Well firstly everything is relative I guess and we all need to consider what budget we may have and what our priorities are but Reformers themselves are not cheap pieces of equipment.

There are various manufacturers but in my studio I use Balanced Body Equipment, their cheapest new reformer is over £3000, with more expensive models and add-ons well over £4000. That's not even inclusive of delivery from US or customs/import fees!

Many studios have more than one piece of equipment, maybe a Cadillac, these can be over £5000 new or maybe a Reformer/Cadillac Combination which can be over £8000 new or perhaps a Chair, these can be over £2000 new.

I'm lucky to have all of these amazing pieces of equipment in my studio and extremely fortunate to have been able to purchase such excellent quality equipment second hand from colleagues who have loved and looked after them as much as I do.

Even if you have the kit, you need to know exactly what you're doing with it otherwise it can be extremely dangerous to apply additional load or instability to a joint, the spine or the body as a whole. This is another reason why Studio sessions are often taught as 1:1, 2:1s or small groups, as opposed to larger groups you may find for matwork classes - it's essential that the teacher can keep a close eye on everyone for their safety!

Learning to train on the studio equipment doesn't come cheaply either. Some teachers may complete a comprehensive training program that covers Pilates matwork and studio equipment. Other teachers, myself included, may begin with matwork. My matwork training with the world leading Body Control Pilates costs approx £2,600 in course fees, plus more in travel, time for studying, supervised teaching, assessments etc. Thereafter there are fees for insurance and membership of a professional body are due and there are a huge variety of CPD options available and since completing my initial qualification in 2009 I've spent thousands of £s and hours on further training for teaching with matwork props and looking after special populations plus related qualifications in order to deliver the safest and best possible experience to my clients. I've also invested at least £1500 in specialist teacher training to safely teach using the Reformer, Cadillac and Chair.

It's certainly a good job that I love what I do and I'm very lucky to get to share that with an amazing and lovely bunch of loyal clients! 

 www.louisaharrispilates.co.uk/Studio