Mat Pilates in Chicago: The Original Form of Pilates
Mat Pilates is the original form of Pilates: a system of controlled, precise exercises done on the floor (Mat) using your body weight and gravity instead of springs and equipment. Everything else in Pilates, including the Reformer classes that dominate now, came after the Mat.
That usually surprises people. Since Reformer classes are more expensive, there’s a misconception that they’re inherently “better.” We’re going to talk about the history and why one is not better than the other.
Where did Mat Pilates start?
There’s a lot of theories and conflicting stories about how one man became the inventor of what we know as Pilates (though he didn’t call it that). The problem is most of this history has been passed down verbally, leaving a lot to be disputed as a giant game of telephone. We all have a “well I learned/heard/thought”...
Here’s what we think we know: He was born December 9, 1883 in Mönchengladbach, Germany, the second of ten children in a working-class family. In 1912, he moved to England and worked as a circus performer, professional boxer, and self-defense trainer. When World War I broke out in 1914, he and other German nationals were interned on the Isle of Man as enemy aliens. During this time, he developed what he called Contrology (or the art of control).
Here what’s less likely: You’ll often hear he was a sickly child who suffered from rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever, but there aren’t hospital records to support it. The other famous story is that he invented the Reformer using springs from hospital beds while interned. Historians question whether they actually had beds with springs, claiming it’s more likely they slept on straw on the ground. He was a prisoner of war. If he did have access to springs, it was likely from somewhere else.
What we do know is this: Joseph Pilates believed (radically, for the early 1900s) that you could not live a healthy, full life without movement. At a time when basically no one was exercising, that was a wild take. And that belief shaped everything that came next.
(I wrote a longer version of this history, including the 1990s lawsuit over the Pilates name over on Substack earlier this year: What Actually Is Pilates? (And why nobody can agree).)
Is Mat or Reformer Harder?
It depends on your instructor and the movements you perform. On the Reformer, the springs resist your movement, but they also assist it. On the Mat, your body does all of it.
Take The Hundred, the classic opening exercise. On the Reformer, the straps and springs give your arms and legs something to work against and something to hang on to. On the Mat, holding your legs in the air and curling your head and chest up is powered entirely by your own core, with gravity working against you the whole time. There's nowhere to hide.
That's why in Joseph's original system, the Mat work wasn't the beginner version. It was the work. Students trained on equipment partly to prepare their bodies for the demands of the Mat work that they were meant to do at home..
None of this means Mat classes are inaccessible. A good instructor scales every exercise, and every person (regardless of strength, level, experience) should be able to have an effective workout. It means the ceiling is much higher than the floor. Ten years in, the Mat will still be teaching you something.
Is Mat Pilates a good workout?
Yes, and it's a complete one. Mat Pilates builds deep core strength, control, flexibility, and body awareness with zero equipment. The exercises train your body to stabilize your spine and pelvis, which is the foundation underneath everything else you do, from lifting to running to carrying groceries up a walk-up.
It also has two practical advantages that Reformer Pilates doesn’t. It travels: once you learn the work, you can do it in a hotel room, a living room, anywhere with floor space. And at many studios it's the more affordable way into Pilates, since no Reformers means lower costs.
If you're weighing Mat against Reformer classes as a starting point, we wrote a full comparison in Mat Pilates vs Reformer Pilates: Which Should You Start With? The short version: most beginners find the Reformer easier to start with, but a Mat practice can stay with you wherever you go.
Who are Mat classes good for?
Almost everyone, which is exactly what Joseph Pilates intended. In our studios, Mat classes serve a few groups especially well: clients who want to deepen their practice beyond the equipment, clients building a home or travel practice, anyone who wants the consistency that produces results without being tied to a Reformer schedule, and people who simply like the energy of a bigger class.
Where can you take Mat Pilates in Chicago?
Both of our studios run Mat classes alongside our equipment classes: Lakeview at 3000 N Sheffield Ave and Lincoln Park at 2549 N Racine Ave.
There are also plenty of Mat classes around the city, and in the summer, there are many outdoor offerings. Look around on social media and see what events might be happening in your neighborhood!
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Core Chicago Pilates Locations: Lincoln Park: 2549 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 | Lakeview: 3000 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Questions? Email: info@corechicagopilates.com | Call or text: 773-296-9660