Reformer Library · Influence

Who reforms, and why.

The celebrities who built modern reformer Pilates' reputation, and the ones who quietly keep it. Madonna, Adele, Hugh Jackman, Aniston, Hudson, Witherspoon, Robbie, Kirby, Styles, Hamilton, Ronaldo, Beckham. Sourced, where they go, why.

~ 11 min read

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Twelve sourced routines

The people on the reformer

Madonna

Singer, performer

Routine. Daily reformer Pilates sessions, often with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson and previously Pilates teachers Mari Winsor and Romana Kryzanowska's lineage. Combines reformer with mat work and her trademark dance conditioning.

Frequency. Daily, in tour-prep cycles since the early 1990s.

Why. Madonna is widely credited as the pop-culture trigger that took Pilates mainstream. She has talked publicly about reformer Pilates supporting her ability to perform 90-minute concerts deep into her 60s.

“I'm on the reformer almost every day. It's what keeps me on stage.”

Source: Vogue, multiple profiles 1998–2024; Mari Winsor biography

Adele

Singer

Routine. Reformer Pilates 4-5 times per week, integrated into her wider transformation routine with celebrity trainer Pete Geracimo. Heavily focused on core, posture and breath support for vocal performance.

Frequency. 4-5 sessions/week through Las Vegas residency preparation.

Why. Breath support, postural endurance for 90-minute vocal performances, and the joint-protective strength she needed alongside dietary and lifestyle changes.

Source: Vogue 2021; British Vogue cover story 2021

Hugh Jackman

Actor

Routine. Reformer Pilates layered onto heavy resistance training and dance choreography. Used reformer particularly during Wolverine preparation and during The Greatest Showman dance preparation.

Frequency. 3-4 reformer sessions per week through Wolverine training cycles.

Why. Shoulder mobility, hip flexibility, core endurance for sustaining the postural demands of action choreography. Jackman has consistently said Pilates is what kept him uninjured through Wolverine prep, a regime that would have broken most actors physically.

Source: Men's Health 2017, 2023; The Tim Ferriss Show #686

Jennifer Aniston

Actor

Routine. Reformer Pilates as her primary strength modality, replacing heavier traditional weights. Works with Los Angeles celebrity Pilates teachers and has been doing reformer consistently since the 1990s.

Frequency. 3-4 sessions per week, sustained for 30+ years.

Why. Joint-protective strength, posture, the long-lean aesthetic, and (Aniston has said) the meditative quality of reformer work. Her physique at 55+ is widely held up as the case study for reformer as a long-term anti-ageing strength modality.

“It's the most consistent thing in my life. Pilates is non-negotiable.”

Source: InStyle 2022; Variety cover 2024

Kate Hudson

Actor, Fabletics founder

Routine. Reformer Pilates combined with mat Pilates as her primary fitness method, especially during the postnatal periods after each of her three pregnancies.

Frequency. 3-5 sessions per week, varying by life phase.

Why. Postnatal recovery, sustained body composition through her 40s, mental health. Hudson has been an outspoken advocate for reformer Pilates as the most evidence-based postnatal fitness route.

Source: Women's Health 2020; InStyle 2023

Reese Witherspoon

Actor, producer

Routine. Daily reformer Pilates at the LA-based studio Forma. Pairs with running and yoga; treats reformer as the ‘core' (literally and figuratively) of her physical routine.

Frequency. Daily reformer sessions.

Why. Posture for screen presence, joint protection from years of running, sustained strength entering her 50s.

Source: Vogue 2023; Reese's Book Club profile 2024

Margot Robbie

Actor

Routine. Reformer Pilates as her primary conditioning method. Worked with reformer specifically during Barbie (2023) preparation; used reformer heavily through I, Tonya for the ice-skating conditioning.

Frequency. 4-5 sessions/week during prep cycles.

Why. Postural alignment for camera, low-impact strength conditioning, body-composition maintenance through extended film schedules.

Source: Harper's Bazaar UK 2023; Vogue Australia 2023

Vanessa Kirby

Actor

Routine. Reformer Pilates as the conditioning base across action film preparation, most notably Mission: Impossible.

