Gyrating with grace
reprinted from TheStar Online
WHILE Pilates stretches and strengthens core muscles with straightforward, linear movements, Gyrotonic® increases your strength, mobility and flexibility with graceful, circular movements.
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Gyrotonic® increases your strength, mobility and flexibility with graceful, circular movements.
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“Gyrotonic® training allows the movement of the body to flow freely without tension and limitation. It’s like yoga and dance combined together,” said Hani Gooi, a certified Gyrotonic® instructor and studio director of Pilates Central.
Despite their differences, Pilates and Gyrotonic® complement each other surprisingly well, where one often leads to another.
“They are complementary to each other. They work the body as a whole to create strong core muscles while balancing strength and stability, coordination and articulation of all the joints,” Hani explained.
“After going for Pilates, I decided to try out Gyrotonic®. Both workouts are very good for the body. I feel good and very relaxed after the workout,” said Chiew Poh Har, a Gyrotonic® enthusiast.
Relatively new in Malaysia, Gyrotonic® was founded by Juliu Horvath in the 1960s, who developed the form of exercise through his experience in dancing and intensive study of yoga.
Performed with equipment such as the Gyrotonic Expansion System®among other apparatus, Gyrotonic® stretches and strengthen muscles, joints and the spine simultaneously with very little effort.
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Hani Gooi … ‘After doing Gyrotonic® you should feel like you have loosened up all the joints …’
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Unlike gym equipment that works on target muscles, the Gyrotonic Expansion System is special because the equipment is built to create movements that mobilises multiple joints and promotes whole body workouts.
“It is a whole body workout, simultaneously working the body from head to toe; thus creating a whole body awareness,” Hani elaborated.
Interestingly, Gyrotonic® is not just a simple fitness exercise. It can also play a role in rehabilitation and optimise sports performance.
“It is suitable for everyone. The exercises can be modified to suit people of all levels and requirements; for instance, the elderly, athletes, children, people going through rehabilitation, or people seeking maintenance and relaxation,” Hani said.
“My body felt loose and no longer stiff. After the workout I did not feel tired at all,” said Chiew, who does Gyrotonic® in the morning before going to work.
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Gyrotonic® stretches and strengthens muscles, joints and the spine simultaneously with very little effort.
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Gyrotonic® can allow people to make the most out of their daily activities by teaching them how to move correctly.
“Its aim is to teach people how to work the muscles correctly to help them in their daily activities,” Hani said.
For instance, they will know which muscle they should work on when they walk, stretch, run or perform a golf swing, she added.
Hani noted that young people in general do not feel the effects of wrong, faulty movements until age catches up with them.
Adopting the correct movements earlier on will help to prevent problems at a later stage.
Gyrotonic® is also very beneficial for athletes like golfers and tennis players because it will help them strengthen the muscles they need for that particular sport, Hani said.
Like Pilates, Gyrotonic® emphasises the mind and body connection and is highly modifiable for people with various needs.
“Its important to have mind and body connection. The mind should not wander, because concentration helps with recruiting the right muscles, correcting body alignment and maintaining a good rhythm for the movement,” Hani explained.
Most of the classes will start with the teacher assessing clients to determine their needs, understand their problems and work out a programme tailored to suit their individual needs, she added.
“Everybody is unique, and all have different needs. That’s why I recommend one-on-one classes,” Hani explained.
“Every movement that we do here can be modified for people with issues,” Hani added.
“We are looking very much at the anatomy of the body and to create exercises that are suitable for individuals.
“It is a matter of knowing how to isolate and work on the correct muscles safely,” Hani added.
For Hani, a person who does Gyrotonic® exercises can look forward to a lot of positive changes in their bodies.
“After doing Gyrotonic® you should feel like you have loosened up all the joints, you are free in your movement, and you have a sense of wholeness in the body.” …view the original article
Posted on: 01/04/2012, by : Jacqui
