Gyrotonics is a holistic approach to exercise developed in the eighties by Juliu Horvath, a ballet dancer from Hungary who was once part of the Houston Ballet. Horvath suffered from a ruptured Achilles tendon and several herniated spinal discs which ended his ballet career. He moved to the Virgin Islands to recuperate and it was there, while practicing yoga, meditation, and dance that he started to develop the Yoga for Dancers. He also taught ballet and developed his own distinctive choreography and even created his very own acupuncture system. His injuries now healed, he established a studio in the early eighties called White Cloud in New York. He realized that dancers in general, needed a unique type of exercise to tone their bodies and strengthen their muscles for their physically demanding profession. This realization led to the conception of Gyrotonics.
Gyrotonics is an exercise modality with two components. One is Gyrokinesis and the other is Gyrotonic exercise. The exercises in Gyrotonics is incorporates specific breathing patterns while repeating rhythmic and fluid movements. Its main goal is to improve your balance, flexibility, hand and eye coordination, and muscle strength. Since this vigorous exercise involves almost all of the muscles in your body, it tones and shapes you too. Gyrotonics is such an effective form of exercise that it is now widely used by athletes, dancers, and even rehabilitation centers. Being quite new, Gyrotonics offers a training course and certification for those who aspire to be a gyrotonics teacher.
Some Gyrotonic exercises can be quite complex and it is best if you learn them from an expert. A gyrotonics teacher will guide you through your workout and help you achieve your exercise goals. Also, Gyrotonics comes with its own special set of equipment that may be a bit intimidating by its sheer size and the number of pulleys and cables attached. Learning how to use this contraption effectively is made easier if you have a gyrotonics teacher. For those who are quite eager to begin their Gyrotonic experience, here’s how to start in three easy steps:
Step 1: Go to the main website of Gyrotonics at www.gyrotonic.com. This site will give you all you need to know about Gyrotonics, its history, equipment, videos, and some informative articles. When you’re done learning what you need from the website, proceed to the left-hand side of the page where you’ll see the option “Find a studio”. Right click it and you can start looking for the studio nearest you either via the map or by typing your location at the text box and hitting search.
Step 2: Once you’ve picked out the nearest studio, type your location on the text box and the website will give you specific directions how to get to the studio. If you need more information about the studio that you can’t find on the website, you may email them your questions or call the studio directly using the number provided on the address. If you want to know about the gyrotonics teachers available, just click on the gyrotonics teacher to see his or her profile.
Step 3: Upon completion of the two previous steps, all you’ll need to do is head out to the studio and attend your classes where you’ll be taught by some expert gyrotonics teachers.