Understanding Reformer Springs: Does Heavier Always Mean Harder?

If you’ve practiced Reformer Pilates, you’ll be familiar with changing springs between exercises. But what are those changes actually doing?

It’s easy to assume that heavier springs make an exercise harder and lighter springs make it easier. Sometimes they do, but springs can also provide assistance and support. Understanding reformer springs and their role helps us choose settings with more purpose.

What do the springs do?

The Reformer’s springs connect the moving carriage to the frame. As the carriage moves out and the springs lengthen, their pulling force generally increases. As they shorten, they pull the carriage back towards its starting position.

You may be working against that pull, using it to assist movement, or controlling the return. The same spring can have a different role at different points in an exercise.

Understanding reformer springs: Resistance and assistance

A less traditional exercise often seen in contemporary Reformer classes is the lunge. It’s a useful example of how resistance and assistance can work together.

Consider a version with the front foot on the floor beside the Reformer and the back foot on the carriage. As you lower into the lunge and press the carriage backwards, you lengthen the springs and work against their resistance.

With the same setup and carriage travel, a heavier spring combination increases the force needed to press the carriage out. As you rise and bring the carriage back, the springs assist that return. You still need to control the movement: assistance doesn’t mean letting the springs pull you back unchecked.

A lighter combination reduces the resistance to pressing out, but also reduces the assistance coming back. That can make the return and carriage control more demanding.

The spring pulls horizontally on the carriage; it doesn’t simply lift your body vertically. How much help you feel depends on your position, how you move and how you distribute your weight.

What changes when both feet are on the Reformer?

Now consider a lunge with the front foot on the fixed standing platform and the back foot on the moving carriage.

Both versions involve a moving surface. In each, you need to manage your balance while the distance between your feet changes.

Moving the front foot onto the platform brings your feet closer to the same height, changing your joint positions and how you distribute your weight. This can shift how much work your front-leg glutes and thigh muscles do, depending on your stance and how deeply you lunge.The platform also usually offers less space for foot placement than the floor.

Being elevated may make you feel less secure, but height alone doesn’t automatically make an exercise less stable. The available support, stance, movement range and use of the footbar all influence the challenge.

For some people, this version will feel more demanding. It is a different balance and control task, rather than an automatic next step for everyone.

Is lighter always a progression?

No. Less spring force may reduce assistance, but it also reduces resistance. Whether that makes an exercise more challenging depends on the movement and the person performing it.

If the aim is to increase pressing effort, more resistance may be useful. If the aim is to explore control with less assistance, a lighter setting may be appropriate.

Neither choice automatically prepares someone for a floor-based lunge. That also needs practice with the balance, strength and coordination required for that particular task.

Spring colours aren’t universal

Light, medium and heavy describe relative settings on the apparatus you’re using. Spring colours and resistance systems vary between manufacturers, so a familiar colour may feel different on another machine.

Learn the equipment in front of you and follow its manufacturer’s guidance. Choose a spring setting for the exercise and participant, rather than relying on colour alone.

Looking after your springs

Understanding springs also means looking after them, especially if you’re becoming a studio owner.

Follow the manufacturer’s inspection and replacement schedule, checking springs and their attachment points for wear or damage. Warning signs can include rust, distortion, or unexpected gaps in the body of the coils. Stop using affected equipment until the issue is resolved.

Keep a record of inspections and replacement dates. A spring looking intact doesn’t replace the need for scheduled maintenance, and replacement intervals can vary between products.

Learning to choose with confidence

Before changing a spring, ask: what do I want this adjustment to achieve? Then observe the movement and ask the participant how it feels.

Spring selection is a practical skill. Exploring different settings, feeling their effects and discussing your choices helps build confidence beyond memorising combinations.

A rough guide to spring colours

• 🟢 Green = Strong: Greater resistance when pressing out; may also provide more assistance or carriage support.

• 🔴 Red = Medium: A moderate resistance option, depending on the exercise.

• 🔵 Blue = Light: Often used for lighter arm work or exercises exploring balance and control.

• 🟡 Yellow = Extra light: A smaller resistance option; reduced assistance can make some exercises more challenging.

  
  

Heavier springs can sometimes support beginners, but the right choice depends on the exercise and individual. Colours vary between manufacturers, so always check your equipment!

At Pilates Training Hub, our in-person Reformer teacher training gives you time to explore these decisions, ask questions and practise adapting exercises with tutor guidance.

Our 2027 courses in Newquay, Cornwall, and Chichester are now available for qualified Level 3 Matwork instructors with teaching experience.

Want more practical Pilates teaching tips? Sign up to our newsletter and explore our free Pilates resources.

We have also put together a Reformer spring-reference guide, covering essential and contemporary exercises with suggested starting spring combinations.