Beyond the Reformer

What the Future of Reformer Pilates Actually Looks Like with Yvette McGaffin

• Nic Lenny

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In this episode, Nic is joined by Yvette McGaffin, co-founder of ReformRx and the driving force behind what is set to become the world's first digitally connected Reformer Pilates machine for the home.

Yvette's story is one of the more remarkable in the Pilates industry right now. A professional dancer turned studio owner, she built and ran her own Reformer Pilates studios in Belfast and Edinburgh before identifying a gap that had been sitting in plain sight for decades: the reformer itself had barely changed in 50 years. What followed was years of prototyping, welding in sheds, searching Herefordshire countryside for the right designer, and eventually building a piece of equipment that's now in luxury hotels, health clubs, and studios across Europe.

They explore what it actually takes to build something from scratch in the Pilates industry - the resilience, the false starts, and the moments that unlocked everything. They get into the real barriers to Reformer Pilates accessibility, from cost and intimidation to the question of who the industry thinks it's for. And they discuss where connected fitness meets Pilates, and why Yvette believes technology should make the friction fall away and leave you with just the movement.

They also go deeper into what the next five to ten years could look like for the industry - and why Yvette believes Reformer Pilates is about to stop being something people add in, and start being the foundation everything else is built on.

Timestamps

00:27 Why the reformer hadn't changed in 50 years

04:29 Yvette's journey into Pilates and professional dance

06:56 Building the Reform Method and opening studios

10:24 Who Reformer Pilates is really for

16:45 The decision to build ReformRx

19:04 Designing the reformer from scratch

23:23 What the smart spine changed

26:43 Should teachers be worried about at-home reformers?

27:49 Why mat Pilates is harder than people think

29:55 How studios are using connected reformers

32:13 ReformRx in hotels and hospitality

40:08 What building ReformRx taught Yvette

44:40 Where to find Yvette and the Ultra One Reformer


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SPEAKER_01

Coming up on this week's episode of Beyond the Reformer. Today I'm joined by Vet McGaffin. The reformer has stayed relatively unchanged for decades. What made you feel like it needed to evolve?

SPEAKER_00

There's been a lack of innovation in kind of 50 years. Do I fit this mould of the, you know, Plotties Pink Princess?

SPEAKER_01

No one really ever talks about the amazing body it might or might not have given them. They talk about they got to know themselves better, they slowed down, they felt at peace with themselves.

SPEAKER_00

The opportunity isn't just in the growth, but it's raising the standard of how Pilates is delivered.

SPEAKER_01

It is so amazing to have you here. Today's conversation is a really interesting one because Vette brings a very different perspective to the podcast. She started out exactly where many of us are teaching Pilates, running studios, working closely with clients, and she's now gone on to build something that's sitting right at the intersection of Pilates alongside technology. In today's episode, we talk about her journey from the studio floor to developing Reformer RX, why she felt the Reformer needed to evolve, and what this shift towards connected and at-home Pilates actually means for teachers and studio owners. Before we dive into today's conversation, I've just got a quick favor to ask. If you do enjoy these episodes, it would mean the world if you could take a moment to like, follow, or subscribe wherever you're listening or watching. It's a small thing, but it genuinely helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these guests and these conversations. Okay, let's get into today's conversation. Evie, welcome to Beyond the Reformer. It's so wonderful to have you here. Thank you for joining me. Thanks for having me, Nick. I am really excited to talk all things reforma and Pilates and innovation with you today. I thought we would start with the fact that the reformer has stayed relatively unchanged for decades. What made you feel like it needed to evolve?

