I hate to work out. Mostly because it involves sweat, itchy workout clothes and my difficulty discerning right from left. That said, I work out faithfully at least three times a week for the usual reasons: I don’t want to become creaky and cranky, not to mention fat. As a result of my dislike, though, I have tried each and every new fitness program in the hope of finally finding one I love (or at least like). I’ve tried Yamuna Body Rolling, yoga and Pilates, purchased the Thighmaster and Abdomenizer, and taken Zumba and cardio barre classes. I recently heard about a new type of exercise called Gyrotonic and immediately thought anything that sounded so much like gin and tonic had to be a good idea.
So, off to Central Studio on Pershing Avenue I went to have a session with certified Gyrotonic instructor Mary Ellen Bryan. Full disclosure: Mary Ellen has been teaching a friend and me Pilates for five years. She is fully aware that I have a really tough time with the body/mind connection, since my mind does not appear to connect to my body. Oh, and I am also unable to be quiet during workouts (you can see why I flunked yoga).
Gyrotronic was created by Juliu Horvath, a professional dancer who injured himself and came up with an exercise method he called Yoga for Dancers. As he taught this method, he developed a variety of machines that would help dancers achieve better turns and pirouettes. One of them, the Pulley Tower Combination Unit, is where my husband and I started our lesson. (Yes, I did drag my husband along; remember, I need someone to talk to.)
My husband is a contractor, and as a result has aches and pains in places I didn’t even know existed. He also likes to exercise, I mean he seeks it out, actually looking for opportunities to run, bike and sweat. I thought he would provide a balance for all the bad blood between me and the exercise mat. Surprisingly, we both had the same reaction to our Gyrotonic session: a positive one.
In an attempt to explain how it works…Gyrotonic gets your body moving in a three-dimensional circular motion. The Pulley Tower, which looks a lot like a BowFlex , provides resistance and support for your movements. The goals include building strength, flexibility, muscle conditioning and increasing your range of motion. And Gyrotonic has its own breathing method, but it reminded me of what I learned in Lamaze class, so, it was hard for me to do without laughing. My husband, who is more mature, had no such problem.
The breathing helps with endurance and builds core strength. Both of us felt much more flexible and limber after our workout. I think Gyrotonic could really benefit someone like my husband, someone who does physical work or athletes who are trying to prevent injury or overtraining. But then I stumbled upon the fact that Madonna, Julianne Moore and Jane Seymour are all devotees of Gyrotonic, and, as you well know, they look amazing. So I think I might have to add this exercise to my regular rotation. And yes, I am easily influenced by celebrities.
You might be wondering: Which do I prefer, gin and tonic or Gyrotonic? Is that really even a question?
By Patty Hannum
Photo by Bill Barrett
Pictured: Gyrotonic instructor Mary Ellen Bryan works with Patty Hannum
