The reformer is a simple machine with one awkward property: almost every setting changes not the difficulty of an exercise but the exercise itself. Once that clicks, you plan differently.
Short version: Springs are not a difficulty dial, they are a direction. Fewer springs make some exercises easier and others distinctly harder. Everything else — footbar, box, props — follows the same logic: it is not about more or less, it is about a different job.
The springs
The heart of the machine and the most misunderstood part of it. The question at every exercise is not "how heavy" but: are you working against the spring, with it, or holding against it?
- Against the spring — footwork, stomach massage. The spring is resistance. More springs, more work.
- With the spring — the return phase of feet in straps. The spring assists. More springs, less work.
- Holding against the spring — long stretch, knee stretches. The spring supports. Fewer springs, much more work.
The full logic, including how to build spring blocks for group classes and why colours should never go into a written plan, is in spring settings for group classes.
"Colours do not travel. Loads do. Write your plans in light, medium and heavy."
The carriage and your transitions
The carriage is why reformer teaching works differently from mat: every movement produces immediate feedback. It is also why group classes fall apart at the transitions.
Each spring change costs one to two minutes in a group of ten. Three changes in a class is five minutes and three breaks in the flow. The fix is not changing faster but grouping — organising exercises by spring load rather than by idea. What that does to your planning is in the guide to teaching reformer Pilates.
The footbar
The first five minutes of almost every class, and the best diagnostic moment you get: everyone lying in a line, doing the same movement, facing you. Knee tracking, pelvic position and breath quality are all visible immediately.
Which foot positions do what, and how to vary the same series across a whole term, is in reformer footwork variations. What belongs in the minutes before and after is in reformer warm-up exercises.
The jump board
The one attachment most studios own and fewest teach well. It is also the only way to get genuine cardio into a reformer class without asking anyone to stand up and run — the spine stays supported and the landing forces largely disappear.
Spring settings by goal, the landing mechanics to cue, how long a segment should run and who should sit it out: jump board 101.
Props
Ring, ball and band can do exactly three things: give feedback, add resistance, or support a position. If a prop does none of those, it does not belong in the class — in a group it only costs handout time and attention.
The German-language guide covers which prop does what, which sizes make sense and how to avoid prop chaos: Pilates Kleingeräte.
Same machine, different class
The practical payoff: you do not need new exercises to build a new class. Spring load, tempo, range, position, plane and breath are six dials on the same exercise. How to turn them one at a time — and why only ever one — is the six-variable framework.
In mixed groups the spring is also your main adaptation tool: same exercise, two settings, two appropriate levels, no separate instructions. More on that in mastering mixed-level classes.
Want class plans with the spring settings already in them?
Pilates Plans gives you ready-made reformer class plans — spring settings per exercise, cues and videos.
→ Get a free class plan
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the reformer spring colours mean?
Nothing consistent — colours differ by manufacturer. On Balanced Body red is heavy and blue is light; on Merrithew red is the standard spring. Which is why class plans should say light, medium and heavy rather than naming colours. Then your plan still works when you cover a class at another studio.
Do fewer springs make an exercise easier?
Not always, and this is the point that matters most. In exercises working against the spring — footwork, stomach massage — fewer springs means less work. In exercises where the spring carries or stabilises you — long stretch, knee stretches, plank work — less spring makes it considerably harder.
What spring setting should I use for footwork?
Heavy: roughly three to four springs depending on the machine. The legs are the strongest muscle group in the room, and enough resistance keeps the carriage controlled rather than skittish. Going lighter does not make footwork more demanding, just wobblier — control work belongs elsewhere in the class.
Which props do I need for teaching reformer?
Three are enough: a Pilates ring, a small ball and a resistance band. Between them they cover the only three jobs a prop can do — give feedback, add resistance, support a position. If it does none of those, it is decoration, and in a group decoration costs time.