SPEAKER_00

I feel like that's my line. Yeah. I mean, there's been a lack of innovation in kind of 50 years. And that's kind of where it started for us. I mean, I owned and operated studios for nearly on a decade in the UK and prior to that had dance background, spent 20 years in the game for me. And my co-founder, husband, all things really, we just thought we could reinvent and reimagine the reformer in a silly way of thinking we could do everything. So it kind of set us on this interesting path. And it was it was about looking where the industry is potentially going. I mean, I am deeply passionate about Pilates, specifically Reformer Pilates and how it supports the body. And just seeing that people were training in a very dynamic, aesthetic way, which is, I think, part of why, you know, we're seeing this boom in this scale, because it really hits the whole mascosketal system. So that was kind of the precipice for us of in our studios, how can we make something a little bit more intentional that feels like it's going to support you, looks like it has velocity, that it moves with you. So we we found a designer after like a year of searching, Nick, and it was deep in the Herefordshire countryside in the UK. And Austin Owens at Grove Design, and it kind of unlocked everything for us. And we actually took him concept Formula One car design and showed him a reformer, educated him on reformer parties, and said, How do we make this look like this? And that was kind of the unlocker. So I think the first thing for us was the aesthetic. How do we get more people doing it? How do we get more men on it? Looking like it's going to hold and support different populations. And also we realized we could track data, we could uncover tech here. And it it was a long and wonderful and windy journey. And I think the a big part of it for me was, you know, springs. I think I wanted it to be it was archaic that we were manually hooking on springs. And I know people love the springs on a reformer, as do I. We still have springs in our amazing reformers, but they're encased in our smart spine. So we just we built in safety overnight. And then we realized we could we could do lots of other wonderful things, which I'm sure we'll get we'll get into. But that was the journey, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I, you know, as I was sat here preparing for our chat today, I was kind of thinking it's such a good point that in every other industry, technology has become a big part of this and innovation and the materials that we now have that we can make things with. And so it was interesting, yeah, thinking about it's interesting that it's you know, it's almost taken until now for you to kind of or for someone like you to kind of come and look at this.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think it's a a nervous area of like what was and like paying homage and integrity to what was. I think technology is wonderful if it's intentional and it is adding to the practice. It's not trying to solve or fix things. We still need to like move our body. It's just how do we meet people where they're at and make it more accessible in a way that, you know, if you're looking for that additional 1% because you're an athlete and you can tap into your, you know, into this really elite style of training where you're able to manage yourself under load, or if you're new and you're coming in, you know, how do we meet you where you're at? So we can create language and culture and technology that shows you on screen what spring should be engaged, for example, right? So you press the button, you see it, you see if that's what's recommended, you see what exercise is coming up next, you can see the resistance and the velocity of how you move. Like it was just a bit of a game changer of going, why not for this modality that we love?

SPEAKER_01

Well, let's take let's take us back to your story then, Evie, around Pilates. When did Pilates first come into your life?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I'm actually like 40 next week, which is exciting. But it was like around 18, so 22 years ago. And I danced professionally in the UK. That's where I when I moved when I was 21 after forming art school in Sydney and originally from New Zealand. And uh I trained in matte Pilates when I was training as a dancer. And when I when I moved to London, I worked with some really cool studios that were doing some some great things in the space of more traditional and then more contemporary, hardcore, which was awesome, and then sense of space and all and all these cool places. And then it really supported my dance career. And I think I lived in a few different places throughout my 20s and got to experience different studios kind of around the globe and and really thought how do I want to bring, you know, my version or style of this, and then ended up creating studios with my now husband 10 years ago in in Ireland. So that was kind of a 10-second preview of my journey.

SPEAKER_01

And what kind of dro drew you into creating your studios? And so you did that back in Ireland then, did you?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we did. We did in Belfast, and then we opened another and then another in Edinburgh inside like a year and a half. And we were a bit self-critical then of going, should we roll out locations or like how is AI or how is technology going to influence our modality and the space? And I think it's definitely about supporting the instructor with technology as well, not replacing them. It's also making it able to be more of a consistent practice because longevity is the buzzword, but longevity is only intentional if you can consistently practice that. And yeah, that that led us into a wonderful journey near nearly a year ago with iFit. So they acquired Reform RX, which was our company, which we which was the the Reform RX and the RXS that we built. And we are now about to launch kind of the world's first digitally connected Pilates uh reformer for the home, which is the Ultra One Reformer.

SPEAKER_01

And talk to me a little bit before we talk about the Reform RX, talk to me a little bit about your studios. What was the kind of ethos of your studios? What were you trying to do? Interesting that you had one in Ireland and then, you know, overseas as such in Edinburgh. Yeah, like and that's that's an interesting challenge as well of how do you run a studio. So tell me a little bit more about those studios.

SPEAKER_00

I created a method, so it was the reform method, and it was the culmination of all my learnings over the past couple of decades, and I wanted to well decade at that point, and I wanted to bring like a complete whole training, musculoskeletal um style where you really felt like you did 50 minutes and you didn't have to do anything else, like you hit everything. So it was dynamic and athletic, but it also, you know, we had we had our apprentice classes and our dynamic classes. So if you were coming in as entry level, you were very much still challenged, you know, that time under tension, that load and that fatigue. But it was in a really beautiful way of how I, you know, it's it's lovely to move and like fluidity of movement movement. So it kind of is this 360 approach, the the programming and the style of the programming just felt really good. And I spent a lot of time kind of building that method out and then training these absolute rock stars to to build that with me in Ireland and then in Edinburgh. And then yeah, crazy enough to think we could we could go again with another, another adventure.

