Pilates Movement Monday: Exploring the Lower Body Lunge on the Reformer

Focused control and balance in a Reformer lunge, lengthening through the full kinetic chain.

When it comes to closing a session with something your clients will both feel and love, the lower body lunge on the Reformer is a standout favourite. It’s a brilliant way to lengthen the entire body, especially from the foot through the hip flexors, thigh, and even into the torso, while helping to restore balance in muscles that are often overused or tight.

Let’s dive into this beautiful stretch and how we can use it effectively in our teaching.

Two Pilates Variations: Same Apparatus, Different Emphasis

There are two common ways to perform the lower body lunge on the Reformer, and each offers a slightly different focus:

1. Front Knee BentIn this version, the emphasis is on the front of the back leg. We're talking quadriceps, psoas, and even the hip flexors. It's an ideal way to open the front of the body and release tension from prolonged sitting or overuse during sport or repetitive movement patterns.

2. Front Leg StraightHere, the focus shifts to the hamstrings of the front leg. This version often feels more intense in terms of lengthening through the posterior chain, especially if your client carries tightness through the back of the legs.

Both options are useful depending on the client’s body and the focus of your session. I often switch between the two based on where I see restriction or what we’ve been working on that day.

Hand Placement: Support vs Challenge

• Hands on the Foot Bar:A wonderful way to ground the upper body and reduce lumbar compression. This version allows clients to stay lower with their torso and focus on the opening through the front body without collapsing into the spine.

• Arms Lifted Off the Bar:Now we’re talking balance challenge. Without the support of the hands, the movement demands more control and core engagement. Be mindful of this version if the client is already fatigued, save it for when they’re stable and ready for more.

When to Use It

This is not something I would place at the beginning of a session. I see the lunge as a release and integration exercise, ideally done toward the end of the workout, just before standing Reformer work or even as a transition into final stretches.

It’s a nice way to bring the client back to centre, give them a moment of stillness and length, and leave the session feeling taller and more open.

The Importance of Stretching the Lower Body

In our modern world, even among active clients, the lower body is often overused and under-stretched. Runners, cyclists, gym-goers, even those who walk a lot can build up tension in the quads, calves, glutes, and hamstrings. The psoas often becomes shortened from too much sitting, and the calves can become incredibly tight from wearing shoes with even a slight heel.

This lunge helps:

• Open the hip flexors

• Release hamstrings

• Lengthen the spine through the support of the back leg

• Stretch the feet, particularly if you cue your client to feel the length from heel to toe on the front foot

Encourage your clients to focus on where they feel the stretch and let them breathe into that area, especially if they’ve had a demanding week on their legs.

Breathing Notes

As always, breath enhances movement. A beginner-friendly breath cue here is to breathe out on the effort, especially as they press back into the lunge. This helps support the core and maintain control.

For more advanced clients, I might cue an inhalation on the effort, particularly to challenge them to maintain control under load and access more thoracic expansion. It becomes a challenge breath, engaging different parts of the breath and promoting awareness of how breath supports movement.

Mindful Movement: Speed and Grip

The speed of the movement is key. This is not a fast exercise. Slow, controlled motion will give your client the chance to feel the stretch, explore their balance, and avoid gripping through the hands or shoulders.

If their hands are on the foot bar, remind them not to grip. I sometimes say, “The bar is just there for support, not survival!” Encourage softness in the fingers and length in the arms.

Final Thoughts

The lower body lunge on the Reformer is a quiet powerhouse. It’s an elegant way to finish a session, bringing length and release to an area that often gets overused. As Pilates teachers, it’s up to us to choose the right variation for the right moment and client, and to always keep breath, control, and alignment at the heart of the movement.

Happy Movement Monday, and here’s to helping our clients feel a little longer, lighter, and more connected each time they step off the Reformer.