to teaching-ready
- Want to spend next session refining my cueing language rather than just my own execution

Date of practice: 2026-07-05

Duration: 60 minutes

Location: BWELL FITNESS STUDIO

Exercises I practised: - Footwork - Heels
- Stomach Massage Series
- Knee Stretches (Round & Arched)
- Backstroke
- Teaser Prep
- Side Splits
- Mermaid
- Control Balance

What I noticed in my body: - Hip stability during Knee Stretches has really improved compared to earlier weeks
- Noticed I hold tension in my jaw when concentrating hard — need to consciously release it
- Side Splits highlighted a strength imbalance between my left and right leg
- Breath felt deeper and more connected throughout the Stomach Massage Series

Challenges I experienced: - Teaser Prep exposed weak abdominal control at the start of the roll-up
- Struggled to keep even spring tension awareness while demonstrating Control Balance
- Found it hard to simplify my cues for Mermaid without over-explaining the mechanics
- Ran slightly over time because I kept repeating Side Splits to fix my alignment

Insights for my teaching: - Using tactile cues (light touch on the ribs) could help clients find lateral breathing during Mermaid
- Breaking Teaser Prep into smaller progressions will likely help nervous or new clients build confidence
- Spring selection changes the "feel" of Control Balance dramatically - must match to client ability
- Cueing pelvic neutrality before Knee Stretches prevents compensation patterns early

Reflection: - Real progress in my own body awareness, though teaching cues still need refining
- Motivated to keep practicing Teaser Prep and Control Balance ahead of the exam
- Starting to feel the shift from "doing the exercise" to "thinking about how to teach it"