Aeropilates Premier Studio Reformer 700

First a little backstory: I’m in my mid 70s and I’ve been physically Active most of my life. I really enjoy riding my horse & using free weights. However, as I have gotten older and experienced arthritis in my lower back and knees, free weights & riding have become more difficult.. So I switched to Pilates Mat work, but felt limited in what I could do. For the last three years, I’ve been thinking about getting the Pilates reformer. I had never used one before, didn’t know anyone who owned one and it seemed rather expensive. I want to have a total knee replacement done in the future. as a retired nurse, I know it’s best to get in shape before you have any sort of surgery. I read that you could exercise on the Pilates reformer without Impacting your lower back- that was very important to me. . I decided to give this a try. This is the best (and least stressful) form of exercise for someone in my condition and I am so happy with my purchase! In the past, I have belonged to a few gyms. This machine replaces everything I use in a gym, and I am able to use it in the privacy of my own home. It is a long, narrow, well-made, piece of equipment that I keep set up in my family room. It’s fun to use & I was surprised how quickly it improved my posture (after just 3 day!)!, strengthened my back, and tightened my core muscles. I highly recommend this product!

TLDR - This reformer is amazing for the price for home reformer workouts. Long version - I see a lot of people saying not to buy a "cheap" reformer because they don't compare to the studio reformers. While this is true, most of us don't need a studio reformer for at-home pilates for many reasons. Studio reformers are built for all sizes of people, and to be used many times a day. Studios have more money to invest in higher quality reformers, and they have an image to uphold. That's all great, but for the average sized person who uses their reformer once daily, this reformer is great. I was taking in-studio pilates classes before purchasing this, so I have a good feel for the difference. While there is a difference to be sure, there's no reason for a non-professional not to try this reformer if the price is right for you. I'm able to follow along with any youtube video without feeling like the machine isn't up to par. It glides smoothly & feels strong & secure. The resistance bands aren't going to pop out and cause damage, and the machine's core doesn't feel janky or cheap. A couple of caveats though: - I'm 5'7" 140lbs & I'd say this reformer won't be great for anyone over 5'8". At my height it seems like it's at it's limit. Weight-wise it could definitely support much more weight. - I purchased some accessories to improve the reformer and the one I definitely suggest is new resistance bands - I put on two of the red "strong" weight bands, one yellow "light" and kept one black "medium" weight. That gives me way more resistance options. I also got the box & double arm loops, which are both not as necessary as upgrading the resistance bands. - When releasing the main platform (like bringing the platform back in after extending it against the resistance bands) it can really slam against it's stopper pegs & it can be jarring, especially when doing leg reps. I'm going glue some foam padding onto them and I think that should solve the problem. - My only real complaint about the machine that can't be solved with an alteration is that the foot bar can't angle, it's only straight up & down. Wish I could find a replacement or that they'd make one but so far I'm getting along with the straight foot bar. I think an angled foot bar would even make this machine more suitable for taller people so it'd be a huge improvement. It's a great addition to my home gym & I've stopped going to in-person pilates classes because I like working out with this reformer so much.