SPEAKER_01

And how did you work? So when you brought teachers into your studio, were they already qualified and then you sort of train them on this method, or were you bringing them in and training them on that?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, sometimes I think it depends on the person and their their style, you know, like there's some fantastic instructors that, you know, want to add another layer in this and the stylization, which is amazing because you obviously have layers and layers and layers of teaching. How you cue, how you build imagery, how you, you know, there's just so many. So I think people coming from a fitness background bring another wonderful layer that they can they can come in and the nuance that they then have to learn. But it was a combination of both. Yeah. And what did you love about that studio life? There's something about the community you build, right? Like seeing, I think as well, we're seeing it on the 30,000-foot view from where I'm at now in my career. And going back, like the the learnings and understanding I have from what that customer wants and needs is because of those studio years. You know, like the woman, I think coming from New Zealand, it was growing up there, like sport is so prevalent, you know, in everybody. And not to stereotype, but I found that woman in at Northern Ireland when we opened our first studio, they they didn't necessarily do sport outside of primary school. And I was like, wow. So they didn't train necessarily, you know, and it was kind of a bit of an awakening of it. You have you have to figure out what your thing is, whether it's Bamington or Pilates or whatever, we we have to move. So that was a really special thing for me to see women who came in and then ended up coming three, four times a week because they're like, I've found my thing. This is amazing, and I'm addicted to it in a good way.

SPEAKER_01

And we've talked about this a few times on episodes where I think our generation a little bit was brought up in the UK and Ireland, and that's what I can talk about. About sport was competitive sport. There was no understanding of health and fitness as, you know, all the the amount of stuff that's out there and the things that you can just do for yourself, and they're not about competition. And I think that's what Pilates certainly was for me as well, actually, was oh, I can do this thing, and it's just about me, and it makes me feel really good in lots and lots of different ways. So I can imagine that method landing so well with those people there.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it was like a look back and it's just that was probably the highlight. And then seeing as well, oh, I think we're again this 30,000-foot view of even wanting to make the reformer look and feel more accessible, seeing men come in, usually they're around their 40s to 50s, a little broken, you know, who had pushed themselves and, you know, the joints breaking down. It wasn't about longevity, it was about, like you say, like performance or competition or be the best and push the hardest. And our realization that like it needs to be this holistic view. And also, that can also feel good. It can feel good to train like this in your body and kind of building them back up. So it was kind of a combination of two. But yeah, they were really special years and in creating that community and seeing people genuinely just confident, building this confidence they didn't realize that that bought out on them in terms of being confident in movement in yourself.

SPEAKER_01

And what were the challenges of running those studios?

SPEAKER_00

Scale. Yeah, scale. I think that led to the innovation and kind of going in a different direction than we thought we would when we were self-critical. I think, you know, we're still scratching the surface of, you know, people still maybe think Pilates is niche or it's stretching. We're we're educating, have that conversation in different markets. But in certain areas it's it's not, it's becoming more mature and people are really, you know, understanding it's much more than that. But the challenges, I guess, in the studio world and growth is instructors, I think people wanting to go and open their own studios, which is great. It's like, how do you have a business model that's going to grow in an intentional way for years? And how can we kind of support with that to make it reach and be more accessible to more people, not just a certain cohort of the community? So yeah, there were there were just obvious challenges there, which I think people are facing a lot now in the studio game.

SPEAKER_01

I think they are facing them. And I think it's the plethora of competition opening is is definitely providing a challenge. And then those people who are wanting to scale, it's like, how do you scale and keep it as good as when it was one or two studios? And I imagine that's kind of partly what sort of led you to look at, you know, the programming is a big part of that. How do you get the quality of the teachers and the consistency? I was randomly skiing a few weeks ago and bumped into a studio owner who had a few studios in London and he was talking about expanding. And that was the kind of first conversation, the first thing that came up was about how do you make sure that your instructors are doing a good job? And in my mind, it's not also the instructors, it's even the management. Like, how do you make sure that the place is clean and tidy and it's open on time and the socks are stocked up on the shelves? Like, there's so many to this, and it must have been hard for you, you know, not having, you know, one of your studios wasn't down the road from you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I traveled a lot. Yeah. So I would, I would go every week in the early six months because I wanted to create this consistency. But then you're going, oh, if we roll these out over the UK, you can't be everywhere for everyone. And I think it was, it was, you know, part of opening the mind to go, well, yeah, how do you reach more people in terms of programming, like world-class programming and amazing instructors and giving them a, you know, a platform to be able to reach more people. And then also the the reformer in the tech, and the it's not just about the content, it's a massive part of it, but also the nuance of how that's delivered, you know, that can maintain certain standards of consistency. And even the instructors, in terms of understanding this is the level, you know, which is what's the content on demand. And then also how can we utilize downtime? Because, you know, rents, rates, and rents are expensive. So how do we ensure that the studio is is open and pumping throughout the day? And that was a part of it as well. And seeing how the connective fitness boom was doing that in ways and cycling and different modalities and go, why not for Pilates? And I think, you know, the worry of tainting what the, you know, the authentic is, but going, you know, with innovation comes growth and change. And you also iron things out because people tell you, which is great. You get feedback and they're going, you know, it's great. I can see um when I engage my scre uh spring what this what's engaged. But is that right? You know, that was our first learning going, yeah, you're right, we should show you what should be engaged. So like there's just always going to be iterations and learning, which is how things evolve.

