The Best Pilates Gifts

Not everyone has space for large Pilates apparatus, but there are lots of Pilates gifts that are smaller and will still give you a great workout. Here are some ideas for the Pilates lover in your life (or for your own wish list!)

• Magic Circle
• Spine Corrector
• Spring Board
• Foot Corrector
• Toe Exerciser/tensometer
• The 2×4
• The Pilates Bean back roll up device
• 1, 2, or 3lb dumbbells
• OPC Flashcard Decks. The accessory equipment deck is in the works! Below are a few DIY videos that will help you prepare to learn those exercises.

Many of the above can be found in your local fitness store, in the fitness aisle, on Amazon, or at one of the big Pilates suppliers. Some you can even make! Little by little you can add to your at-home Pilates equipment collection. 

Choosing The Right Pilates Gift 

While most of these items are small, you may need to consider how they will fit into your space. Do you have enough room to use and store it? The springboard for example, needs to be secured to a wall. On the other hand, the magic circle or tensometer can easily be stored in a drawer. Here are some of my favourite at-home apparatuses and how to incorporate them into your routine.

Magic Circle

The magic circle has a whole set of traditional exercises. Many help you to find a strong connection between your arms and back. You’ll also build strength in your back, arms, core, and even your neck. There are some great exercises that help you practice and improve your balance, too. 

It’s also a fun item to add into any mat class. From using it in between your hands for the roll up, between your ankles in the sidekick series, or using it under your chest to aid your pushups, there are many ways you can incorporate the “ring of fire” into your workout.

Spine Corrector

While the magic circle may get groans in class because it’s so challenging, the spine corrector is a fan favourite. It feels so good! You can do a great back bend over the barrel part, do a set of leg exercises, and there are a great number of exercises that deepen the strength of the core and/or involve finding your balance and building strength. You can find foam versions that are lower in cost as well as upholstered versions. 

Springboard 

Designed as an alternative to a tower, this apparatus needs to be secured to the studs in a wall. You’ll also need ample room to lay down in front of it and for doing exercises like leg circles and using the standing arm-springs. Some exercises don’t work as well as they do on the cadillac or the tower, but you can still do a lot. There are old videos of Joseph Pilates doing exercises with springs he had attached to the outside wall of what looked like a cabin. The springboard is very similar.

Foot Corrector

This is a great add-on to other equipment. It would not be my first purchase (in fact I don’t even have one yet – it’s on my list!), but if you are looking for small items and already have a lot of the main things, I would recommend the foot corrector. The number of exercises done on the foot corrector are limited, but it’s still amazing for the full body. 

Toe Exerciser aka Tensometer aka Toe Gizmo

This goes by many names, and is one you can buy or create your own. All you need are two silicone bracelets or thick broccoli elastics. I often have mine beside my chair and use it while I watch TV. Strong, mobile feet will help you with your balance and keep foot pain at bay. Not only that, the exercises done with this apparatus also work the hips, outer thighs, calves, and hamstrings. Here is a little tutorial on how to use the toe gizmo. 

2×4

This is quite literally made from a wooden 2×4, with a little bit of padding and upholstered.  You can purchase these from Pilates manufacturers or make your own. Brad and Lesley Logan have a great DIY tutorial.

Bean Bag

The bean bag is another great item that you could purchase or make. In fact, just using a dowel without the additional weight of the bean bag can be a great workout for grip, forearm, shoulder, and back strength as well as wrist mobility and coordination. Here is a bean bag DIY tutorial, again from Lesley and Brad. 

Light Hand Weights

You can use light dumbbells on the spine corrector and there is a whole sequence of upper-body exercises. You could also use them for a few mat exercises here and there. 

There you have it! These Pilates gift ideas are sure to be a great add-on to your or the Pilates-lover in your life’s at-home workouts. And if you’re still looking for one final idea, you can always purchase class packages or gift cards to their favourite Pilates studio.