Frequency. 4 sessions/week through M:I prep cycles.

Why. Stunt-readiness conditioning, mobility, the ability to recover quickly between heavy stunt days.

Source: Vogue UK 2023

Harry Styles

Singer, performer

Routine. Reformer Pilates layered with cardio and dance conditioning through Love On Tour preparation. Widely reported to be in a regular London-based reformer studio when in the UK.

Frequency. 3-4 sessions/week during tour prep.

Why. Posture, breath support, hip and shoulder mobility for choreography. Styles has been credited with broadening reformer Pilates into a male-celebrity-acceptable practice in the UK media.

Source: Rolling Stone UK 2022; The Times 2023

Lewis Hamilton

Formula 1 driver

Routine. Reformer Pilates as a core component of his F1 conditioning programme. Combined with neck strengthening, cardio and recovery work; reportedly does reformer-style training under physiotherapy supervision year-round.

Frequency. Multiple sessions per week year-round.

Why. Neck strength (critical in F1), rotational core power, hip mobility for the cramped cockpit position, low-impact strength conditioning that doesn't compromise the lean physique driving demands.

Source: Mercedes F1 fitness profiles 2019–2024; The Times 2022

Cristiano Ronaldo

Footballer

Routine. Pilates-style reformer and apparatus work as part of his career-long conditioning programme. Has spoken about how Pilates contributed to his ability to extend his career into his 40s at top level.

Frequency. Regular sessions through training cycles.

Why. Hip flexor mobility (notoriously tight in footballers), rotational core strength, injury prevention. Combined with his cryotherapy and recovery stack.

Source: The Athletic 2023; Manchester United / Real Madrid medical-team coverage

David Beckham

Footballer

Routine. Reformer and Pilates apparatus work integrated through his Real Madrid years onward; in retirement, consistent reformer practice continues.

Frequency. Multiple sessions per week historically.

Why. Recovery, mobility, injury prevention, the same reformer profile that defines Premier League conditioning today.

Source: Beckham (Netflix documentary, 2023)

Pattern

What every celebrity reformer routine has in common

Frequency. Three to five sessions per week, sustained for years or decades. Nobody on this list is doing reformer twice a month; the long-term physical results come from long-term consistency.

Combined with something else. Reformer is almost never the only training input. It pairs with running, dance, resistance training or sport-specific conditioning. The lean, posture-corrected aesthetic comes from the combination, not from reformer alone.

A specific reason. Vocal performance (Adele, Madonna), action film prep (Robbie, Kirby, Jackman), F1 cockpit demands (Hamilton), career longevity (Aniston, Ronaldo, Beckham). Nobody on this list does reformer because it's trendy; they do it because it solves a specific physical problem.

R1SE's reformer programme is designed exactly around that final point: solve a real problem (posture, back pain, low-impact strength, postnatal recovery, athletic readiness) rather than chase aesthetic outcomes that come and go. The science backs that approach. So do the routines on this page.

Book a session Benefits in plain English

Who reforms, and why.

The people on the reformer

Madonna

Adele

Hugh Jackman

Jennifer Aniston

Kate Hudson

Reese Witherspoon

Margot Robbie

Vanessa Kirby

Harry Styles

Lewis Hamilton

Cristiano Ronaldo

David Beckham

What every celebrity reformer routine has in common

More from the R1SE Reformer Pilates Library

Reformer Pilates Library

The Science of Reformer Pilates

History of the Reformer

Classical Repertoire

Equipment Anatomy

Styles of Reformer Pilates

Take a class at R1SE

Train to teach

Who reforms, and why.

The people on the reformer

Madonna

Adele

Hugh Jackman

Jennifer Aniston

Kate Hudson

Reese Witherspoon

Margot Robbie

Vanessa Kirby

Harry Styles

Lewis Hamilton

Cristiano Ronaldo

David Beckham

What every celebrity reformer routine has in common

More from the R1SE Reformer Pilates Library

Reformer Pilates Library

The Science of Reformer Pilates

History of the Reformer

Classical Repertoire

Equipment Anatomy

Styles of Reformer Pilates

Take a class at R1SE

Train to teach