As part of our ongoing series, We Tried It , health reporter Catherine Pearson and nutrition and fitness editor Meredith Melnick tried a session at True Pilates studio in midtown Manhattan.

I have long wanted to try Pilates, and not just the mat class, but the real deal. Like, on the machines. They're so intriguing -- How do you use them? Are they as scary as they look? They're long, they're lean and they carry themselves like ballerinas, only somehow less stiff.

Which is all a long way of saying that I went into my first reformer Pilates class with pretty robust expectations.

In my hour-plus long, one-on-one session, my instructor coached me through the basic sequence -- some time on the reformer, sort of the central piece of equipment, as well as the Cadillac very roughly, tricked-out monkey bars attached to a mat upon which I did a lot of leg and bum exercises. We did each move only a few times -- the emphasis in Pilates is in quality, not quantity, my instructor explained -- and with exacting attention paid to my form.

I was told to squeeze my ribs in and scoop my abdominals, schooled on my posture apparently, I have no idea what it feels like to actually sit up straight, which was a real eye-opener and did a few simple leg swirls that immediately help open up my very, very tight hips. It was challenging, both in terms of working my muscles and also forcing myself to pay particular attention to how every inch of my person was aligned, but I also felt extremely safe in a way I sometimes haven't in yoga classes.

The machines kind of nudge and keep you into certain positions, and having an instructor there to watch my every, single move no doubt helped, too. When I left, I was walking differently -- head higher, shoulders pinched back, and much more aware of how engaged and strong I could be in my core. For days after, I've been catching myself slumping over on the subway or at my desk and forcing myself to contract my abdominals and straighten my spine.

The issue for me going forward will be cost.

Should You Do Pilates on a Mat or on a Reformer? - Gaiam

Private reformer sessions are just too far out of my budget, although the instructors explained that a few sessions can help build the muscle memory you need to really be more aware of what your body is doing in larger and less pricey mat classes. I think I will give that a go. The exercise just really speaks to me -- it's challenging, while also encouraging gracefulness and helped me be more aware of my body.

But seriously, would that I were a millionaire, I would go to private reformer sessions all the time. Although it was predetermined from the time my mesomorphic parents decided to have children, it didn't occur to me until age 15 or so that I would never have a dancer's sinewy physique. Mine is more of a soccer player's build. And since that discovery, I've relegated certain fitness behaviors to an off-limits category called 'What Dancers Do.

So it was with detached curiosity that I approached the True Pilates studio in east midtown.

The swanky two-story gym had the calm warmth of a spa -- and a price tag to match. Certainly a special treat on a journalist's salary. A series of reformer machines -- with names like "the guillotine" and "the ladder" -- were laid out across each of two sunny studios.

We were introduced to two knowledgeable and patient instructors, who I was pleasantly surprised to note looked like us: As is customary for private sessions, our instructors spent the entire hour adjusting us as we moved through a series of repetitive, isometric exercises.

Each one required small muscle movements, but a great deal of realignment. We tucked our tailbones, elongated our torsos through the rib cage and "scooped" our stomachs. I felt my body's bones stack up in a totally novel way. As a fit person of moderate-flexibility and strength, I found the exercises challenging but doable.

What's more, I could imagine how they applied to my regular exercise regime, which consists of running, biking and occasional yoga.

What Are the Benefits of Pilates Reformer Exercise? | yzyjifoh.web.fc2.com

My instructor relayed that she'd recently gotten her brother, a firefighter, to practice reformer Pilates -- which he found to be useful. Walking back to the office after the appointment, I felt pliable and energized.

But what really sold me on the technique was how differently I carried my spine. Even now, when I think of it, I adjust myself in my chair. That was the class's most valuable legacy. For more on pilates, click here. For more by Meredith Melnick, click here. For more by Catherine Pearson, click here.

NEWS Highline Science Education Weird News Business TestKitchen Tech College Media. POLITICS Pollster Heroin Epidemic Donald Trump Racial Inequality US Senate Election Results HuffPost Hill Police Brutality Hate Crimes Supreme Court Congress So That Happened. LIFESTYLE Healthy Living Travel Style Taste Home Relationships Horoscopes.

VOICES Black Voices Latino Voices Women Fifty Queer Voices Parents. IMPACT Reclaim Project Zero Good News. MORE Books Candidate Confessional College Crime Divorce Eat the Press Education Green Outspeak Religion Small Business Sports Teen Weddings.

By Meredith Melnick , Catherine Pearson. Follow Meredith Melnick on Twitter: Follow Catherine Pearson on Twitter: Meredith Melnick Health Director, The Huffington Post.

Pilates: Health and Disease Prevention - Does Pilates work? - MedicineNet

We Tried It Pilates Reformer Pilates Diet And Nutrition Pilates For Beginners. Subscribe to the Lifestyle email. ABOUT US ADVERTISE About Our Ads Contact Us RSS FAQ Careers Archive User Agreement Privacy Policy Comment Policy.