I am a huge fan of Pilates. I make it a goal to attend at least one class a week, whether it be mat or reformer, and I even attended a week-long Pilates retreat in Thailand. So when new forms of Pilates started trending, I was eager to roll out my mat, find a wall, and give it a go.

In Wall Pilates, instead of using a reformer machine, you use the resistance of the wall and your own body weight to work the muscles. It is also much cheaper than reformer Pilates classes.

A word of caution, what works for me may not work for you or your body. If you are new to Pilates or returning to Pilates after an injury, I always recommend going to a class with an instructor. An instructor will be able to correct your form and offer advice and modifications based on your body.

For my first Wall Pilates class, I put my best yoga mat next to the wall in a spare room and found a Full Body Wall Pilates class by Donna Finney that has over 125K views on YouTube.

The class started out as calmly as any other class, and for a few minutes I wasn't quite sure where the wall was, but then things took a turn. Some exercises, like the Reformer, gave me a greater range of motion, while others, like the gluteal bridges, were more challenging.

Here are the main things I got out of the class:

Just like the bridges we do on the Reformer, putting my feet on the handlebars and lifting my legs when working my glutes really increased the intensity. As a runner, I suffer from lazy glutes and often find that my quads are quite dominant when I run. After just a few reps, my glutes were shaking.

But before we got to wall bridges, Finney started with spine curls, using the wall as resistance. By using the wall, I found that my spine was neutral and my lower back was pressed against the mat.

During part of the workout, Finney instructed me to stand strong against the wall and do a single leg glute bridge with the weight on one leg and the other leg. It only took me a couple of reps to notice the difference between left and right. I am right-handed, so perhaps it is natural that my right leg is stronger, but I could really feel my leg shaking on the left side. As a runner, it is important to address these weaknesses to avoid injury.

Finney is a great instructor. The first time I put my foot on the wall, I knew my heel was slightly off the wall. After a few seconds, Finney told me that if that happened, it was a sign that I was having trouble bending my ankle and that I should walk with my feet slightly off the wall. The wall helped me listen to my body and get my alignment right.

The wall also helped me with Pilates exercises such as calf raises and crunches. One of the drawbacks of working out at home is that there is no instructor in the room to fine-tune the movements and adjust form, and the wall seemed to help.

My verdict: after 30 minutes, I was hooked. I loved the class and the addition of the wall made it challenging and exciting. The best part? Unlike the best resistance bands and the best ankle weights, this Pilates prop is completely free! Sign up.

Looking for more Pilates home workouts? Check out this Pilates workout that targets the entire torso, with 8 Pilates exercises that are great for strengthening the abdominal muscles, and this abdominal and glute Pilates workout.