PersonalHour Reformer Education
Understanding your reformer springs helps you choose the right level of support, resistance, control, and challenge for every Pilates exercise. This guide explains how spring tension works, what the different spring colors mean, and how the spring attachment levels affect resistance.
What Is Spring Tension?
Spring tension is the amount of force created when a reformer spring is stretched. As the carriage moves away from the spring bar, the spring lengthens and creates resistance.
The farther the spring stretches, the more force it generally produces. This means the resistance may feel lighter near the starting position and progressively stronger as the carriage travels farther.
How Do Reformer Springs Work?
Pilates reformer springs connect the moving carriage to the spring bar or frame. When you press, pull, or move the carriage, the springs create resistance and then help guide the carriage back toward its starting position.
Springs do more than make an exercise harder. Depending on the movement, they may provide support, improve control, assist balance, or create a greater strength challenge.
More Spring Resistance Does Not Always Mean a Harder Exercise
In exercises such as footwork, adding springs usually creates more resistance for the legs. However, in exercises that require you to support your body while controlling the carriage, heavier springs may provide additional stability.
Lighter springs can sometimes make an exercise more challenging because they provide less assistance and require greater control from the core, shoulders, hips, and stabilizing muscles.
PersonalHour Spring Resistance Chart
The chart below shows the approximate resistance for each spring color at three attachment levels. The higher attachment positions increase the spring's starting stretch, creating greater initial tension.
| Spring Color | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 50 lb | 75 lb | 100 lb |
| Green | 35 lb | 52.5 lb | 70 lb |
| Blue | 25 lb | 27.5 lb | 50 lb |
| Yellow | 15 lb | 22.5 lb | 30 lb |
Resistance values are approximate. The resistance you feel may vary based on the reformer model, spring age, carriage travel, attachment position, exercise setup, body position, and the number of springs being used.
Understanding the Three Spring Levels
Level 1: Lower Starting Tension
Level 1 creates the lowest starting resistance for that spring color. It may be helpful when learning a movement, practicing control, or working with a lighter spring setting.
Level 2: Medium Starting Tension
Level 2 increases the spring's initial stretch and creates a moderate level of resistance. It offers a middle option between the lighter and stronger attachment positions.
Level 3: Higher Starting Tension
Level 3 creates the greatest starting tension for that spring. Use it only when the exercise, instructor guidance, and your ability level support the increased resistance.
What Each Spring Color Means
- Red: The strongest spring in this chart. Commonly used when greater resistance or stronger carriage support is needed.
- Green: A medium-to-heavy spring that provides substantial resistance without being as strong as red.
- Blue: A lighter spring used for controlled movements, upper-body exercises, and exercises requiring moderate assistance.
- Yellow: The lightest spring shown. Often used for delicate control, rehabilitation-style movements, or exercises that require minimal spring assistance.
Combining Multiple Springs
When multiple springs are attached, their approximate resistance is combined. For example, one red spring and one green spring at Level 1 provide approximately:
50 lb + 35 lb = 85 lb of combined resistance.
This does not mean you will feel the full combined number in exactly the same way during every exercise. Body position, leverage, range of motion, carriage direction, and spring stretch all affect how the movement feels.
Spring Safety and Care
- Inspect each spring regularly for gaps, deformation, rust, unusual stretching, or damage near the hooks.
- Make sure every spring is securely connected before getting onto the reformer or beginning an exercise.
- Do not release a spring while it is stretched or under load.
- Change spring settings only when the carriage is stable and fully controlled.
- Replace damaged, excessively stretched, or worn springs before using the reformer again.
- Use the spring settings recommended by a qualified Pilates instructor, especially when you are new to reformer Pilates, recovering from an injury, pregnant, or managing a medical condition.
Inside the PersonalHour Reformer
What Are Pilates Reformer Springs Made Of?
PersonalHour reformer springs are engineered to provide controlled, progressive resistance. Their design allows the carriage to move smoothly while giving the body consistent support throughout each exercise.
Durable Spring Steel
Reformer springs are generally made from strong, flexible spring steel. This material is selected because it can repeatedly stretch and return toward its original shape while maintaining consistent resistance.
The steel is designed to tolerate repeated movement during regular Pilates sessions without feeling loose or unstable when properly used and maintained.
Coiled for Controlled Resistance
The steel wire is formed into a tightly controlled coil. The wire thickness, coil diameter, number of coils, and overall spring length all influence how much resistance the spring creates.
Stronger springs use specifications that produce greater tension, while lighter springs are designed to provide more delicate assistance and control.
Finished and Tested
After the spring is formed, the ends are shaped for secure attachment and the spring is finished to help protect the metal during normal use. Springs are then checked for length, consistency, attachment security, and resistance.
This helps create a smoother and more predictable experience across the reformer's different spring settings.
How Springs Help Build Core Strength
Reformer springs create resistance that changes as the carriage moves. Instead of working against a fixed weight, your body must continuously adjust to the spring's pull.
This requires the abdominal muscles, back, hips, pelvic floor, and smaller stabilizing muscles to work together to control the carriage and maintain alignment.
The goal is not simply to push the carriage away. The core also works to slow the carriage, guide it back, and prevent uncontrolled movement. This controlled return is one of the reasons reformer training can be so effective for stability and body awareness.
What Makes Spring Resistance Different?
- Progressive resistance: The spring generally becomes more demanding as it stretches farther.
- Continuous core engagement: The body must control both the outward and returning movement.
- Support and challenge: Springs can assist one exercise while making another exercise more difficult.
- Adjustable intensity: Different spring colors, combinations, and attachment levels allow the resistance to be customized.
- Stability training: The moving carriage requires the smaller stabilizing muscles to remain active.
Spring construction, finish, resistance, and color combinations may vary by PersonalHour reformer model. Always follow the spring chart and instructions provided with your specific reformer.
