December Apparatus of the Month
This December, our focus shifted to lift, suspension, and the feeling of being supported even as the body works against gravity. The Airplane Board guided that exploration, an Accessory that invites clarity, steadiness, and a new relationship with the springs.
What begins with simple foot placement quickly becomes a study in staying organized as the movement evolves. The springs ask you to stay with them, not rush ahead. Each phase: reorganizing the spine, moving with the straps, and releasing the feet removes a layer of support and reveals a new layer of control. Without familiar reference points, the body finds its own pathway to stability, length, and reach.
Community Highlights
Our community approached the Airplane Board with curiosity and intention. Teachers shared how this apparatus helps refine alignment, highlight asymmetries, and create an unmistakable connection to the center. Their posts and teaching insights showed how the Airplane Board can build reach through the legs, deepen back-body awareness, and cultivate a sense of lift that carries into every part of the method.
Finding Symmetry and Stability with the Pilates Airplane Board
The Airplane Board reinforces Classical Pilates core principles: precision, stability, control, and aligned movement. When the feet are supported and aligned, the practitioner can access deeper work, more balanced springs, and a clearer connection to the powerhouse. 
Strong Legs and Hips with the Pilates Airplane Board
Alisa Wyatt explains how the Airplane Board fits into a balanced Classical Pilates practice, shows a variety of exercises featuring the Pilates accessory, and discusses why all Classical Pilates enthusiasts should use it.
Rocio Menendez shared a sequence of exercises to explore using the Airplane Board. She states how she is always amazed at how much Classical Pilates gives us through accessories: so much feedback, so much control, so much opportunity to work smarter and more intentionally.
The Airplane Board x Cadillac = Strong Combination
Miguel Silva's sequence highlights how the Airplane exercise progresses as external support is gradually removed. Using the straps and leg hooks first is essential—the springs provide feedback, stability, and help establish the correct relationship between the body and the apparatus.
Taking Flight on the Gratz Cadillac with the Airplane Board
At Breakthrough Pilates, Tiffany and Ashley use the Airplane Board to lengthen and strengthen their body with precision and control.
The video shows how the Airplane Board demands full-body activation, precise spinal articulation, and strong hip organization. It demonstrates how adjusting the springs from standard leg springs to lighter tensions can better support different bodies and single-leg variations.
Flying with the Gratz Airplane Board
The Airplane Board helps you lift off the Cadillac Bed and into the air.
Lengthening, Lifting, Strengthening
At Katona Pilates, the Airplane Board connects your mind and body and engages your entire body.
January Spotlight: Reformer Box
Throughout January, we are spotlighting a piece that expands what’s possible on the Reformer: the Gratz Reformer Box. The Reformer Box fundamentally changes orientation, leverage, and challenge, making it an essential companion to the Reformer.
The Reformer Box elevates the body, allowing practitioners to access a wider range of exercises with proper alignment and support. From seated rowing and stomach massage variations to Long Box and Short Box series, the box helps organize the torso, deepen the connection to the powerhouse, and build the strength and stability required for more complex movements.
Instructors value the Reformer Box for its versatility. Whether refining spinal articulation, strengthening the back body, or challenging rotational control, the Reformer Box supports clean movement patterns and reduces compensation so instructors and students can focus on form, breath, and reach.
January is about learning from one another. Share your Reformer Box work and tag @gratz_pilates - your teaching may inspire someone else’s practice.