Gyrotonic: The New Mind/Body Wave

Pilates has long been a common name in the exercise community, but in the beginning it was mostly used by dancers and athletes for several decades before it came into the mainstream. So, what about Gyrotonic? This is not a name commonly heard from the lips of trainers and therapists, but it is starting to come into the mainstream as well. Gyrotonic (which is often incorrectly referred to as gyrotonics - with an "s" on the end) is now at a stage where Pilates was in the 1990's. Many have never heard of Gyrotonic, but it is predicted that it will take off in the same way as Pilates did, and it will become the new mind/body wave of the exercise community.

As a physical therapist, I have been exposed to both Pilates and Gyrotonic training. Six years ago was when I first had the opportunity to experience alternative exercise trends, I spent a 6 week period of time learning and eventually teaching and training patients in both Pilates and Gyrotonic. Although there are similarities between the two methods of exercise, they are distinctly different in their core methodology. Pilates is a method of exercise that builds on a philosophy of movement.

Pilates exercises are designed to develop long lean muscles and help align the body, improving posture. Pilates was initially an exercise program on resistance machines which had pulleys, and was later developed into a mat program as well. Similarly, Gyrotonic uses a machine with pulleys and, additionally, a handle unit. Gyrotonic also has a mat-related exercise program named Gyrokinesis. However, Gyrotonic is set apart from Pilates and other mind/body disciplines such as Yoga, by it's focus on rotational motion. Gyrotonic pulls it's exercise elements from Pilates, Yoga, dance/ballet, swimming and even martial arts. Spinal fluidity is an important element in Gyrotonic exercises. The rotational motion during the exercises allows the spine to move in a wave-like motion, increasing spinal fluidity and mobility of the body.

We all know the Pilates One-Hundred, which is one of the first and main exercises in the Pilates exercise regime. Gyrotonic, too, has it's own set of named exercises for all parts of the body. The Arch/Curl series is a basic set of exercises specifically for moving the spine in a wave-like motion. One such Arch/Curl exercise is where you sit on the Pulley tower, hold the handle with one hand while the other lays, fingers spread apart, on top of the handle.

You then arch your torso backwards, while spinning the handle counterclockwise and then continue the handle spin as you curl your torso forward. Everything is done in one fluid movement. The same is then repeated on the other side using the opposite handle. In addition to the Arch/Curl series, there is a Hamstring series, Abdominals, Upper Body, Side Stretch series, and Leg series. An example of an exercise in the Leg series which is similar to that of Pilates, is the Scissor, where you lay on the tower bench and attach your legs to the Gyrotonic pulleys, while performing a scissoring motion of the legs.

Working with Gyrotonic, you become more body-aware, and gain flexibility and strength. Gyrotonic is the up and coming thing with celebrities such as Madonna, Teri Hatcher, and Edie Falco sharing a love for the new exercise trend, as reported in NBC's ivillage. It is likely with the recent celebrity buzz, that "Arch/Curl" is going to be as common a term soon as "The Hundred" is in Pilates circles.

Sources:

Gyrotonic - http://www.gyrotonic.com/Default.asp

Trend Alert: Gyrotonic - http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/trend-alert-gyrotonic.html