Reformer Observation Logbook

Date of observation: 2026-03-06

Duration: 45 minutes

Class type: Small group

Instructor name: Laura R

Studio / location: Reform Lab Studio

Class structure & exercise selection: Overall the class flow was done super well!

She has a moment of mindfulness / intention planning followed by her warm up foot series, main block of arms in straps, short box series, plank series, feet in straps and a nice relaxing cool down.

This was a mixed reformer class so the layering of different movements allowed for each fitness level. For example she had use doing lunges, into skaters in pulses with abduction whereas some clients did not use a band or do the abduction if they were not quite confident.

She was also very safety aware and explained numerous times about getting on and off the carriage safety and effectively. There were 2 new clients who were learning everything from scratch too which she managed very well.

Cueing style & teaching highlights: Lauras cues were very clear here are a couple that stood out to me.

Verbal:
Gently draw your lower belly in towards your spine without holding your breath.
Soften your ribs towards the carraige.
Slide your shoulder blades down your back.

Tactile:
A light touch on the client shoulder when explaining ears away from shoulders
A slight touch on the heel when explaining the tendon stretch during warm up.

Imagery:
Imaging there's a blueberry under your spine and you are trying not to squish it
Scoop arms around wide and strong
Spine articulation like a string of pearls depending slowly

Class management & safety: There was a moment when a woman did not hear there would be a spring change which lead to some confusion.
Strong voice projection allows for this not to happen but this was fixed straight away.
As there were complete beginners I assumed they would take more of Lauras time, but she managed really well.

My takeaways for teaching: 3 things I will take from this class into my future teachings are

1. The importance of communication, safety checks are there any injuries? setting the intentions for the class also allows them to relax and become present.
2. How cues work in a real world scenario. A slight tap on the shoulder or imagery cue can completely change how an exercise is done.
3. Being approachable! If a client doesn't want to speak infront of a group to explain their injuries, simply stating that during the warmup they can put their hand up and have a brief conversation.

Date of observation: 2026-03-12

Duration: 45 minutes

Class type: 1:1

Instructor name: Laura R

Studio / location: Reform Lab Studio

Class structure & exercise selection: As this was a 1:1 it was a lot more relaxed in terms of flow.

It was a session centred around hip mobility and stability hence feet in straps were the focus.

Cueing style & teaching highlights: It was clear that the client struggled with pelvis alignment / mobility.

Good cues were:
Keep yourself centered on the carriage.
Avoid hips lifting off the carriage.
During leg circles drive the legs down and around drawing a circle.
The focus on reducing range of motion was also very well done.

Tactile cues:
Slight tap on feet during footwork to move heels onto the footbar and creating imagery to draw the legs in nice and long to extend.

Class management & safety: There is nothing I would do differently in this session.

When dealing with an individual looking to progress on specific areas it is impotant to address those concerns and work closely with them on both their weaknesses and strengths. I felt this was done well.

My takeaways for teaching: 1:1 teaching is quite different to a class in the sense that every movement is specific to the individual. I think I will enjoy this style in the future!

Date of observation: 2026-03-17

Duration: 45 minutes

Class type: Large group

Instructor name: Rachel A

Studio / location: Reform Lab Studio

Class structure & exercise selection: The class flowed really nicely.

The warm up was followed by the main block supine arms, short box series, feet in straps and a cool down.
The sequence that stood out to me was the feet in straps: bend and stretch, leg lowers, frog pumps, leg circles, Peter pans.

Cueing style & teaching highlights: The instructor constantly spoke about the importance of the legs coming too high and hips lifting off the carriage.

Cues given:
Verbal: Keep connection between the carriage and your lower back
Tactile: light touch on clients leg during leg circles to reduce range of motion
Imagery: Imagine your like velcro, it should be hard to lift those hips off as you are connected with your core.

Class management & safety: The transitions were done really well.

She ensured each client was still on the carriage when springs were being changed and also helped clients do it too to make their lives easier. I also noticed at the beginning of this class she walked around to make sure all footbars were locked into place and had great client care throughout.

My takeaways for teaching: I will definitely check all the footbars before beginning a class to avoid any injuries as well as giving verbal tactile and imagery cues and I could tell in this larger group different people take to different cues!

Date of observation: 2026-04-03

Duration: 45 mins

Class type: Small group

Instructor name: Laura R

Studio / location: Reform Lab Studio

Class structure & exercise selection: The warm up began off the reformer which I have not observed before. She began with some roll downs, breath work, foot work, main phase and then cooled down using feet in straps which was a nice touch.

Cueing style & teaching highlights: Cues that were used repeatedly during the class were:

Keep shoulders relaxed and away from ears
Reach those arms long as you press the straps
control the return do not let the springs pull you back

Tactile:
gently placing hands on lower ribs to cue them to stay connected to the carriage and prevent rib flaring / doming
lightly touch the back of the arm to encourage movement from the shoulder joint while keeping elbows soft

Class management & safety: There was one client who struggled to get her feet in the straps. the class was then stopped as the instructor helped.
It may have been an option to get the class going first and then help the client struggling as it did affect the flow of the class.

My takeaways for teaching: I really liked the tactile cues from today's session.

It has been great to see how the movement changes once something clicks in the client. From my observations I've found that verbal cues are not enough, it is important to change the cue type if the first verbal cue does not click.