THE WUNDA CHAIR

Of all the pieces of Pilates equipment you can find at Marbella Pilates, the chair offers the most athletic challenges. There are numerous intermediate to very advanced exercises, in addition to essential exercises for beginners. To perform the more advanced chair exercises well, you need good upper-body and leg strength, scapular and pelvic stability and a strong core. Unlike moves on the reformer or the mat, most chair exercises are performed while sitting or standing, which provides an excellent environment for functional and athletic training for clients at any level of ability. This makes the chair a choice Pilates entry point for men and women used to “feeling the burn,” as well as for deconditioned clients needing to develop basic strength, coordination and balance. The chair is very effective for creating sport-specific programs for skiers, runners, bikers, soccer players and basketball players, as it develops explosive leg power integrated with core strength and good biomechanics.

The chair was originally designed as a home exercise machine for New York City apartments. Early designs converted easily from a chair you could sit on to a wunda chair you could exercise with. The equipment was very simple, consisting of a seat, a pedal and springs that attached to the pedal to adjust the resistance. Joe incorporated the piece into his Pilates system at his Eighth Avenue studio in Manhattan, where he also worked with the mat, reformer, cadillac, barrels and small apparatus. He used the chair to rehabilitate clients with knee injuries and to train more advanced clients in full-bodied, acrobatic exercises. Joe’s background in gymnastics was reflected most clearly in the chair exercises. Men often preferred this apparatus because of its emphasis on upper-body strength. At Marbella Pilates you will find two different chairs made in USA by Gratz , Joseph Pilates original brand.