One of the most important items of Pilates equipment, if you are planning to follow the exercise regime to the letter, is the “Wunda Chair”. Sometimes simply referred to as a “Pilates chair”, this item of equipment is one which often frightens beginners when they see one at their first Pilates class. In actual fact, it has been a part of Pilates since the beginning, and is named for a character from Aboriginal mythology. What matters for Pilates practitioners is that it helps them work on their central muscle groups, and what matters for headline writers is that “Wunda” sounds a bit like “wonder”.

Being a chair, the Wunda is a piece of equipment that can be used sitting down. Basic Wunda chairs look for al the world like wooden boxes with a short back and a large panel at the front. That panel is, in actual fact, a pedal, and means that you can work on your central muscles from a sitting position simply by pressing the pedal. However, you dont need to limit yourself to this fairly basic exercise, as many people also lie on their side on the chair and push the pedal with their arms. Therefore you can work your arms, your legs and your torso with the chair.

The chair’s versatility means that it can be a part of a Pilates regime almost right from the start, although as beginners should ease in with some floor and mat exercises it may be best to wait a couple of classes before tackling the chair. When you move to the chair, you will find that it enables you to work on all of the principles that have been covered, and that the only limitation to what it can do is how far you want to push yourself.

Beginners, intermediate and advanced users alike all report very positive things about the Wunda chair – hence those headlines which have already been mentioned. The chair does have many applicable uses, and committed use of it will certainly aid your fitness regime. You may want to get as much use of it as possible at the gym, though, as they tend to start at about £400 ($700)