I can’t believe I’m publicly declaring that I’m currently in marathon training, but here we are. I’m about to start my next training block and let’s be honest: the wellness juggle is real. Finding time to get your km’s in, but maintain strength training and stretching, is a challenge. You want the km’s, but you also know your body needs the strength work to avoid injury. For years, I told myself that studio Reformer Pilates was my secret weapon. I’d spend my Sunday nights refreshing booking apps, trying to snag a spot at a time that didn’t conflict with work meetings, scheduled long runs, or a good night’s sleep. Especially when I have two kids that still like to wake up at odd hours of the night.
But at the end of last year, as I stared down my 2026 running calendar, a hectic work schedule and my daughter starting kindy, the thought of another year of the “studio scramble” finally broke me. Between the commute, the $50-a-pop classes, and the late cancel fees that felt like a personal attack when a work meeting ran over, I was barely making it once a week. My body felt stiff, my glutes were “sleepy,” and my recovery was non-existent.
That’s when I decided to pivot. I stopped trying to fit my life around a studio schedule and brought the studio to my spare room by hiring a reformer Pilates bed from YourReformer. A few months later, it’s the best decision I’ve made for my marathon prep — and my sanity.
My Challenge With Studio Pilates
When you’re training for 42.2 kilometres, your schedule is already packed. You’re balancing long runs, accurately fueling (why is this the hardest part?!), work, parenting, and a social life. Finding time for a class often meant I’d be sacrificing time with friends or sleep. Both very important to my overall happiness.
By hiring the reformer, I regained that time. The convenience factor cannot be overstated: I no longer have to worry about whether a class is booked or if I’ll make it in time if work runs over. I can roll out of bed, do a 20-minute glute-activation flow before a run, or jump on in my pyjamas for a deep stretch before bed (this happens more often than I care to admit). That accessibility turned Pilates from a luxury I occasionally managed into a daily habit that supports my training.
Why Hiring Beats Buying
You might wonder why I chose to hire rather than buy a cheap reformer online or keep paying for classes. Here’s the thing: marathon training is a season. I wanted a commercial-quality bed — the kind with the smooth glide and heavy-duty springs you find in high-end studios — without the $5,000 price tag.
Hiring through YourReformer gave me a professional-grade machine and access to their on-demand app for a fraction of the cost. It’s low-commitment, which means after a few months, if I need that spare room back, it can easily be returned. The cost-per-use has dropped to less than the price of a coffee making it a very worthwhile investment and money saving exercise.
The Marathon Training Edge: Strength & Recovery
As my kms are ramping up, the reformer has become my physical therapist, strength coach, and recovery specialist all in one.
Running needs to be accompanied by strength training, so I am using the reformer to target my “running muscles” — glutes, hamstrings, and core. Doing heavy footwork, glute bridges, hamstring bridges, and lunges on the carriage has helped me build the stability needed to maintain my form when I hit the 30-km mark in my long runs.
And then post-run? We all know we should stretch, but most of us just collapse on the couch or jump into a cold shower. Having the bed in my house changed that. After a long run, I spend 15 minutes doing with feet in straps (is there any better feeling?), to flush the legs, decompress the spine, and open up the hips in a way that a foam roller just can’t touch.
My Verdict?
A few months into having the bed in the comfort of my home, I’ve realised that the greatest benefit of hiring a reformer has been the consistency. Because the bed is right there I have no excuse to skip mobility work.
I’m entering this training block feeling stronger and more flexible than I did in my early 20s. If you’re tired of the logistical nightmare of studio bookings and want a way to actually support your training goals, hiring a bed is the ultimate hack. It’s not just about the workout; it’s about making your recovery and supporting your overall fitness and wellness goals.
