The Pilates Tower: I Had a Fling With It. Now I'm Completely in Love.

I want to tell you about my fling with the Tower. And why, if you are in the Algarve and you have not tried it yet, you really should.

I trained in all Pilates equipment. The Reformer, the Cadillac, the Chair, the Barrel. I have always loved the Reformer most. I built an entire studio around it, right here in Almancil. Moved it across the Algarve. Watched it change hundreds of bodies. I will never stop believing in it.

But somewhere along the way, I fell a little bit in love with the Tower. And I say fling, but honestly it has become something much more permanent than that.

What Is the Tower?

The Tower is a vertical frame of springs, bars, and straps that attaches to the wall or stands alongside a Reformer. It looks, at first glance, like something from a very elegant gymnasium from another era. Clients walk past it and ask what on earth it is. I love that question, because what follows is always a good conversation.

Joseph Pilates developed the Tower as part of his original system. It was not an afterthought. It was central to his vision of what a complete Pilates practice looked like.

Why I Added It to the Studio

I added the Tower to the studio here in Almancil in June 2025. It was not a business decision. It was a teaching decision.

After 13 years of working with bodies, all kinds of bodies, at all stages of life, with all kinds of histories and goals and limitations, I know what works. And I know that the Reformer alone, as brilliant as it is, doesn't tell the whole story.

The Tower adds something I can only describe as freedom. There is so much mobility and space you can create in your body by using the Tower. The way the springs pull from above rather than below creates a completely different relationship with resistance. You can play with it in a way that feels genuinely liberating. I absolutely love it. I truly do.

What Clients Are Saying

The feedback I've been getting since June 2025 has been consistent and it has made me so happy. Clients keep telling me they feel a new kind of freedom in their body. A new space. Exercises we do on the Reformer, when we do them on the Tower, feel completely different. And that difference is really good for the body. It needs these different challenges. It responds to them in ways that the Reformer alone cannot create.

One client told me after her first Tower session that she felt taller. Not metaphorically. She said she felt physically taller, like something had been released in her spine that had been compressed for years. That is the Tower.

What the Tower Does That Nothing Else Can

For the spine: The push-through bar allows for traction, decompression, and deep mobilisation of the spine in ways that are simply not available on any other piece of equipment. For clients with back pain, stiffness, or a history of spinal issues, this alone is worth coming for.

For the shoulders and upper body: The arm springs create resistance in multiple planes of movement, building the kind of functional shoulder strength and stability that protects against injury and improves posture in ways that are directly transferable to everyday life.

For the hips and legs: The leg springs allow for work in positions and ranges of motion that the Reformer cannot access. Hip mobility, hamstring length, glute activation. The Tower addresses all of these with a precision and depth that consistently surprises people.

For the whole body: Because the springs pull from above, the body has to work in a fundamentally different way. It challenges the nervous system, the stabilising muscles, and the coordination in ways that create a new layer of body awareness.

Come and Try It

Our Reformer and Tower class here in Almancil is suitable for all levels. You do not need any prior Tower experience. Just come with an open mind.

I promise it will surprise you.

Victoria x

FAQ

Where can I try the Pilates Tower in the Algarve?

Reformer Pilates Algarve in Almancil is one of the only studios in the Algarve offering regular Reformer and Tower classes. The studio is easily accessible from Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Vilamoura, and Loulé.

What is the Pilates Tower?

The Pilates Tower is a vertical frame of springs, bars, and straps that attaches to the wall or stands alongside a Reformer. It was developed by Joseph Pilates as part of his original system. It uses spring resistance from above rather than below, creating a completely different relationship with movement and producing a sense of freedom and space in the body that the Reformer alone cannot replicate.

Do I need experience to try the Reformer and Tower class in Almancil?

No prior Tower experience is needed. The class is suitable for all levels. You will be guided through every exercise, and the springs can be adjusted to suit your body and your starting point.

Is the Tower good for back pain?

Yes. The push-through bar on the Tower allows for spinal traction, decompression, and deep mobilisation that is not available on any other piece of Pilates equipment. Many clients with back stiffness or a history of back pain find the Tower particularly beneficial.

How is the Tower different from the Reformer?

The Reformer uses horizontal spring resistance with a sliding carriage. The Tower uses vertical spring resistance from above. This creates a fundamentally different challenge for the body, working the spine, shoulders, hips, and legs in ranges of motion and positions that the Reformer cannot access. The two pieces of equipment complement each other beautifully.