Tucked into a quiet part of Grounds, North Grounds Recreation Center is a go-to gym for many students to push themselves on leg day, take a relaxing swim, recover in the heat of the sauna and more. As of Sept. 1, on top of U.Va. Recreation’s usual group fitness offerings, North Grounds is home to a reformer pilates studio — offering over 50 group classes a week to students.
Reformer pilates is a full-body, low-impact workout that focuses on strength, flexibility, mindfulness and stabilization. It uses a machine — a reformer — that includes sliders and springs on which the user performs different motions. U.Va. Recreation now offers five reformer pilates class styles that provide slightly different pilates experiences — Reformer Fundamentals, Reformer Flow, Reformer Jump, Reformer Strong and Classic Reformer.
These classes are included in the premium fitness membership for $60 a month for general University students, and $30 for U.Va. Recreation employees. Premium members receive access to all the fitness classes offered at both the Aquatic and Fitness Center and North Grounds under the basic group fitness membership, ranging from cycling classes to yoga.
According to Popular Science, the origins of pilates trace back to an internment camp in World War I, when prisoner Joseph Pilates developed a series of stretching movements and exercise to help maintain the physical and mental spirits of his fellow captives. Pilates used the beds and the metal springs to create what he called the “apparatus” to enhance the workouts. This would be the precursor for the modern reformer used today.
Over 100 years later, pilates is one of the most popular methods of fitness today globally. In 2024 and 2025, pilates classes were the No. 1 booked class on the fitness platform Class Pass. According to Jackie Lebeau, senior director for fitness at U.Va. Recreation, part of the motivation to open a reformer studio came from the growing popularity of pilates in the fitness community.
“We try to … make sure that we are addressing trends,” Lebeau said. “We don't want to be behind the curve.”
Notably, according to Lebeau, the catalyst for opening a studio at North Grounds came from the success of a reformer studio at Virginia Tech Recreational Sports.
“Virginia Tech opened [a reformer studio] about a year ago. We have a wonderful working relationship with Virginia Tech, but we're also competitive,” Lebeau said. “[Virginia] Tech did it, [so] we want to do it.’”
The reformer studio’s opening sparked excitement for students including Emily Lionberger, U.Va. Recreation employee and fifth-year Nursing student. Lionberger has been taking the reformer class twice a week as part of a semester-long project for her stress and anxiety management class. As a swimmer, she said she enjoys how pilates also includes a sense of mind-body awareness that carries over to the pool.
“I like that it's very focused on being in tune with your body. And I think that kinesthetic sense is really important for swimming because you need to understand where your body is in the water … an inch makes a difference in where your hand enters the water in a freestyle stroke,” Lionberger said. “And I feel similarly [in] pilates, an inch makes a difference … You need to kind of have that similar awareness in both of them.”
Hailey Hicks, U.Va. Recreation Group Fitness Instructor and fourth-year Architecture and College student, is currently teaching reformer pilates classes with U.Va. Recreation. Prior to U.Va. Recreation reformer training in preparation for her role, she was mainly familiar with mat pilates — a form of the workout that focuses solely on bodyweight and light weights — but Hicks found that the movements transfer well between the two disciplines.
“The idea is that you're kind of taking everything from the mat and then bringing it onto the reformer. So it's still very traditional. Most instructors … tend to start with footwork, which just warms up the feet … So you start with that, and you kind of slowly build up intensity,” Hicks said.
While having similar movements to mat pilates classes, reformer pilates — by design — hosts a smaller, more intimate class size compared to other workout classes. The reformer machines take up ample space in the studio, minimizing the number of spots available to just nine students in each class. For Lionberger, the small class size provides more one-on-one time with the instructor.
“It's only nine people maximum so it is very individualistic,” Lionberger said. “It's nice that the instructor can really see everybody's form and tell people little corrections and stuff that are gonna make a difference.”
In addition to a more personalized experience, the reformer classes offered through U.Va. Recreation are more affordable compared to other options in the area. A single reformer class at [solidcore] in Charlottesville is $36, over half of the monthly cost for the entire U.Va. Recreation premium membership. Izzy Stackawitz, U.Va. Recreation group fitness instructor and third-year College student, said she believes that this cheap price is especially worth it because of the growing demand of the practice from social media.
“[Pilates] is all over social media right now … and what's so great about having it at U.Va. is that it's made really accessible to students because it's a new trend, and it's super expensive at different studios,” Stackawitz said. “This is a great opportunity to do it for a low price, and it's just so good for your body.”
Beyond pricing, these classes are also accessible to all experience levels. The Reformer Fundamentals class is targeted specifically toward beginners who are seeking a good foundation, but all classes are available to every level. According to Hicks, beginners can easily view other participants’ movements and modify them if necessary.
“With the nature of reformer [pilates], there [are] always ways that you can kind of modify and make things easier, and all of us instructors are used to giving modifications and amplifications,” Hicks said. “So because of that, people shouldn't be afraid to try any of the classes.”
Lionberger has tried the Classic and Strong reformer classes, and said she enjoys how beneficial it is for the mind as well as the body. In addition to its physical benefits, according to Healthline, pilates is shown to help enhance concentration, mood and sleep quality, as well as reduce anxiety and stress.
“It's fun and it's a good workout, but also relaxing … It can be kind of like a mental break, but I'm still physically moving my body a lot,” Lionberger said. “I like that it kind of can do both.”
According to Lionberger, whether participants are brand new to the discipline, longtime devotees or simply hoping to improve their physical and mental health, U.Va. Recreation’s reformer offerings are tailored to student life in hopes of making reformer pilates accessible to all levels and at an affordable price.
“If you have any interest in something like this, this is by far the cheapest you're ever going to get it,” Lionberger said. “If you were kind of curious about doing it … might be the time to try it before committing to something more expensive later in life.”
Lily Notter is a staff writer on the life desk. She is a third-year College student, majoring in Media Studies. Lily is from Richmond and enjoys writing about University organizations and student life. Outside of The Cavalier Daily, she is involved in Club Gymnastics and Reformed University Fellowship.
Read More
The world kept scrolling
By Aditi Burra | 3 days agoI began to find a sense of peace in not knowing. I felt so much more at ease with myself and my life, all because I deleted a few apps on my phone.
College Mentors for Kids instills confidence with friendship
By Claire McGinn | 4 days agoOn Grounds, this CIO brings together nearly 230 University students and 200 elementary schoolers from five Charlottesville-area schools.
Sarah Deloney’s path to — and from — her diagnosis
By Astrid Cheng | 6 days agoAfter three years of persistent pain, Deloney was finally able to find an answer — Nutcracker Syndrome.
