Winter has a way of slowing us down. The colder mornings, shorter days, and layers of clothing can make even the most active among us feel tighter and less motivated to move. But your body doesn’t have to suffer through the season.
With the right kind of movement, you can feel just as strong, open, and energized in the colder months as you do in the sun-filled days of summer.
That’s where Reformer Pilates comes in.
More than just a workout, Pilates is a practice that keeps your body aligned, your joints mobile, and your muscles awake. Even when temperatures drop and everything outside feels stiff and frozen, your body can stay fluid and pain-free.
In a high-end studio, where you receive a personalized fitness experience, your Pilates sessions can be adapted to meet your exact needs throughout winter. Whether you’re dealing with tight hips, stiff shoulders, or general sluggishness, the reformer is one of the most powerful tools to help you move better and feel better.
Top 5 Reformer Exercises to Keep Your Body Moving Through Winter
Winter may invite stillness, but your body thrives on movement. The following Reformer exercises are designed to release tension, improve circulation, and restore fluidity. Each one can be tailored to your needs with the support of a high-end studio and a personalized fitness experience.
1. Footwork Series
Targets: Legs, glutes, calves, core
The footwork series is a classic way to begin a Reformer session, and for good reason. It warms up the body, gets the blood flowing, and brings attention to your alignment and breath.
Lying on your back with your feet on the footbar, you press out through the legs and control your return with precision. As simple as it seems, this series works deep into the hips, thighs, and glutes. It also supports better ankle mobility and core engagement.
Winter stiffness often settles into the lower body. Footwork gently wakes up the legs without placing stress on the joints, helping you feel grounded and strong as you start your day.
Why it helps:
This series increases circulation and brings warmth into the body. It also reinforces proper posture, which is often lost when we spend more time indoors and sitting.
2. Leg Circles and Frogs (in Straps)
Targets: Hips, pelvis, inner thighs, hamstrings
When the cold sets in, hips tend to tighten, especially if you’re sitting more than usual. Leg circles and frog movements, performed with your feet in the straps, help open up the hip joints while building strength and control in the surrounding muscles.
These movements create space where there might be tension and allow you to move with more grace and ease. The support of the reformer carriage lets you stay gentle while still working through a full range of motion.
Why it helps:
This exercise releases tension in the lower back and hips, a common source of stiffness during winter. It also builds coordination and core control, helping you stay more stable throughout the day.
3. Cat Stretch on the Reformer
Targets: Spine, shoulders, core, upper back
The spine craves movement, especially in the colder months. The cat stretch, performed kneeling on the reformer with hands on the footbar, brings mobility back to the entire spine. As you round and lengthen your back with the breath, you reawaken muscles that may feel tight and compressed.
This movement is especially beneficial if you’ve been working at a desk, hunching over a phone, or spending long hours indoors. It invites the spine to move in all directions and helps melt away upper back and shoulder tension.
Why it helps:
The cat stretch improves spinal flexibility, supports healthy posture, and helps release stiffness from the upper body. It also builds awareness of how breath can support movement.
4. Mermaid Stretch
Targets: Side body, obliques, spine, shoulders
The mermaid is one of the most loved Reformer exercises, and for good reason. It’s fluid, elegant, and deeply restorative. Sitting sideways on the reformer, you reach and side-bend with support from the springs and carriage. The motion stretches the rib cage, spine, and waist, opening up space that often feels compressed during winter.
This movement can help release tension in the low back and shoulders while strengthening the obliques. It’s also a powerful way to reconnect to your breath and feel more open in your torso.
Why it helps:
The mermaid counteracts the effects of curling inward during the colder months. It encourages length, mobility, and a sense of lightness through the spine.
5. Short Spine Massage
Targets: Spine, hamstrings, glutes, deep core
This is one of the most rewarding exercises on the reformer. With your feet in the straps, you press up and roll the spine off the carriage, lifting into a gentle inversion before slowly articulating back down.
The short spine massage combines mobility, control, and strength. It’s a beautiful way to decompress the spine and stretch the entire back body. The movement also improves circulation and brings a refreshing sense of release after a long day.
Why it helps:
It gently lengthens the spine and hamstrings, both of which tend to tighten in cold weather. It also calms the nervous system and encourages deep breathing.
Why Work With a High-End Studio
Doing Pilates on your own can be helpful, but working in a high-end studio offers a different level of care and precision. You’re not just following a routine — you’re being guided through a personalized fitness experience designed to support your goals and your body’s unique needs.
In winter especially, a personalized approach helps you avoid injury, work with seasonal challenges, and stay consistent. Your instructor will adjust spring settings, modify exercises, and create a session that makes sense for you on that day. Whether you’re feeling stiff, tired, or full of energy, your session adapts to support your body.
The environment of a high-end studio also adds to your experience. It feels like a retreat — quiet, clean, focused. It’s a space where you can reset, reconnect, and recharge.
Moving Through Winter with Strength and Ease
Winter doesn’t have to mean tension, pain, or slowing down. With the right approach, your body can feel strong, open, and supported through every season.
Reformer Pilates gives you the tools to move better, breathe deeper, and stay connected to yourself, even when everything outside feels heavy and still. These five exercises are just the beginning. The more consistent your practice, the more your body will thank you.
And when you practice in a space where your experience is personalized and your movement is guided with care, the benefits grow even stronger.