Although the Pilates method of exercise was developed by Joseph and Clara Pilates about 100 years ago, to me it's all pretty new. I had heard about some of the mat exercises but not the Pilates reformer machine. I read about this just a few weeks back in a book called Pilates-2nd Edition which I read for a review. After reading about it and watching a few videos on YouTube I decided that this could be an interesting way to exercise and increase my core strength, balance, and muscle tone. I mostly just walk for exercise but this looked like a good way to create resistance in a little bit different way than lifting weights and doing other exercises. So I decided to do some research and see if I could find a machine that I could use at home and if there was one that I could afford. Many that I had seen cost thousands of dollars. After much research I finally settled on this Stamina AeroPilates 700 Premier Reformer with the stand. I debated about whether or not to get the stand and I finally decided I would for two reasons: It would be cooler in the summer to have air flowing beneath the machine as well as over the top, and because it would be easier to get on and off the machine if it was on the 10 inch stand. Otherwise, it would be just fine without it. Without the stand you can fold it in half to get it out of the way. When it's on the stand it really isn't going anywhere. It's too heavy and clumsy. One thing I discovered is that these things are really long, about 85 inches overall. We have a home gym but it isn't huge and there's other exercise equipment in there already. This fit with only a couple inches to spare and we have to step over it to get to the other side of the room. But after having it in there think it's well worth the space it takes because there are a lot of different exercises that can be done on this machine and they are actually enjoyable. While sometimes it seems like I'm not working very hard i'm surprised at how much I feel the exercise the next day and the amount of increased flexibility these exercises afford me, even in a very short time. Over the past year, when I stoop down to look at something on the low shelf or pick something up, I have to put a lot of concentration to standing straight up again. I hate to have to grab onto something help myself up, my knees didn't feel as strong as they used to. It made me feel like what I was getting old. (Which I guess I am, but I don't want to feel that way!) I'm happy to report that after using this machine for just a few days doing some of the exercises where I'm pushing the carriage that you lie on, back and forth with my feet and legs, I can now stoop down and get up again without as much effort. One of my knees still kind of hurts, but it feels a lot better going up the stairs and getting up and down. I was really afraid at first that I was going to make my knee feel worse, but I think it's strengthened the muscles around my knee and has really helped a lot. And this is less than a week. My sister says it's the placebo effect, that my knees couldn't feel better this quickly. Hey, if it's the placebo effect, I'll take it. Whatever works! The machine was very easy to put together. It was heavy, just over 100 pounds, and my husband was out for a few hours when it arrived. So I had to use a handcart to get it into the garage, took the box apart, and brought it piece by piece into the room where I was going to set it up. I was able to carry it all in myself except for the carriage which was heavy but mostly clumsy. My husband helped carry that in. The instructions, tools, and all the pieces I needed were included. There wasn't much hardware because most of it was already put together. It took me less than an hour to put it together myself, nothing at all complicated and I didn't have to use any unprintable words. I was impressed at how sturdy this machine feels and how well it is designed. I love things that are easy to assemble! This machine comes with the rebounder (trampoline thing), a neck pillow and DVD's. I've only watched a little bit of the beginner's DVD but it seems fine so far, although it's not HD. I've been mostly using the Pilates book that I mentioned above and I ordered another one today that I am planning to use: The Universal Reformer (Contrology Pilates Phisycal Collection) I got the Kindle version and reviewed it today. People have described the Pilates Reformer as a kind of relaxing way to exercise. Although I use a lot of muscles and put a lot of stress on them, it feels like more of a gentle way to exercise, kind of like Yoga. So far I seem to be getting good results without feeling strained or overworked. I do work up a sweat, especially when using the rebounder which is sort of like jumping on a trampoline while lying down. I'm surprised at how quickly it gets my heart pumping. But it's not like running or jumping around where I think, OMG, I want to lie down! Because I'm already lying down. :). Even after just a few days I feel more balanced and feel more like moving throughout the day. I still have a few aches and pains, but i'm hoping that as I get more in shape and lose the 15 pounds that I need to get rid of, that they'll go away. Because it's an enjoyable way to exercise and I'm seeing some quick results, I think it will keep me motivated to continue. Not having to go outdoors to exercise when the weather is bad and being able to use the machine in the privacy of my own home is a big plus. I will post updates as I continue to use this reformer.

Love having this in the comfort of my own home! Instructions were easy to follow, and the machine is great! Obviously not top quality but it’s good for the price! Carriage does bump a little at a certain spot when moving but otherwise good. Very happy with this so far!

This machine is used daily and has held up well. Easy to put together.

Excelente compra, el equipo de muy buena calidad, instalación muy fácil, rápida e intuitiva, y lo mejor de todo...cliente muy satisfecha! Temía recibir un producto de mala calidad, pero con certeza puedo decir que mis dudas en vano. Todo lo que necesito, incluso para un nivel avanzado de pilates. El brincolín esta genial para hacer un buen Cardio después de la sesión, fue un buen plus.

We love our AeroPilates 701 Reformer. It was easy to assemble. We use it daily and are enjoying the benefits. Only wish I had purchased it sooner!

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