Guidelines for Spring Settings on the Wunda Chair

Andrea Maida - a PMA certified Pilates instructor and blogger based in San Diego, California - shares some guidelines for choosing appropriate springs for the Wunda Chair exercises in her Pilates Andrea boutique studio in Solana Beach.
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ANDREA MAIDA is a PMA Certified Teacher who has been teaching the Pilates Method of Exercise since 2003. Since her very first Mat class in 2000, Andrea has been fascinated with the lifelong body of work created by ‘the genius of the body’, Joseph Hubertus Pilates.
Andrea is a graduate of Vintage Pilates’ inaugural class of The Work, and she was thrilled to be invited into Teaching the Work taught by Jay Grimes, 1st Generation Master Teacher and former
student of Joseph Pilates. Andrea received comprehensive training through Excel Pilates
(Washington, DC) and Romana’s Pilates in New York and Los Angeles.
Andrea is an instructor and blogger for pilatesology.com which is dedicated to recording,
preserving and spreading Joseph Pilates’ original work worldwide.
In 2012 Andrea channeled her love of Pilates through her blog pilatesandrea.com/blog recently named one of 3 Pilates Blogs to Follow.
Andrea’s boutique studio is located in beautiful Solana Beach, California just north of San Diego.
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[@christinewinterton7111]

Thanks Andrea, just getting to grips with Wunda chair and this makes it easier to understand. Love the videos.

[@PilatesAndrea]

Thank you so much Christine for your kind words on my videos. We all need a helping hand with the Wunda - every single exercise is so challenging to do :) Thank you for watching and keep up the good work! xox

[@alessandraniccolai5168]

Hello this is very useful as always 😁 just wondering if you could talk a bit about spring choices for one leg pumping- I normally use one middle spring for this but have seen it taught with heavier settings... thanks 😘

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Alessandra! Thanks so much for watching first off and thanks for this really good question that I didn't really touch upon in the video. With regard to spring tension in general - and especially for the exercise you mention, the standing one leg pumping - you want to choose a spring setting which will enable the student to have control and not be pushed around by too much spring. Even if the spring setting is very light - "easy" and "boring" but you have good control, you'll be able to find proper connection as well - start with that and when you build more strength and control you can add more spring tension. Does this make sense? You know that control thing... ha ha - always the name of the game #contrology So the 1 spring in the middle might be a good option. I also like 2 bottom springs for myself on the Wunda :) Keep up the good work, my UK Nerd Princess and see you soon! xox

[@alessandraniccolai5168]

Andrea Maida thanks so much for your speedy reply! Yes, makes sense 👍🏼 I actually find a lighter spring setting can be quite challenging especially with balance 😳 I shall experiment with heavier settings and report back 🤓👍🏼 yes... see you soon 😘😘😘

[@agataparrott6643]

Great video,.Andrea! I was thinking about this today. One question: if you were to choreograph.the whole session with wunda chair whether for a private or a quad or so and the goal is to flow from one exercise to the next and getting off the wunda as little as possible what would you choice of springs be? I feel like maybe one top/one bottom would be a good compromise. While.in some cases the ex would.be less challenging, others would become more supportive and therefore.more of the strength-building rather that finding and lifting from the powerhouse. But the session would flow nicely.and that's challenging in it's owm way.

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Agata - thank you so much for watching and for this fantastic question! If you want to teach a lesson or duo on the Wunda to focus on moving - yes - it is a good idea to figure out how to change the springs only a few times. I would suggest doing all the exercises that you can do on 1 middle spring and then change to a 2 spring setting (1 middle plus 1 bottom spring - or 1 top spring + 1 bottom spring) for all the exercises you'd like 2 springs. That way you only change 1 or 2 times during the hour. You could start on 2 springs - footwork, pull up, etc... and then change to 1 middle spring for many many exercises and then go back to the 2 spring setting for going up front, mountain climb, tendon stretch, etc...I hope this makes sense and I hope this helps to answer your question. Keep up the good work and thanks so much xox

[@agataparrott6643]

Amazing answer! Thanks! I have recently seen someone say/post that they like to do the whole wunda without getting off and focus on flow so i was thinking how that would be possible!!? I agree that changing springs at least once or twice is kinda inevitable....👍🏻

[@PilatesAndrea]

Yes, I have worked on never getting off the Chair - it can be done, but sometimes I found I was not super efficient and just getting off would have been better LOL - see what you think :) xo

[@caroleperlman]

Thanks for your helpful video, Andrea. I've been doing Pilates for 14 years and a friend is kindly loaning me a chair until the COVID situation resolves.My chair has two eyelet bolts on the front and three in back. How to I combine them for footwork and arm exercises? I'm , a 70-year-old, 5'1" woman. Thanks.

