Jennifer Aniston has credited her strength to mat-based pilates. Hailey Bieber has extolled the benefits of strengthening reformer. And it’s no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow has long preached sermons about the mood-boosting power of infrared pilates.
Now, tower pilates is gaining popularity among the A-list wellness crowd – a workout that improves balance and flexibility alongside the well-known shaping, toning and full-conditioning benefits that have long been synonymous with pilates.
There’s another major pull. In an increasingly online world – where tech neck and poor posture are becoming all too familiar tales of our digital-first existence – a practice that helps reduce back tension, increase alignment and improve core stabilisation comes with evident appeal.
Ahead, experts explain all the benefits behind this increasingly popular workout…
What is tower pilates?
“Tower pilates uses a fixed vertical frame, either attached to the wall or at the end of a reformer bed, with various attachments such as arm and leg springs, a roll back bar and push-through bar,” explains Josie Crafts, master trainer at The Method. “It’s a low impact, alignment-focused and full body workout that supports and challenges the body with fixed points of resistance, resulting in improved strength, stability and flexibility,” she adds.
It was originally thought up as an adjunct to classic mat-based and reformer pilates.
“Tower pilates was originally designed to help make mat and reformer practices better. It’s now gaining popularity in its own right, as people are looking for something to deepen their practice,” adds Caroline Bragg, master pilates trainer at Third Space.
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What are the benefits of tower pilates?
What sets tower pilates apart starts with its versatility, given that the springs and bars allow for a diverse range of precise movements. “Using controlled, precise movements, the tower helps build body awareness and strength, increases flexibility and improves imbalances and posture,” shares Crafts.
Another key benefit for anyone who spends most of their day in front of the screen is its ability to improve your posture and alignment. Regular practice can help correct muscle imbalances and improve tension in the neck and back, and the low-impact nature of the class makes it perfect for stiff joints. “Tower Pilates improves posture and alignment by retraining how your body supports itself. The springs provide contact feedback, improving proprioception whilst balancing strength and flexibility. The slow and controlled movements also build body awareness, and over time this makes standing and moving with better alignment feel natural and effortless, not tense or controlled,” agrees Crafts.
Tower pilates is also being touted for improving your fitness and wellness practice as a whole. “The tower doesn’t have an order like mat or reformer, so the exercise can be broken down with a slower pace and be more focused and controlled. This allows you to work through some of the more detailed aspects and really finesse their practice,” adds Bragg.
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Both the practice, pace and units differ. “A tower unit is both ends of the cadillac. There are four sets of springs, two which are moveable and two bars that are fixed but can be loaded from the top or bottom (a roll down bar, and a push through bar),” shares Bragg. “The springs are attached to one fixed point, and then into the body, which feeds the load in a different way to traditional reformer where the springs attach from each side below the carriage. On the tower there is a mat rather than a moving carriage.”
courtesy of Virgin Active
The springs help provide assistance and body feedback, making it a particularly powerful workout for anyone looking to improve their alignment, mobility, and strength. “Unlike reformer pilates, there’s no moving carriage, so movements are slower and more precise, with a strong focus on posture, spinal articulation, and deep core connection,” adds Crafts.
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“There is a general shift towards holistic, sustainable physical wellness and the rise in popularity of pilates as a whole, so tower pilates aligns perfectly with that shift,” shares Crafts.
It’s also no coincidence that this workout is being welcomed at a time when nervous system dysregulation and stress are at an all-time high. “Due to its low impact movements and focus on mind-body connection, it’s perfect for anyone looking to slow down while also seeing tangible results,” says Crafts.
Who is this workout best suited for?
“The tower is great for anyone seeking better posture and balance. Whether you’re a complete beginner, coming back from injury or an experienced practitioner looking for deeper resistance,” shares Crafts.
As for where to book tower pilates in London right now? Fitness studios offering the new workout are starting to double. The Method will be launching reformer and tower in March as part of the opening of its new flagship club. Third Space has also added tower to its curriculum, and Virgin Active is among the first to add the workout to its London schedule.
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