I have a full Pilates studio in my house, but I know that not everyone can be so lucky. Clients often ask me what the best at-home Pilates equipment is, so they can challenge themselves when they aren’t in the studio. The good news is that Pilates can be done almost anywhere, and there are lots of smaller Pilates accessories and apparatuses that you can incorporate into your practice at home.
A Pilates Mat
All you need to do mat Pilates at home is a bit of space to lay down. Of course, having some cushioning under your body makes it a lot more enjoyable! When you first get started, having a nice thick yoga mat works great; you can buy one almost anywhere, and they’re easy to roll up and store away.
If you get the opportunity to go to a Pilates studio, you will likely have used an upholstered Pilates mat with a strap on the end for your feet and potentially dowels to hold onto for exercises like roll over and single leg circle. It definitely makes the workout feel so much better with those options. A fellow Pilates teacher I know has a folding Contrology mat that he takes with him on work trips, which would also be a great at-home Pilates option.
Level Up With Accessories
In my opinion, the best at-home Pilates equipment is both versatile and easy to store. There are lots of smaller apparatuses and accessories that check both boxes which will help you change up your workout and help you feel different connections and engagement of your muscles. Some of my favourites are:
- Squishy Pilates balls
- Magic circle
- Thera-bands or mini bands
- 1 to 3 lb weights
While I don’t know if it qualifies as an “accessory”, there are lots of online mat Pilates classes you can follow. You can also learn the exercises from a book or flashcards; Lesley Logan’s flashcards have video tutorials attached as a bonus. (You can buy them in Canada through b.Pilates & Fitness.)
Larger Apparatuses
The mat is the safest at-home Pilates equipment, especially for beginners. If you’ve been practicing for some time, however, you may decide you’d like to have a larger apparatus at home. Here are some ideas that my own clients have loved:
Reformer: My clients often say how much they would love to have a reformer at home. There are many kinds of reformers, including foldable ones that can be stored under a bed. You could also choose those similar to what you might find in a Pilates studio. For added variety, a reformer with a tower gives you the option of doing a mat workout, tower workout, or reformer workout.
Wunda Chair: This is another great smaller apparatus that several of my clients have purchased. This is actually exactly what Joseph Pilates had hoped for! His original wunda chair design was a chair that you could sit in for eating or relaxing, and then it could be flipped over to become an exercise device.
Spring Board: If you have wall space to both the spring board into, you’ll have lots of exercise options. Most of the tower, cadillac, and standing exercises can be done on this apparatus.
Before You Buy…
There is so much to be learned in the Pilates method. From the foundational exercises, safety considerations on the mat and apparatuses, and knowing how to use the apparatuses properly for each exercise. Before you add any at-home Pilates equipment, it’s important to have guidance and direction from a fully-trained Pilates teacher. If you’re curious about the various equipment options and what you should look for, I’m happy to give you some advice based on what I’ve learned over the past 17 years of teaching the Pilates method.