Discover how the foam roller can transform your Pilates practice, improve mobility, challenge your balance and even bring elements of the Reformer, Wunda Chair and Cadillac into your home.
At Pilates Practice, we love the richness of the original Pilates method, but we also appreciate the wonderful movement discoveries that have enriched it over the years. One of our favourite additions is the foam roller, a remarkably simple yet versatile piece of equipment that offers endless possibilities for exploration, support and challenge. You may know the roller as a tool for massaging sore muscles, but there is so much more to discover!
Where does the foam roller come from?
Interestingly, the foam roller was not invented by Joseph Pilates himself. Its history is closely connected to another great movement pioneer, Moshé Feldenkrais, founder of the Feldenkrais Method. Feldenkrais began experimenting with wooden rollers in the 1950s and later adopted foam rollers in the 1970s to explore body awareness, balance and the quality of movement. In the 1980s, physical therapist, Pilates teacher and Feldenkrais practitioner Sean Gallagher helped popularise foam rolling among professional dancers, bringing greater attention to its potential within the movement community. Over time, the roller found its place in Pilates studios, where teachers discovered its remarkable potential for adapting exercises, developing body awareness and introducing new challenges to familiar movements.
Discovering true mobility
During our private Pilates lessons, we use the roller in many different ways, encouraging your joints to explore a greater range of motion and helping your body discover movement possibilities you may not have experienced before. Rather than simply stretching or pushing your body further, we aim to develop true mobility: the ability to move freely, with control, strength and awareness to the joints’ fullest potential. The roller can support your body as you explore spinal articulation, shoulder mobility, hip movement and much more. Its rounded surface invites you to move in new directions, often helping you discover areas of stiffness or habitual tension you were not even aware of.
A wonderful challenge for balance and core strength
One of the roller's most exciting qualities is its instability. Unlike the floor, which provides a stable surface, the roller moves underneath you. This creates a completely different experience for your nervous system and muscles. As you work to maintain your balance, your deep abdominal muscles, back muscles and other stabilisers must respond and coordinate continuously. Even a seemingly simple exercise can become surprisingly demanding! The roller also provides rich sensory feedback through the parts of your body that touch its surface. This feedback helps you recognise how you distribute your weight, where you hold unnecessary tension and how different parts of your body work together. It is a wonderful way to develop your physical awareness, coordination and strength, all while adding an element of playfulness to your practice.
Bringing the Reformer, Wunda Chair and Cadillac into your home
Here is something many people don't realise: many exercises from the Reformer, Wunda Chair and Cadillac can be creatively adapted to the foam roller! Of course, a roller cannot reproduce the springs, resistance or mechanical support of the original Pilates apparatus. However, it can help you rediscover essential movement patterns, spinal articulation, balance challenges and muscular connections that you have experienced during your equipment lessons. This is where personalised Pilates instruction becomes particularly valuable! Once you have experienced the true feeling and intention of an exercise on the original apparatus, you can learn to recreate elements of it using something as simple as a foam roller. Your teacher can show you which adaptations are suitable for your body, allowing you to continue exploring the movement at home with greater understanding and confidence. The equipment may change, but the intelligence of the movement remains.
More than fascia massage
Many people purchase a foam roller primarily for self-massage and myofascial release. And indeed, this is one of its wonderful uses! Gentle rolling can help relieve the sensation of muscular tightness, temporarily improve range of motion and offer a pleasant way to unwind after a long working day or physical activity. We highly recommend having a roller at home for regular, mindful self-massage. But why stop there? With the right guidance, your roller can become a remarkably versatile companion for your Pilates practice, offering everything from gentle mobility exercises to advanced challenges in strength, balance and coordination.
Experience the roller at Pilates Practice
At our Pilates studio in Amsterdam Oud-West, we believe that the real value of Pilates lies not simply in performing exercises, but in understanding how and why you move. Our highly specialised private Pilates lessons allow us to explore your individual needs, introduce exercises progressively and help you develop a practice that continues to support you beyond the studio. Whether you are new to Pilates, working on improving your mobility, or an experienced practitioner looking for a fresh challenge, the roller has something wonderful to offer. A simple piece of equipment with extraordinary possibilities. Come and discover it with us!
All levels are welcome at Pilates Practice, Amsterdam Oud-West.