SPEAKER_01

Do you think the Pilates has been harder to access than it needs to be? Is that partly what drove you?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think there were there's an intimidation factor, there's a cost factor. You know, there are it's even, you know, do I fit this mold of the, you know, Pilates Pink Princess or whatever the hashtag is, and kind of going, let's broaden that. I think we've got the wonderful, you know, Margot Robbie's and Sydney Sweeney's of the world who who shake it showcase it in that way, and then we've, you know, who who advocate and love it, but then we've the Andy Murray's, you know, Adele, who essentially changed her life, her lifestyle because of changing the way she essentially moves. And then Ronaldo obviously showing how you can prolong your career, you know, with Pilates. They're speaking to very different people. And I think it's making people understand, oh, this is also could be for me. And that was that was really important as well, of going, well, let's try and match that with bringing technology into the game.

SPEAKER_01

So when you decided to create reform at Rx, what was the vision? Okay, you'd been you'd have these studios, I think very cleverly. I've had a similar thought. Like more bricks and mortar studios is a great idea, but it brings with it challenges. But you're clearly ambitious and you had this vision of spreading to more people and thinking, well, how can we do it? So you kind of you're at that point. What then gets you thinking, you know, let's look at the equipment, let's look at technology, and then how do you go deeper with that?

SPEAKER_00

You start, you put one foot in front of the other and you start. I think I mentioned earlier we found Austin after a year of searching. Like we had extrusions and things that we got ourselves and we're trying to weld in a in a shed with a neighbor. Like this was like the the things, you know, behind the scenes that we never show showed. And then that was an unlocker and riffing. You know, you're not an expert at any everything. You you maybe have a really clear idea and you you know, you stand on the shoulders of giants to achieve great things. Whoever cleverly said that quote. And it's so true. It's like you need all of these different people to bring in their expertise, and then yeah, I guess Neil and I were the energy driving it forward. And I think we just don't know how to quit either. So it was like, let's keep going. And when we created our first prototype, which was the Rx, and it has incorporated a chair into it, so it's so great for studios. It's like, how do we bring another people's piece of apparatus into the reformer? And it's more accessible to use in a studio environment. And then we created the RX S, which was then a slightly smaller version. So that was that was kind of a journey. And then yeah, we're all of a sudden having conversations about scaling with some bigger companies, and then it ended up being with iFit, which was the right thing in terms of our vision of connected fitness and theirs and how they offer it in other modalities. And it was kind of the natural progression to scale. So I think we were really good at the first bit, and I'm really excited to be scaling in the next bit with that knows what they're doing because I'm not an expert at all things.

SPEAKER_01

And what did you want this reformer to do differently? How do you mean, Nick? Well, when you kind of sat down, I can imagine you're going, right? I think we should create our own reformer. And I imagine you maybe thought, you know, you know, Peloton is doing this, and there's, you know, there's other things out there. Like you said, it's not happening for a reformer. Did you, was that just what you were looking for? Because when I've looked at, you know, I've seen the machine at your events, it's quite, it looks quite different. Like you said, the springs are encased. Like, where did those things, did you, did you have ideas of like, I feel like this could be better? And where did those ideas come from?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So the the Formula One car design for the designer, that was that was kind of a unlocker of going, oh, it doesn't need to look exactly like this. And we're like, no, let's try and rip off the playbook and not come from a realm of like, how do we iterate on an existing reformer? Let's reinvent and reimagine and see if it's going to hold the same integrity. And that's where the smart spine came from. So that central spine, the extrusion, we have no well. So we have no gully and you can't fall into anything. And we we saw that as a bit of a game changer because how do you, you know, as the industry grows and health clubs are coming in, like how do you have people on or former if there's no instructor? And that is and has proven to be inevitable, like that is happening. So how do we make sure that they're safe and it is an amazing experience? So it was that, and then the springs, yes, just to touch on the in clay springs, there's just it's just so scary if you've never done it. It's like such a learning curve. And then even if you're an ultimate pro and you're, you know, you go into flow state and you're maybe just not concentrating, you just it's it was about making the friction just fall away and it you're just left with the movement. So that was kind of our our kind of through line.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's really interesting about not having a gully. And your point about health clubs is really valid. I am just about to join a fancy gym, and one of my teachers said to me, Oh, they've got reformers there. And we have clients sometimes saying, Can you give us a little program? But she said to me, The thing is, I hear the reformers are trashed because no one knows how to use them. And it's such a good point because they are being put into health clubs now because Pilates is becoming so big. But you think about the first time we went on it, you think about I I even remember, you know, even in our teacher training courses, we're like, here's a tour of the reformer. This is how you put them on, this is what these springs mean. And, you know, there's a subtlety to the springs. And we have this one client who always goes wildly off on the spring, like almost to a dangerous level. And one day I had to have a chat with him and say, How many years training have you done to know what springs to put on? He's like, I just want to make it as hard as possible. I was like, but that's not the point. And so I think it's really interesting how you've kind of almost tackled that and thought, you know, you can make it in a way that someone can use it safely without feeling that they need to be trained in the way that we all were to use the equipment that we've got.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I laugh because you said him and gents, I don't mean to discriminate. It's just usually the men, they want to go a little harder, you know, more weight, faster. And it's it was trying to be cognizant of that of, you know, even our tutorial videos of, you know, it's not always more weight. Sometimes less weight is much more challenging, you know. So we can kind of understand that off the bat. And even the way we describe springs, I think it's just across the board, but we're very much, you know, they're color-coded, but there's also, you know, it's it's light, medium, heavy. Sometimes things are hard or light. And definitely, like I love all what you're saying because it's it played into the materials we used. You know, we use, sorry, I have to think because when you're in the US, it's aluminum, but aluminium and and stainless steel runners, we we placed them in into the spark spine, so we have a really smooth glide. We put handles on the carriage at the top and the bottom. So if you are coming in to more dynamic jump board work, there is actually a gripping point, like hold here. The cues are very specific. Or if you're just lying down to legs and straps for the first time, or the 50th time, you feel like there's tactile feedback. So you're opening across the clavicles and you know you're grounding through your sacrum because you're holding the base. So there were things like that that just made it feel very robust. And that's the feedback from our studio owners as well. It's like, you know, we want people to feel like we've got you. And one of my favorite things, I know we've talked about the springs and the spine, but our jump board, it actually is reinforced, it drops down into the legs of our design. So it has like little to no play. And then when you're jumping, it just feels unbelievably sturdy. So this it was for me about enhancing the experience on the functionality side. And then if you have a spine, there's about 30% more exercises you can do standing on the spine, using the spine. So it wasn't like we were losing the gully, it was like we were gaining a playground.

