A cushioned board replaces the footbar. You lie on your back and push off it. Your heart rate goes up and your spine stays supported the whole time, which is the entire point.
Cardio without the landing
Running and jumping load your joints twice: once on the push, once on the landing. Lying down takes most of the impact out of the landing. You still get the push, the heart rate and the power, without your knees and spine absorbing the impact.
Useful if you are carrying a niggle, if you have had a knee or hip replaced, or if you simply want a cardio session that does not cost you anything the next day. If you have had a joint replaced, check with your surgeon or physio first.
Your bones still get the message
Loading matters for bone density, and pushing hard off a board loads your legs and hips properly. You get a meaningful stimulus without the joint cost, which is a good trade at any age and a very good one after 50.
What jump board work feels like
- Energising. Faster, more rhythmic, more music than a Foundation class.
- Harder than it looks. Everybody says this.
- Fun. The one people describe as fun rather than good for them.
- Still precise. Alignment matters more when you are moving quickly, not less.
Learn the machine first
Our instructors bring the jump board into some classes once you know the reformer. Start in Foundation: at speed, a pattern you have not learned properly gets reinforced quickly, and Foundation is where the basics hold.
How it fits the week
A strength class, a Stretch and a class with some jump board work make a well-built week. If you want more cardio, add walking.
All five class styles run 50 minutes on one timetable. See what else is on.
If you are not sure it suits you
Tell us when you book. Every instructor here trains with the physiotherapists at Malvern Physiotherapy Clinic a few doors up, so if a knee or a pelvic floor means jump board work is not right for you yet, they will say so and point you somewhere better.
Both intro offers are here if you are starting from scratch.
