Pilates Movement Monday: Leg Springs on the Cadillac

A Pilates practitioner performs controlled leg springs on the Cadillac, focusing on pelvic stability.

I spent the weekend with a group of teachers and Pilates enthusiasts as we worked between matwork sessions and apparatus sessions. The full apparatus programme included work on the Reformer, the Ladder Barrel, the Wunda Chair, and the Spine Corrector. I was defiantly challenged by looking at the full repertoire of the Cadillac, mainly because many of my regular clients are still working at the foundation level. I work mainly on a one-to-one basis, and many of the people coming to me have conditions, so I don’t often get to teach with the more advanced repertoire. One exercise we didn’t get to do over the weekend, which I realised afterwards, was walking in the leg springs.

Leg springs are simple in appearance, but they demand focus and control. With the legs elevated, moving through walking, the springs offer both support and challenge. The support comes from the resistance holding the legs in position. The challenge is in keeping the pelvis stable and the centre engaged while the legs move independently.

What I enjoy most is the demand for precision. It is easy to let the springs take over, but the real work is in managing them rather than being carried by them. The abdominal connection has to be constant. The pelvis must remain neutral and steady, even as the legs alternate.

This movement highlights the balance between stability and mobility. The legs are mobile, but the trunk must remain stable. Teaching this exercise gives students an immediate sense of how the centre supports the limbs. For teachers, it is a clear way to see if a client understands that connection.

The walking variation especially pushes the control. Each step must be deliberate, resisting the temptation to allow momentum or spring tension to dominate. Done well, it strengthens the core, challenges endurance, and refines awareness of how small shifts in the pelvis affect the whole chain of movement.

For anyone teaching or learning Pilates, leg springs on the Cadillac are a reminder of why apparatus work is so valuable. The springs do not simply add resistance, they test control, coordination, and concentration. This is the Pilates method in action.