SPEAKER_01

And now that you've got this product and you've got the innovation in the sort of reformer itself, and then you've got the technology that works with it, how does this all work to support the user of it? Like what does it do beyond me watching a video and having a you know a standard reformer at home?

SPEAKER_00

So the aesthetic, obviously it's beautiful, but it's more about how when you come onto the Ultra One Reformer, it has a swivel screen, tilt and swivel. So if you're in a side sumo squad or doing something to the side of the reformer, the back, you have the best vantage point because you can move the screen so you can see. And I think I touched on with telling you what's coming up next, so that language on the UI, you can see, okay, here is here is the next exercise, here's a countdown for where I'm at. Language really does create culture. We wanted it to feel like you can connect Bluetooth or you can just, you know, have it through the speakers. But if we're gonna bring the studio experience into the home, it has to be intentional. The functionality needs to be the same, if not better, than what you could do in a in a studio environment, because otherwise you won't do it because the studio is, you know, it's gonna give you the results. Where to build that consistency, we wanted the functionality to be all there. There needed to be a jump board, there needed to be a sitting box. We also have these cool built-in poggles so we can do all of this cool work at the rear of the reformer. And yeah, it's it's leading you through beginner, intermediate, or advanced content. We have over 300 classes, and it even it's a little like sort of we touched on before, where you're at in your journey in life, if you're really looking for performance-based work, if you're on your period as a woman, we just launched a 28-day um program, which is based around the female menstrual cycle, and just understanding it's not the same training in the lunar phase as when it is in the folicular phase, you know, for example. So really being intentional about the programming and you know, postnatal, prenatal performance, strength, you know, wherever wherever you're at, we want to meet you there.

SPEAKER_01

And is it tracking your own biometrics as well?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so we have the resistance versus the velocity. So you can see your power output, you can connect to wearables, you can see your heart rate in real time on the screen. And we also are guiding you in that time under tension of not being in, you know, VO2 max when you should be doing a slow pike. So we're really trying to be conscious about where we're at in these moves that we're not going too fast like our gents we were talking about earlier with too much weight. It's it's sometimes about, you know, control.

SPEAKER_01

And I think there's often a fear around Pilates moving into the home. How do you see it? Do you think teachers should be worried about this kind of shift and this type type of technology coming forwards?

SPEAKER_00

I think it is a marriage. It's about ensuring people have that consistency. So it's not something you just do every now and again. It's a lifestyle change, it's a commitment. And I think it bolsters the studio because there's nothing like that wonderful tactile feedback, you know, that ecosystem that you get when you go to a studio that you love. But the difference of having it on, you know, on tap for you and to build a real practice, a consistency for your longevity, for your life. I mean, that's amazing. So I think that should only be a good thing.

SPEAKER_01

I had a, I think it was another guest who said someone was once asked, you know, is it Pilates if it's outside the studio? And they were talking about how Joseph Pilates said you should be doing this six days a week. And I don't expect you to do it six days a week in my studio. And so, you know, it's where even mat work is so important that, you know, we are empowering our clients to have an at-home practice, and even better if they can use the equipment that they so love in a way where they are being guided to do it.

