The reformer has moved from specialist studios into gyms, leisure centres and dedicated reformer studios. That growth raises a simple question for anyone booking a class: what kind of session is it, and what training does the instructor have?
EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, has published its answer. Its Pilates Advisory Forum brought together equipment makers, boutique studios, leisure trusts, health and safety leads, clinical specialists and classical Pilates educators, and ran a six-month consultation across the sector. The result separates two kinds of reformer teaching.
The Pilates Method
The first pathway is the Pilates Method taught on the reformer. EMD UK describes it as built on movement assessment, classical principles and individual progression, taught one to one or in small groups with close attention to each person. It expects comprehensive training: Level 3 Mat Pilates and Level 3 or Level 4 Studio Reformer qualifications, often after months or years of study.
Group Fitness Reformer
The second pathway, Group Fitness Reformer, uses the same equipment for conditioning classes: continuous movement, muscular endurance and cardiovascular challenge, for screened, mainstream fitness participants. Instructors need a Level 2 group exercise or gym qualification, or a Level 3 personal training qualification, plus a recognised Group Fitness Reformer qualification or CPD. Under EMD UK’s scope of practice, they do not market themselves as Pilates teachers.
What it means for people booking a class
EMD UK’s position is that the reformer is equipment, and that the instructor’s training and the purpose of the class decide what kind of session it is. The two pathways are different, not better and worse: one is a conditioning class, the other a teaching method. EMD UK has published a downloadable scope of practice for Group Fitness Reformer that sets out what instructors on that pathway do and don’t do.
For anyone choosing a class, it suggests two straightforward questions to ask before booking: which kind of session is this, and what qualifications does the instructor hold?
Original articleWhat is the difference between Pilates Reformer and Group Fitness Reformer? (opens in a new tab)EMD UK, 22 September 2026