Pilates Reformer Lying Running
What Is the Pilates Reformer Lying Running?
Pilates Reformer Lying Running is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the lower legs and also engages the quads, glutes and core. It is a beginner-level movement performed lying face up on the reformer carriage with the carriage already pressed out and held still, lowering one heel under the footbar while the opposite heel lifts, then trading sides. Despite the name, nothing about it travels: the carriage stays where it is and the work happens at the two ankles.
Running closes the footwork series in a standard reformer order, after the knee extension variations and before the Pilates Reformer Lying Pelvic Lift, and usually runs for around 5 to 10 alternations per side on the same spring load the footwork used. Instructors treat it as a check-in rather than a conditioning piece: with the carriage held still and the two sides taking turns, any difference in ankle range, calf tightness or pelvic control between one side and the other shows up straight away. It is not cardio, and the pace stays slow enough that each heel reaches the end of its range before it changes direction.
Both calves work at once but in opposite directions. The heel that lowers lengthens its calf under spring load while that leg stays long, and the heel that lifts shortens its calf, which is also what lets that knee bend and point up. The quads hold the long leg out against the springs and straighten the bent side again, while the glutes and the deep abdominals keep both sides of the pelvis down so the alternation does not become a side-to-side rock. The Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise is the same ankle action with both feet moving together, which sends the carriage back and forth and leaves the pelvis symmetric; the alternation and the level pelvis are what this version adds. Footwork variations such as the Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Toes) go the other way, moving the carriage with the knees while the ankle angle is held fixed.
It suits runners, dancers, hikers and anyone rebuilding ankle range after time off the foot, as well as beginners meeting the reformer for the first time, since the spine is supported and no load is carried through it. If holding the carriage still while the heels take turns is too much to coordinate at first, spend a few sessions on the flat-foot Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension and on the both-feet calf raise before alternating. The cue worth holding on to is to keep pressing through the ball of the foot whose heel is up, rather than letting your weight hang off the heel that is down.
Muscles Worked
- Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head)
- Primary
- Gastrocnemius (Medial Head)
- Primary
- Soleus
- Primary
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Gluteus Maximus
- Medium
- Vastus Lateralis
- Medium
- Vastus Medialis
- Medium
Instructions
- Set the reformer springs to the load you use for footwork and lie face up on the carriage.
- Rest your head on the headrest and settle your shoulders against the shoulder rests.
- Place the balls of both feet on the footbar, parallel and together, with your heels hanging just below the bar.
- Let your arms rest along your sides on the carriage, palms down, and set your pelvis neutral with a small natural gap under your lower back.
- Press the carriage away until both legs are long, with your knees straight but not locked.
- Lift both heels so they sit level, and hold the carriage at that point for the rest of the set.
- Lower one heel under the footbar until you feel that calf lengthen, keeping that leg long.
- At the same time, press through the ball of the other foot so its heel lifts and that knee bends and points up.
- Pass back through the level position, then switch sides, keeping the carriage from traveling in either direction.
- Keep both hips down and level on the carriage, and your head and shoulders still, as the legs alternate.
- Repeat for reps, then bring both heels level, bend your knees and let the carriage return to the stopper under control.
Common Mistakes
Letting the carriage travel
Timing both heels together makes the carriage rock in and out, which turns the movement back into footwork instead of holding one position while the ankles take turns.
Hanging off the lowered heel
Dropping your weight onto the heel that is down turns that side into a passive stretch and usually lets the hip on that side slide across the carriage.
Rocking the pelvis
Letting one hip lift or shift with each change means the pelvis is doing the alternating instead of the ankles, and it is the usual reason this movement leaves the lower back sore.
Locking the long knee
Pushing the straight leg into full extension every time its heel lowers jams the joint at the end of its range instead of leaving it just short of lock.
Curling the toes over the bar
Gripping the footbar with the toes concentrates the load under them instead of spreading it across the ball of the foot, and is a common cause of foot cramps in this position.
Rushing the alternation
Bouncing quickly from side to side gives neither ankle time to reach the end of its range, so the movement gets smaller with every repetition.
Injuries
Pilates Reformer Lying Running is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The spine is supported on the carriage, the load is horizontal and spring driven, the feet never leave the bar and the carriage stays still, so there is very little that can go wrong quickly. The structures that do take a concentrated load are the calf and Achilles tendon of the side whose heel is dropping, the forefoot of the side pressing up, and the long knee if it is driven into full extension every time the heel goes down.
Lower each heel only as far as your ankle allows without the pelvis shifting, and stay active in the foot rather than hanging your weight off the dropped heel. Keep the long knee just short of lock, since what feels straight is often a few degrees past it. Keep pressing through the ball of the foot on the lifted side so the bent knee stays supported and that hip does not slide across the carriage. If the carriage creeps in or out as the heels change over, slow down and shorten the heel range until you can hold it still.
If alternating is too much at first, do the Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise with both feet together, or go back to the Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension and add the ankle work later. To progress, slow the tempo, pause at the bottom of each heel drop, or add a spring. Stop the set for sharp pain in the Achilles tendon or at the back of the heel, for a calf cramp that does not release when you come off the bar, for pain at the front or side of the long knee, or for low back pain that arrives once the pelvis starts rocking.
People with an irritable Achilles tendon, a recent calf strain, plantar fascia pain or limited ankle dorsiflexion should clear the heel drop with a physical therapist or instructor first, since the lowering side is loaded at the end of its ankle range on every repetition.
- Primary Focus
- Calves
- Equipment
- Pilates reformer
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is this a cardio exercise?
No. The name describes the alternating rhythm of the legs, not the effort: you are lying still on a stationary carriage moving two ankles, and it does not drive your heart rate the way running does. Treat it as controlled strength and mobility work at the end of the footwork series.
- Q: How is it different from the reformer calf raise?
In the Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise both ankles move together, so the carriage travels and the pelvis stays square without being asked to do anything. Here the ankles take turns, which keeps the carriage still and makes holding both hips level part of the exercise.
- Q: Should the carriage move while I alternate?
No. Press it out once, then hold it at the same point for the whole set. If it rocks in and out you are pressing both feet at the same time instead of trading one heel for the other.
- Q: How far should each heel drop?
As far as the ankle allows while the pelvis stays level and the long knee stays short of lock, which for most people is a firm calf stretch rather than a maximum one. A short, even range on both sides is worth more here than a deep drop on your looser side.
- Q: Where does it fit in a session, and how many repetitions?
It usually closes the footwork series, before the Pilates Reformer Lying Pelvic Lift, at around 5 to 10 alternations per side. Because it works as a check on how evenly the two sides are moving, there is little point adding reps once the range starts shrinking.
- Q: What spring setting should I use?
Spring numbers differ between reformer brands, so go by what the carriage does rather than by a count. Keep the load you used for footwork, and treat it as right if you can hold the carriage completely still while the heels change over.