Pilates exercises are developed as a workout method to improve body balance, muscle flexibility, and physical fitness. Pilates in its original form was developed as mat-based exercises, however, equipment was added to offer better and greater resistance for the body. One of the most important apparatuses is the Pilates chair or wunda chair.
The wunda chair is commonly used in classical Pilates and is made up of three components: removable springs, a pedal, and a seat. Exercises can be carried out with the feet or hands resting on its pedal or seat, in three decubitus positions – dorsal, lateral, or ventral.
The wunda chair design is considered perfect for flexibility and stability workouts as it provides excellent support for the muscles in such exercises. This apparatus adds more resistance to our body to gain endurance instead of using body weight and gravity like in the traditional mat Pilates. Therefore, the wunda chair is considered the machine of choice of Pilates exercise for many Pilates trainers.
What are the uses of the wunda chair?
The principal advantage of the wunda chair is to grant the trainer the opportunity of more resistance towards his body. More resistance towards your body translates into more endurance, a well-known rule for every Pilates trainer. The pilates chair can improve your Pilates exercise and give you a better outcome without a doubt.
The wunda chair supports not only the upper body which includes the neck, shoulders, and arms, but also the lower back, the spinal cord, and the pelvis as well. Using such a simple device will add more practicality and effectiveness to your Pilates exercise and will make your endeavors more satisfactory and beneficial.
Benefits of the wunda chair
Great for injury rehabilitation. Stretching on the Wunda chair can help improve your body flexibility, increase your range of motion, build strength in your arms and chest, and decrease tension in your whole body. In addition, specific moves on the wunda chair offer an intense, challenging workout for your core muscle.
Even though exercises on the chair are generally more challenging than reformer pilates exercises, certain design features mean that this doesn’t always have to be the case. The chair’s handle design, for example, allows the chair to be made more supportive for people with muscle injuries.
Enhance sports performance. In Pilates, the chair is known to be a very challenging equipment. It can be used to improve sports performance in footballers, skiers, and runners because it is highly effective in increasing arm and leg strength. Wunda chair is also great for sports like tennis and golf, where upper body strength and mobility is required.
Experienced Pilates trainers can also use the chair for more acrobatic movements. Push-ups using the handles is an example of an advanced exercise that can be performed on the wunda chair.
At the Hundred Wellness Centre, we offer two state-of-the-art Pilates studios where we host small “classical mat classes” as well as “equipment classes” using the Cadillac (trapeze table), poles, reformers, and Pilates chairs. Classes are open to both genders, but we also offer ladies-only and private one-to-one sessions, all taught by classically trained instructors.