SPEAKER_00

Matt Pilates is hard, Nick. Like if you're not supported, like it's if you're coming in at an entry level, like being on a reformer, you know, place your right knee here, place your heel turn out here, activate your gluten mead by making sure you do X, Y, Z. Like that's a lot more structured to find that mind-to-body connection often if you're if you're a beginner.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think this is what clients get so misunderstood. They think of Matt as the entry level, and we're always explaining, no, no, no, like Matt is the advanced level, really. We need the equipment. You know, the equipment was designed to support and educate the body so that it could then do it. But I think the I, you know, the idea to have an at-home practice, and was that your vision really? Was it to create an at-home machine? And what's now taking you to looking at this for studios as well?

SPEAKER_00

We actually launched the RX first, and it is the the one I mentioned that incorporates the chair. And our first two models, the RX and the RXS, are very much commercial grade. So they live in studios. If people are lucky enough to have one for their home, amazing. But they are very much commercial and we'll laugh for lifetime. So we're we have those in studios, and they've been in studios for a few years and around Europe now with iFit, we're very much pushing in in different parts of the globe as well. And then this is the most intentional uh reformer that we will release for the home. Um, and this is the Ultra One Reformer, which actually launches on May 19th. So we're very excited about that. And this is a little bit more streamlined, it's uh a little sleeker, but still has all of the functionality that we were talking about because it it my vision is like we wanna you wanna be everywhere that you show up, and Pilates want to build an ecosystem. iFit want to be super intentional about that with our Nordic track Pilates Reformers that we're in the studio, it's definitely a a halo effect that we that we're intending to build. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And how do you see studios using your reformers?

SPEAKER_00

We have some fantastic studio partners. I actually we're we're doing our our first master training academy in Mallorca in a couple of weeks, and it is with a partner, Joseph P. And they've opened several locations in Germany. This is their first in in Spain, and they use it as a hybrid. So they have instructor led, which is amazing, and then they have a really fantastic offering of hybrid content where people can come in and obviously take on demand. So they have a thriving business because they're able to offer, you know, at all all hours of their opening hours.

SPEAKER_01

And that was your point, wasn't it, about the time where your studio's in its downtime. And how do you see that being done? Do you see it that those people are coming to in-person classes and this is supporting alongside that? Because I could see that being really interesting. Clients have often said, could we come in and use the reformer? And so it is an interesting challenge because then you're like, oh, how safe is it? Like, how much do they know? But that you've, you know, the technology that you've created kind of eliminates that because you're guiding them through it.

SPEAKER_00

We are, and we spent years curating this and iterating on this so that it would be, and we were really thinking about you know, our key pillars of safety and of instruction and cues and all the things. So yeah, I definitely see that as really supporting the studio owners and operators. And then we need more people to be moving. I think, you know, on the whole, as Pilates of ever however you like to show up, if you are going to, you know, potentially join a health club and you don't have the funds to then go and also go to a studio, if that's, you know, where you where you're showing up, then isn't it wonderful that you can go and do Pilates there as well in an intentional way that feels really like you're getting getting quality? So that's what we wanted to create and support in these kind of new new markets, which are understanding the benefits and of course they want to get involved. So how do we ensure that it that that breeds like the cream rises to the top in terms of what you can expect when you go to these different facilities?

SPEAKER_01

And am I right in the you're getting in into some hotel chains as well? I'd love to go to a hotel with something like this to use. Well, far more interesting than the gym that's just got boring stuff in it. Do you know? I'm always like, what's the point of that? That's no good to me.

SPEAKER_00

Totally. If you're lucky enough to to go to the Mandar Oriental in Mayfair. Oh, I did look at go I did look at going to their spa.

SPEAKER_01

We have we have an RX in there. It's very nice, it's very nice in there.

SPEAKER_00

You can go and do, you can go and do second reformer there. But exactly. I mean, I think in the way I know, like if I'll be honest, when I'm traveling for work or pleasure, I'm like, does it have a gym? Does the hotel have a gym? And like another layer of demand of like, if there was a reformer there, like if that's how you like to train and show up, we were talking about earlier, Nick, like I'm probably gonna book that hotel. And it's an experiential culture and world of people putting their holistic well-being and and self first so they can be the best versions of themselves, however they're turning up for their vocation. So I think it's really important to be cognizant of that for the next stage of growth. And yes, our ultra one reformer is is going to live in hospitality and multi-unit housing as well, which is great.

SPEAKER_01

So Well, I've recently started weight training, so I might start getting more interested in the hotel gyms. But I am known for I don't care how posha hotel is. You wake up and your body is like misses your own bed, and then there's like a tiny little bit next to the bed where you're trying to do your mat Pilates usually just to feel good for the rest of the day. So I'm excited to see that. And I could see why hospitality would look at this kind of technology. This would make more sense to put this in because people could go and use it and be supported while doing that versus, you know, like I said, the example of the reformers in the gyms that they're trashed because people don't know how to use them.

