Women Who Train: Reformer Pilates and Contrast Therapy 2026

Women Who Train: Reformer Pilates and Contrast Therapy is a women-only girls’ afternoon in Dubai on Sunday 29 November 2026, beginning at 3:30pm at CIMA Pilates and Contrast Sauna and Ice Studio. Over roughly two hours, the Women Who Thrive community pairs a guided reformer Pilates class with a contrast therapy session that moves between the heat of a sauna and the cold of an ice bath.

Two halves of one afternoon

The session is planned in two clear parts, and the order matters.

Part one: the reformer class

The afternoon opens on the reformer, the spring-loaded Pilates machine with a sliding carriage, straps and footbar. The class is guided and focuses on core strength and control, using the springs to add resistance or support depending on the move. Reformer work is slow and precise rather than fast, so you leave the studio feeling worked through the deep abdominal and postural muscles without the pounding of a cardio class. Because the machine can be adjusted for each person, the same class works for women who have done reformer before and for those trying it for the first time.

Part two: the contrast studio

After the class, the group moves into the contrast studio and alternates rounds of sauna and ice bath. Heat first, then a cold plunge, then back into the warmth. Many people use contrast therapy after training as a reset, and doing it straight after a reformer session means the muscles you have just worked get the full hot and cold cycle.

A studio built for both

CIMA’s full name, Pilates and Contrast Sauna and Ice Studio, explains why Women Who Train chose it. Few venues in Dubai put reformer machines and a sauna and ice bath under one roof, so the whole afternoon happens in one place with no travel between a class and a recovery session.

Who this afternoon suits

• women who enjoy Pilates and want to try contrast therapy for the first time with a group
• regular gym-goers looking for a recovery-focused session
• friends who want a girls’ day that is active but calm
• Women Who Thrive members who prefer smaller, curated experiences

Anyone with heart or blood pressure concerns should speak to a doctor before trying cold plunges, and it is worth telling the hosts about any health condition before the session starts.

What to pack

Two different activities mean a slightly longer kit list than a normal class:

• grip socks for the reformer
• swimwear for the sauna and ice bath
• a towel
• a change of clothes for afterwards

Part of Women Who Thrive’s November

Women Who Thrive is a women-led community founded in Dubai by Sue and Achasah, running for around five years, with monthly events across fitness, money, creativity, self-care, connection and career. Women Who Train is its fitness pillar, and this reformer and contrast afternoon falls in the final week of a November line-up that has ranged from aerial silks in Dubai Marina to step dancing, a nutrition talk at Grazer and a breathwork session. The month closes the next evening with a bounce trampoline class at British Dance Academy.

Members choose which sessions to attend, so this can be booked on its own by anyone who wants the recovery side of the programme rather than every workout.

How to book

The afternoon is for Women Who Thrive members, who reserve places in the Thrivers app. Membership covers the community’s monthly events, and the app lists upcoming sessions, venues and partner offers.

Read our Women Who Thrive guide, explore more women-only events in the UAE, see the next evening’s Bounce with Natalia class or browse things to do in Dubai.