This affordable alternative to reformer Pilates is the only workout you need this summer

A woman in sportswear uses a Pilates bar. She holds the bar above her head with her hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Her arms are extended. Blue resistance bands stretch from each end of the bar towards her feet.

There is no shortage of online Pilates workouts to get you started with this ever-popular low-impact style of exercise. After wall Pilates and hot Pilates, the latest variation of Joseph Pilates' popular method of bodyweight training comes in the form of Pilates bar routines.

Some say Pilates bars can do the same job as a reformer machine for a fraction of the cost—a Pilates bar can cost as little as $20 while home reformer machines cost thousands—but how do they work and are they really as effective? I asked two experts to find out. Here’s what they said.