SPEAKER_00

They are, yeah. So let's let's make sure it's when the next person comes, it's still operational. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

So if we look to the future, Evie, what do you sort of see in the world of Pilates? Where do you think we're heading in the next five to ten years?

SPEAKER_00

I love this question. And it's a tough one too, because I'm biased. But I think Pilates becomes foundational. I do, Nick. I think right now a lot of people see it as something you add in and it becomes a base layer that really supports everything else. Strength training, running, high intensity work. You said you're getting into weight training, but it's, you know, it's the foundation. And I think you'll also see it scale much more globally through connected platforms. And the key will be maintaining that quality that we talked about. I think the opportunity isn't just in the growth, but it's raising the standard of how Pilates is delivered. And we've talked about that. So I think that's kind of the next five to ten years. Because, you know, at iFit, we're trying to be really intentional about that. We're trying to show up in a way that's very much empowering the user and wherever you're at, if it is in the health clubs or the hotels or in the home.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, that's my Yeah, and I think it's I think it's such an interesting point you make, actually, because there's this sort of idea. Lots of people talk about it, this kind of boom in Pilates, and you know, we've had boom in bar and we've had boom in hit, and the booms kind of bust. And I remember she's actually a very good friend of mine now. I remember this um this client at the time starting, and she started Pilates and suddenly she was coming like three, four times a week, bit like those women you mentioned at the beginning. And um I got invited round for some drink, and one of her friends said, Well, you know, this is her latest thing, it won't sort of last, which was a bit insulting as I was there as a Pilates teacher. She's still with us 10 years later, still comes all the time. And to your point, I think Pilates is such a phenomenal foundation. And I do think when people find it and find it taught well, it just makes you feel so good. And that then enables you to maybe do all the other things that you like to do, whether that's other sports or fitness, but often it's things just like living your life, isn't it? Totally.

SPEAKER_00

I think that I think we should we should, you know, I'd be upset not to mention like the mind-body connection. And I think to really understand what that is, like flow state on a reformer. Like if you're a busy mum or a busy working professional, what have you, you can't think about anything else. You know, when you're on the reformer, there's so many things you're being asked of yourself, and then it's almost like an island. I like to call it an island, like it takes you away because it is just this thing that's just yours, it's your island. And even if you're not in the mood, you're on it for like five, six minutes, and then all of a sudden you're just in you're somewhere else, you're transported. And that's also, I think, what people don't realize. It's it's so powerful to kind of bring you into that parasympathetic state where it's kind of like a meditation, it's good for the soul because you're actually at one with yourself. And then you come out going, Whew, that was tough, but I I want to do it again, you know.

SPEAKER_01

And I it's so far. I remember when I first started Pilates, I never felt too tired to go ever. I think in my mind I was like, Well, I'm just kind of lying down, which is not what you do. But in I think it's because, like you said, a few minutes in, you're like, oh, and I always knew I would feel so much more energized after. I kind of got into it, but actually about the same time as you. And at that time, the world was full of boot camps, like you're not good enough if you don't push yourself. And my body would continuously kind of fail on me, and I'd be in pain. And I was like, I'm so rubbish, I can't do this. And then I found Pilates and reformer Pilates and was like, this makes me feel so good. And it's always interesting when I ask guests on the podcast, you know, how did Pilates make you feel? No one really ever talks about the amazing body it might or might not have given them. They talk about they got to know themselves better, they slowed down, they felt at peace with themselves. I'm gonna steal your island because I think that's such a great analogy. Because it is like, isn't it? You kind of go to a place and we hear it all the time with clients where they just say, This makes me feel so good. I feel so good. I always want to come, you know, I want to come. I don't always want to go to the gym or I don't always want to go for a run. They feel like I have to push myself to do that. But Pilates, I want to do.

SPEAKER_00

Totally. And it wouldn't it be great if that was available to you in your home. You know, like you're like you say, you're going through, you're maybe not feeling at your optimal performance, and then you get into the state, and then the instructor says, Okay, we're gonna spoon, and you're like, right, you know, and you can do it because you've kind of, you know, eased yourself into this feeling of empowerment of like, this is my thing, even though you're doing really challenging things. And I think that's lovely kind of seeing the humbled by reformer segment that's kind of happened over the last year or so of the misconception that it is easy. And then seeing people, you know, often sports teams coming in and going, oh, whoa, this is this is really deep, intrinsic core strength, stable.

SPEAKER_01

And it's hard in a very different way. And I think that's what's been great about seeing those professional sports teams because they are elite athletes. I've trained some elite athletes, and you're thinking to yourself, like, why you can't do a pelvic clock? Like, because it's the subtlety of it, uh, is is tricky and the precision. And I can see how with the technology that you've created, being able to hone some of that at home by yourself is really powerful. Absolutely. It is that that consistency is key.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And if you were to reflect, Evie, over your journey. I mean, wow, what a journey. You've been a dancer, you were a teacher, studio owner, sort of saw this gap, created something, have worked then with acquisition and working with iFit. What has this journey taught you?

