The Pilates Jump Board: Exploring Classical Pilates Repertoire on the Reformer

Photo credit: Meghan Juras, Winter Park Pilates

Written by: Meghan Juras, Winter Park Pilates

The Gratz Jump Board is one of those pieces of Pilates apparatus that can completely
change the energy of a session.

Classical Pilates already challenges strength, control, endurance and coordination, especially
when the repertoire is performed with thoughtful flow and intentional transitions. But, the Gratz
Jump Board gives us an opportunity to introduce something Pilates doesn’t traditionally
emphasize in quite the same way: a little more cardiovascular demand, power and strength, and
honestly, a chance to have some fun!

Discovering the Purpose of the Pilates Jump Board

Jumping on the Gratz Reformer uses your own body weight against the resistance of the
springs. Depending on the exercise and the individual, one or two springs can create an
opportunity to develop power while still requiring control, alignment and precision. It can raise
the heart rate quickly, but it is much more than simply “cardio.”

In a saturated fitness market where people are often looking for that immediate feeling of a
workout, the Jump Board can deliver it in just a few minutes. With your legs burning, heart rate up
and muscles working, you get that satisfying physical response without having to step away
from the Classical Pilates work that came before it. We can spend the majority of a class or
session focusing on the traditional repertoire, then use the Jump Board for a short burst of
movement that feels completely different. It’s a simple way to give clients that “I definitely
worked” feeling while still keeping the session rooted in Classical Pilates.

Photo credit: Meghan Juras, Winter Park Pilates

I’ve also used the Jump Board with dancers and athletes of all ages to help develop strength and
power for their jumps. By adjusting the spring tension, we can change the amount of resistance
and the amount of time the body has to work through the movement. For dancers, that can
create more opportunity to focus on technique while building the strength needed to get off the
ground and control the landing. For athletes, the control needed to jump and land without
“slamming” the carriage can build needed strength and skills for their sport.

More recently, I’ve added jumping into my own daughter’s training as she works on her All-Star
Cheer skills. She is developing her strength and tumbling, and powerful jumps are an important
part of what she is working toward. The Jump Board gives us a way to train some of that power
while still incorporating the control and body awareness that Pilates is so good at developing.
But there doesn’t have to be a specific athletic goal behind it! Sometimes I add jumping simply
because a client has spent an entire session working on form, precision and control, and it’s
time to change the energy. A few minutes on the Jump Board can let us loosen up, get the heart
rate moving and have a little fun. And sometimes, yes, people just want to feel their muscles
working!

That is one reason I enjoy incorporating the Jump Board into group classes at my studio, Winter
Park Pilates. For someone new to Classical Pilates, the repertoire can feel like a lot to take in.
There are unfamiliar exercises, unfamiliar equipment and plenty to think about. Adding a few
minutes of jumping can provide a very tangible experience: your heart rate comes up, your legs
are working, and you can immediately feel what your body is doing.

Adding Depth to Current Repertoire on the Reformer

Photo credit: Meghan Juras, Winter Park Pilates

To me, the Jump Board is another way to make the depth of the Classical Pilates System
accessible without compromising the work itself. We don’t have to change the Pilates method to
make it approachable. We can use the apparatus thoughtfully and let clients experience the
many different ways the system can challenge the body.

And never tell a Classical Pilates instructor that the work is “boring” or “unchanged.” We have an
entire system of apparatus at our disposal, giving us countless opportunities to revisit familiar
exercises in new ways—including using the Jump Board. I incorporate the Gratz Jump Board
into other exercises and series, including Stomach Massage, the Abdominal Series of Five and
even Side Kick variations, both to jump and as a platform for traditional kicks on the reformer.
The board can change the relationship between the body and the apparatus without changing
the purpose of the work. It can provide support, create resistance, challenge stability or simply
give us another way to experience an exercise we already know.

Most Used Pilates Jump Board Exercises

Exercises:

Traditional Jumps (1-2 springs)

•           Pilates Stance
•           Parallel
•           “Open-Close” (think “heel beats’)
•           “3rd” or “5th” position (dancers)
•           Single Leg Jumps
  

Series of 5 (1 spring)

• Single Leg Stretch
• Double Leg Stretch
• Single Straight Leg (“scissors”)
• Double Straight Leg (“lower lift”)
• Criss Cross

Stomach Massage Series (1 spring)

•  Round
• Reach Back/Straight
• Reach up
• Twist and Reach

Side Kicks (1 spring)

• Side Lying, bend bottom knee into chest while using top leg to jump
• Side Lying, use bottom leg to jump while top leg is maintained in “front” position
• Side Lying, use bottom leg to jump while top leg goes “up/down”
• Side Lying, use Gratz Jump Board to be a mat for traditional side kicks while on reformer

Gratz Jump Board tips: always try to press heels into Gratz Jump Board when landing.

Extend legs fully when jumping, and land as deep as possible while pressing heels down for
F.R.O.M. Jump from the entire Powerhouse, not just the feet.

About Meghan Juras

Meghan Juras has over 18 years of experience teaching Classical Pilates in Orlando and Winter Park, Florida. She became a comprehensively certified Classical Pilates instructor in 2008 through the United States Pilates Association (USPA), now Classical Pilates USA. She is the owner of Winter Park Pilates, with 2 locations in Winter Park, Florida, both of which serve as official Power Pilates Training Centers with a team of 9 Classical Instructors. Meghan is a teacher trainer herself, sharing the method of Classical Pilates with the next generation of teachers.