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Carole, Thank you so much for watching and for joining the conversation here with us. When you say there are 2 eyelet bolts in the front - I am assuming you mean on either side of the pedal - am I correct? and then 3 places on each side in the back? If you know what kind of chair you have and I could google it I could help you more specifically. In general, you want the springs to feel quite heavy if it is to help you lift the weight of your body - when both feet are on the pedal for example and you are doing the Pull Up exercise. And then if the arms are on the pedal 1 spring that is not too heavy to move around with 1 arm even would be my suggestion. You could use the rule that whatever the spring tension it supports you in the exercises - meaning it assists you to do it - and you never feel like the spring pushes you. You should always be in control of the spring, even if it feels like it makes the exercise "easy" if you are in control, that is the name of the game. I hope I helped to answer your question. And good for you - it is so necessary to have Pilates apparatus in our homes at this Covid time. Keep up the good work! xox All best to you.

[@caroleperlman]

Andrea Maida thanks for your reply. Sorry I was unclear. There are two bolts on each side of the front, one on top of the other, similar to the three stacked on each side of the back.

[@PilatesAndrea]

Carole Perlman Ah ok - so you could use the same spring settings I suggest in my videos and decide to either use the top front springs or the bottom ones. My thoughts are that using the top front springs will be more supportive (slightly heavier) and using the bottom front springs will be less supportive (slightly lighter). This could be a guideline and then you can adjust for your specific needs as you experience the exercises - meaning sometimes it’s nice to have a little more help in certain exercises - and less in others. I hope this makes sense :) Happy Chair workouts! and thanks for watching ❤️

[@caroleperlman]

@@PilatesAndrea Thanks so much!

[@sophiawilson9866]

What springs do you use for piking?

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Sophia, I think the exercise you call Pike, I learned as the Pull Up. You can decide how much support you need for the exercise - so the short answer is there is really no wrong spring setting, just harder or easier. As a starting point you may want to give yourself 2 springs. On my chair that can be 1 top spring + 1 bottom spring. I find this setting to be quite supportive. I am petite, so I use 1 middle spring + 1 bottom spring for myself (a little less support). Play around with your specific chair apparatus and see what spring setting gives you the ability to be in control and actually do the exercise without struggling too much or getting pushed around by the spring. Control is literally the name of the game LOL (Contrology) Thank you so much for watching and let me know how it goes! xox

[@soyhoon]

03:51

[@PilatesAndrea]

So glad you enjoyed this tip! Thanks for watching :) xo

[@LisaFladager]

Did you talk about two springs in the middle?

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Lisa, I bet I didn't talk about 2 springs in the middle... I feel that 2 springs in the middle is slightly less support than 1 top spring + 1 bottom spring. They are very similar - feeling nearly identical in my experience, and if I knew more about physics I could tell you how the angle of the spring as it attaches to the back of the chair will alter the spring tension. But in general I rank them (2 springs together) from least support to most 2 bottom springs, 1 bottom + 1 middle, 2 middle, 1 bottom + 1 top, 1 top + 1 middle, 2 top springs. Thanks for reading my lengthy response to your question LOL Thank you so much for watching and have an awesome day!

[@ResiaRenee]

Isn’t it the job of the instructor to learn the physical background and abilities or inabilities and modify/ adjust exercises and/or springs to help the client to be more successful?

[@PilatesAndrea]

Hi Scheresia :) Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your question here with us. Your question is a good one, and I feel that this is the ultimate goal of the journey we are on with ourselves and our clients: using the best apparatus in the best way to progress our clients safely and efficiently in the Pilates Method. So the short answer to your question is yes. However I feel that this relationship develops over time: my understanding of the exercises in my own body plus working with clients over time enables me to do this better and better. Does this make sense? I hope I helped to answer your question.