SPEAKER_00

Well, it's taught me resilience. I think I said before, we don't, you know, how to know how to give up because it it sounds wonderful on on paper, but there were definitely it's a roller coaster. I have two little girls that came into the mix kind of in the middle of it, who were five and six. So it was, yeah, it was about it was about the journey of kind of knowing that I could do something hard and knowing that maybe all the answers didn't have to come from you, that it was a collaborative effort. And I think it you know, it definitely came from a background of of movement and and sports and understanding body awareness and and and dynamics, but it's also been an amazing journey for me to I may not write code, but you know, I've I sat and built our software platform with our with our devs and you know, you can learn all these wonderful new things and uh same goes on the hardware side and then in terms of just the world of how do we actually reach people in terms of market this and I think it's yeah, it's just been a wonderful journey for understanding that you've got more layers in you, and then if you can kind of find that resilience if you just put one foot in front of the other and also ask for help.

SPEAKER_01

It sounds like you thrive on living on the edge of your comfort zone.

SPEAKER_00

I think that's probably part due to the combination of my husband and I. I think, you know, it's it's definitely been a joint effort and yeah, we're both we're both dreamers and we're both a little bit mad and crazy enough to say why not, which has also raised some eyebrows over the last few years. But what's his background? Was he into Pilates? No, he wasn't. He he no. And I laugh because in the studio years I would go, he'd come and take class, and then at one point I was like, just take anybody else's class, please. Because same with my husband, I won't teach him. Yeah, it'd be like a knee-jerk if I was within, you know, a few inches of like, don't touch me. And I'm like, we don't behave like this, there's always corrections, but yeah, it's like maybe just best coming from someone else. But no, he has he had a construction background. Yep. So very very different, and a bit of a blue sky thinker and definitely a dreamer. So it was kind of the right combination.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I love that. Well, to end our conversation, Evie, I'd just love to ask you some quick or quick-ish fire questions. What's your favorite Pilates exercise and why? Pike.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I I love to pike. I think it just it feels like it has velocity and it makes you tap into so many different parts of yourself. You kind of have to go deep to go the distance and yeah. Core stretching, all the things.

SPEAKER_01

Do you find yourself coming back to a cue time and time again?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, you can. It may not be an instructional cue, but it's definitely like, you know, you've got this. Yes, yes, you can.

SPEAKER_01

It is funny. And now you film yourself a lot. I bet you hear yourself. I I feel like when you start filming yourself, you're like, I say this all the time.

SPEAKER_00

I do. I do that, and we get to do this today because we do. I think it's reminding ourselves that like we're lucky enough to do this. So yeah, that's probably my go-to.

SPEAKER_01

Do you see any big misconceptions about Pilates?

SPEAKER_00

That it's stretching. I think we talked about it today. Yeah, and just the the layers and layers of strength training that it is and the awareness kind of coming around that. Yeah, it's kind of the ultimate form of training, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01

My so my strength trainer now, when she sort of demos stuff, I'm like, how can you do that, right? She's amazing, so strong, so flexible. And she comes to Pilates. She's also works in our studio. She comes to Pilates and you know, different things hurt or different things challenge, and it's trying to get people to understand, I think, as well, isn't it? That it's just working on a completely different level, which I think is fabulous.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

What has Pilates given you personally, Evie?

SPEAKER_00

It has given me a license to be creative. I think, yeah, it's it's allowed me creativity throughout my my adult life.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. And if people are listening and they want to find out more about your products and about what you offer, how can they do that?

SPEAKER_00

Sure. So they can go to Norditrack.com and yeah, stay tuned for the launch. Can't wait to open up to the world the Ultra One Reformer. Oh well, it's been a joy to talk to you.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you so much for joining me today.

SPEAKER_00

My pleasure. I've loved this. I felt like we've talked to an old friend. So thanks so much, Nick.

SPEAKER_01

A big thank you to Yvette for joining me today. What I really enjoyed about this episode was exploring a side of the Pilates industry that we don't often talk about. The role of technology and how the method might continue to evolve over the coming years. It feels like technology is everywhere. Why wouldn't it be in the Pilates world? And I think conversations like this are important because they challenge us to think a little differently. It's easy to see change as something to be cautious of, but there's also huge opportunities in our world, whether that's reaching more people, creating new ways to teach, or building more sustainable careers as Pilates teachers. And I think the key takeaway is that great teaching will always matter. Technology can support what we do, but it can't replace the depth, understanding, and the connection that great teachers bring every day. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please do share it with another teacher, a studio owner, a friend, anyone you think who might find it interesting. And as always, if you haven't already, take a moment to like, follow, or subscribe wherever you're listening. It really helps the podcast to continue to grow. I will see you next week for another episode of Beyond the Reformer.