We often cue “control the return” in apparatus-based Pilates, especially when working with springs.
On the Reformer, the springs give us immediate feedback.
Move too fast, and they’ll pull you. Lose control, and you’ll feel it instantly. That’s where the phrase is most commonly used:
resist the springs, don’t let them take you.
But in mat work, there are no springs.
So the question becomes, how do we teach that same level of control?
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The Roll Up as the Example
In the Roll Up, most clients focus on getting up. They use momentum, grip through the hip flexors, or throw themselves forward.
But the return?
That’s where the opportunity is.
Rolling back down asks for:
• segmental spinal control
• deep abdominal engagement
• awareness of every inch of movement
And without resistance, most bodies will default to dropping.
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Using Springs as Imagery
Even though there are no physical springs in a mat class, we can teach as if there are.
Cue it like this:
“Imagine you’re lying on a reformer, holding the straps. As you roll down, the springs are trying to pull you back, your job is to resist them.”
This imagery does a few things:
• It slows the descent
• It organizes the body against resistance
• It shifts focus from finishing the rep to experiencing the movement
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Why It Matters
Controlling the return is where strength is built.
It’s where the body learns to decelerate, not just produce force.
And more importantly, it’s where clients stop performing exercises… and start understanding them.
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Behind the Cue
“Control the return” isn’t just about moving slower.
It’s about teaching the body to stay in the work,
even when gravity (or springs) are trying to take over.
Because in Pilates,
the way you come out of a movement
matters just as much as how you get into it.
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