Reformer Pilates has quietly become Shoreditch's favourite way to get strong without getting wrecked. If you've been eyeing those machines through studio windows and wondering whether it's for you, this guide covers what actually happens in a class, what it costs in E2, and why we think the reformer belongs in the same building as a sauna and a cold plunge. Ours is the only place in Shoreditch where it is.
Why everyone suddenly does Reformer
The reformer looks like gym equipment designed by a Victorian inventor, and in a sense it is: Joseph Pilates built the first one from a hospital bed. A sliding carriage, adjustable springs, straps and a footbar. What makes it special is feedback. The springs tell you instantly when you're cheating a movement, and the carriage rewards control rather than momentum. You get strength, posture and mobility work in one low-impact session, which is why physios love it and why your most consistent friend won't shut up about it. The NHS recommends strength work at least twice a week; fifty minutes on a reformer ticks that box without a single burpee.
You'll start with footwork: lying on the carriage, pressing away through different foot positions while the springs resist you. It feels gentle for about ninety seconds. Then comes the core series, the straps, lunges and standing work, and somewhere around minute thirty you discover muscles you couldn't previously name. Wear fitted activewear and grip socks (we sell them at the studio if you forget). Nobody is judging the wobble. The wobble is the workout.
Drop-in reformer classes across Shoreditch and east London typically run £28 to £38. At The Sanctuary AndSoul your first three classes are £45, which works out at £15 a class while you learn the machine. After that, memberships start from £99 a month, and here's the part that matters: Sanctuary membership isn't just the Reformer studio. It includes the sauna and cold plunge next door.
This is the pairing we built the house around. Strength work on the reformer, then heat in the Sensorium to unwind the muscles you just loaded, then a cold plunge to bring the nervous system down, then a coffee (or an alcohol-free cocktail) at Palm Greens. Training stimulus, recovery, and the social bit, all under one Victorian warehouse roof on Cheshire Street. No other studio in Shoreditch can offer the full loop.
Loading too many springs on day one. Holding your breath through the hard bits. Skipping footwork because it looks easy. And comparing yourself to the person on carriage three who has been coming since January. The reformer meets you where you are; let it.
Is Reformer Pilates good for beginners? Yes. Beginner classes walk you through the machine from scratch, and most people feel at home on the carriage by their second visit. That's exactly why the intro pack is three classes rather than one.
How much is Reformer Pilates in Shoreditch? Your first three classes at The Sanctuary &Soul cost £45. Memberships from £99 a month include the sauna and cold plunge too.
How is the reformer different from mat Pilates? Springs and a moving carriage add resistance and feedback that mat work can't, so you build strength faster while staying low-impact.
What should I wear? Fitted activewear and grip socks. Showers and changing rooms are here, and so is the sauna, so bring swimwear if you're doing the full flow.
Ready to try it? Your first three Reformer classes are £45. Book your intro pack.
