|
Working out can be so linear: Treadmill, stair
climber, bike path … even yoga
and Pilates mats steer you into moving along an axis.
If you’ve ever felt the urge to break out of “front-facing” workouts
(notice how different you feel when you dance vs. work out?), Gyrotonic
is a workout to try.
Derived from words for “circle” and “stretch,” Gyrotonic works your
body in a decidedly nonlinear way through a fusion of expressive-looking
circular movements. Combining elements of dance,
yoga,
swimming,
t’ai
chi and gymnastics,
it’s a liberating experience — a way to exercise outside the lines.
“There’s something about the 360-degree orientation that wakes up the
spirit,” says Janet Rupp, a four-year Gyrotonic student at White Cloud
studio in Boulder, Colo., who shifted to Gyrotonic from Pilates and
hiking at age 58.
“It’s playful and fluid,” Rupp adds. “We tend to take ourselves so
seriously. This adds lightness to life.”
That’s the intention behind the Gyrotonic method developed by Juliu
Horvath, a Romanian-born dancer, swimmer and devoted yogi who introduced
Gyrokinesis, or “ Yoga for Dancers,” to elite performers in New York
City in the 1970s.
Horvath expanded on the yoga-like floor work (which also includes
exercises done on a padded stool) as the basis for his Gyrotonic
Expansion System. This workout equipment’s handles and pulleys enable
sweeping, arcing movements that contrast the back-and-forth motion of
most weight equipment or Pilates Reformers.
Both floor- and machine-based Gyrotonic workouts emphasize rhythmic,
flowing sequences of movements paired with specific breathing patterns
that help stimulate cardiovascular and neurological systems. And both
emphasize core work — toning the muscles around the torso and improving
posture, balance and agility.
Something for every body
Boxing coach and avid mountain biker Gilbert Million, 48, credits
Gyrotonic with increasing his core strength, balance and coordination —
and a dramatic difference in his handling skills on bike trails.
“Gyrotonic brings that circular motion,” he says. “It’s unique in
that you’re using your muscles throughout their range.”
“Gyrotonic increases the functional capacity of the entire organism,”
says Matt Aversa, vice president and COO of the Gyrotonic International
Headquarters. “Even if you’re just playing ping-pong, it helps.”
Gyrotonic Master Trainer Kathy Van Patten, also a Pilates instructor
and owner of Boston Body Works, Gyrotonic Boston and Gyrotonic
Manhattan, says Gyrotonic can benefit people of all ages and lifestyles.
“Children learn how to build and maintain a healthy, strong and
upright body early in life,” she says. “Seniors can greatly reduce pain
and increase their range of movement. Professionals can quickly resolve
lower back discomfort often generated by desk work. And athletes can
perfect performance and avoid injuries caused by overcompensation due to
weakness or misalignment.”
Gyrotonic has attracted an impressive list of celebrities and
athletes, from pro golfers Tiger Woods and Mark Wilson to Madonna, Liv
Tyler and Julianne Moore.
Marion Accola, 16, an up-and-coming golfer from Brookfield, Wis.,
turned to Gyrotonic to improve strength and flexibility. “After doing
Gyrotonic about once a week through the winter last year, I have gained
much more strength,” she says. “I can drive the ball about 20 yards
farther due to increased flexibility, a more coiled turn and the
strength I have built in my arms.”
How it’s different from
yoga, Pilates and weight machines
Gyrotonic is “more expansive” than yoga,
says Gyrotonic Master Trainer Alice Diamond, who opened her Boulder,
Colo., studio after studying personally with Horvath. “There’s more
balance between strength and openness,” she says, “and more emphasis on
rotation and spiraling movements.”
Aversa says Gyrotonic also differs from yoga and Pilates because
there’s “no end point in the movements.” Pilates is more linear; yoga is
more static; and Gyrotonic is both circular and fluid. In fact,
Gyrotonic can actually accelerate advancement in your yoga practice,
says Aversa, allowing you to get into difficult positions more easily.
Aversa also points out one way that Gyrotonic is different from
toning or weight-training work: “In Gyrotonic we use resistance to open
the body — to leverage rather than to build mass.”
Getting started with Gyro
workouts
Gyrotonic instruction is getting easier to find. Its programs and
equipment were among the top 10 with growth potential, according to the
2006 Fitness Equipment and Programs Survey by IDEA Health & Fitness
Association. And Aversa says more Pilates studios are investing in
Gyrotonic equipment, offering a simple way for people to try out the
practice.
More than two decades after the first Gyrotonic studio opened, there
are 1,400 studios worldwide offering Gyrotonic — more than half of them
in the U.S.
When choosing a studio that offers Gyrotonic, look for teachers who
are fully certified, says Van Patten. The instructor should have
completed at least Gyrotonic or Gyrokinesis Foundation Level 1 training
through Gyrotonic International, the only organization that certifies
Gyrotonic instructors and teacher-trainers.
Van Patten says the instructor you choose should also have a Pulley
Tower Unit that is in good working order. And perhaps most important,
make sure your teacher is a good fit for you personally.
“The most talented, advanced and commercially successful athletes are
not necessarily the most talented teachers,” says Van Patten. Look for
someone who has certification and experience, but who is also
supportive, imaginative and passionate about his or her work.
For a list of Gyrotonic instructors worldwide, visit www.gyrotonic.com.
3 Gyro moves you can do at
home
A great introduction to the Gyrotonic system is through Gyrokinesis,
the “floor” version of Gyrotonic that you can do at home without
Gyrotonic equipment. Diamond recommends these Gyrokinesis exercises to
experience the feeling and benefits of the Gyro genre of movements.
These sequences also translate to the Gyrotonic equipment, which will
add resistance and potentially greater range of motion.
Cradle
Picture the body rocking like a cradle.
How-to: Sit upright, legs
extended, feet pressed together, knees bent to 45-degree angle and
slightly apart. Keeping shoulders down, elbows soft and close to the
body, scoop forearms into the floor beside hips. Exhale to engage abs,
curl pelvis and rock onto sacrum as legs come off floor. Toward end of
exhale, cough to expel completely. Inhale to “rock the cradle” back to
upright.
Targets: abdominals
Benefits: Rocking the spine
while simultaneously scooping the arms creates length in the spine and
space in the joints, supporting the head and spine. The cough allows for
deep and complete use of the abdominal muscles.
Cat Back with Twist
Picture a cat stretching.
How-to: Start on hands and
knees, feet flexed, heels together, toes apart. Turn left hand so
fingers face right and soften elbow. Sliding right hand along the floor,
reach right arm through space created by left arm while torso spirals
forward into an arch. Keep head up, sternum reaching forward and sit
bones reaching back. Change sides. Exhale with each twist.
Targets: whole body
Benefits: Similar to yoga’s
“cat/cow” but with a twist, this move more actively engages the
abdominals, spinal muscles and feet.
Simple Kneading
Picture a cat “kneading” with the paws.
How-to: Sit up, legs extended
in front of you, feet flexed. Point right foot, bend right knee and
slide foot along floor to just above opposite ankle. Meanwhile, left leg
reaches outward with equal energy. Change feet. Alternate continuously
and exhale with each bend.
Targets: lower body
Benefits: This move creates
suppleness in the hips, legs and feet, which allows energy to cycle
throughout the entire body, a signature aspect of Gyrotonic methodology.
Community Voice
|
Become a fan
Follow us
Subscribe
