Tag Archive for: Gyrokinesis

Types of Workouts: Getting Started with Movement

Getting started with movement? Here are types of workouts you can try

“Figuring out where to begin your fitness journey can be a challenge. Learning the movement essentials and finding your favorite types of workouts are the first steps to getting started with fitness.”

—Elaine Economou

There are so many ‘shoulds’ in our vocabulary for fitness and movement. The hardest part of sorting through the list of shoulds? Figuring out how or where to begin. If you are working with past injuries, health issues, or any level of busy life it can seem even harder to get started.

Instead of giving you another list of things you ‘should’ do, Elaine Economou’s latest blogpost for popular website, Sixty and Me will share some ways to help you get started with movement in a way that works for you. Maintaining a variety of workouts is best. After all, the very best workout is the one that you will do!

Read the full blogpost on Sixty and Me.

Getting started with exercise

Elaine shares two ways we can think about how to get started with movement. One or both may resonate and help you on your movement journey.

  • First, is the behavior science approach. Using positive psychology will help you identify your motivation for including movement and fitness in your life. Understanding your motivation will help identify how fitness can fit into how you frame your life and your vision for your best self.
  • Second is the movement science approach. This is a little more instructional and grounded in what we know to be true about how movement and fitness impact your body and overall health.
GYROTONIC Tower

Types of workouts

With so many different types of workouts to choose from, there is something for everyone. Elaine will share a little more about some of the ingredients in her own recipe for fitness. Including:

Maybe you’ll be inspired to try one of them for yourself!

Read Getting Started with Movement

How to get started with movement

Elaine Economou’s new Movement Essentials: Getting Started with Pilates is a 28-day program at MOVE On Demand designed to get you moving safely and keep you on track. Each week Elaine introduces you to the basic principles of Pilates with a consistent warm up, weekly classes, and a variety of special topics to enhance your journey. And, it comes with an easy-to-follow calendar that will guide you through a clear progression and provide a foundation for healthy movement.

Watch the trailer to learn more. Support the activities you love to do in life by starting today!

Learn more about Movement Essentials

About Elaine Economou

As co-founder of MOVE Wellness®, Elaine Economou helps people move with ease, strength, and joy. Her passion is empowering people to understand their unique bodies and build strength to support moving well through their unique life. Elaine has created Movement Essentials: Getting Started with Pilates to help people move well and live a life they love – wherever and whenever.

Find all of Elaine’s Sixty and Me blogs on her author page.

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Working Out While Traveling: How to Keep Up Your Fitness Routine

How to Keep Up Your Fitness Routine While Traveling

The latest blog from Elaine Economou about working out while traveling is now posted on the popular website, Sixty and Me.

“Once you evaluate the when and where of a travel exercise routine, figuring out how you will exercise is the next step. With internet access you can do virtually (pun intended!) anything you want. Online fitness options—both on demand workouts and livestream classes—are widely available. You don’t need to have any fancy equipment or props taking up space in your suitcase. Use a beach towel instead of a mat and water bottles as hand weights. That book you brought along to read on your trip can make a great substitute yoga block.”

—Elaine Economou

Tips for Working Out While Traveling

In this blog, Elaine will guide you though how to think about your available time and space on vacation. She’ll break down the advantages of the various online workout options. And, she’ll talk about what type of exercise you need most when you’re on the road. Give the following 30-minute Level 1 Pilates class a try on your next vacation using therabands for resistance. Perfect for your suitcase! Be sure to read the full blog over on Sixty and Me to learn even more strategies.

Read How to Keep Up Your Fitness Routine While Traveling.

Move More, Feel Better

We know the more you move, the better you feel. That includes finding smart ways to make movement part of your routine, even when traveling. For wherever life takes you or from the comfort of your very own home, MOVE Wellness offers a free 14 day trial of our livestream classes. Support the activities you love to do in life by starting today!

Start Your FREE 14 Day Livestream Trial

About Elaine Economou

Elaine Economou helps people move with ease, strength, and joy. Her passion is empowering people to understand their unique bodies to build strength, and do more of what they love. As co-founder of MOVE Wellness®, Elaine leads a global movement community of clients in high-caliber, in-studio, and interactive livestream training. 

Find all of Elaine’s Sixty and Me blogs on her author page.

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MOVE Welcomes GYROKINESIS® Master Trainer Alicia Head

Mark your calendars and plan to join us October 1–3 as GYROKINESIS® master trainer, Alicia Head visits MOVE to present a continuing education course for instructors as well as classes open to the community.

GYROKINESIS® Essentials for Instructors

For instructors, we are pleased to offer Alicia’s continuing education course GYROKINESIS® Essentials Part 1: A Journey of Spinal Motions Toward Level 1

  • WHEN: October 1–3, 2021 at MOVE Wellness Studios
  • PREREQUISITE: Certified Level 1 GYROKINESIS® Instructor
  • COST: $175 Studio fee due upon registration, plus $350 course fee to be paid directly to Alicia.
  • SCHEDULE:
    • Friday, October 1, 12:00–2:00 p.m. and 4:00–7:00 p.m.
    • Saturday, October 2, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 2:00–5:00 p.m.
    • Sunday , October 3, 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. and 12:00–3:00 p.m.

This 3-day course is a dynamic and systematic approach to preparing the spine and nervous system for the full formats featured in GYROKINESIS® Level 1. Each format was developed for a 60-to-90 minute class and they can be presented either as a progression or independently. This course satisfies continuing education and update requirements for certified GYROKINESIS® instructors as well as GYROTONIC® instructors who are also certified in GYROKINESIS®.

These GYROKINESIS® formats explore three different aspects of spinal motions — lumbar, thoracic, and cervical. The classes still follow the basic sequencing — Awakening of the Senses, Spinal Motions, and either standing or floor work — but the stimulation to the nervous system is more gentle and gradual. GYROKINESIS® Essentials of Spinal Motions Part 1 is perfect for beginner level students and also for experienced people who enjoy deepening the work. This approach allows us to discover more about the internal process of elongating the spine and how to best prepare our bodies for energetic awakenings. The formats also work beautifully as a warm-up for private sessions or group classes — either GYROTONIC® or GYROKINESIS® — and they shed some more light on the concepts of Narrowing the Pelvis and Supple-ing.

Register for Instructor Course

GYROKINESIS® Essentials for the Community

MOVE clients and the greater community are invited to join us as Alicia teaches her Essentials classes throughout her weekend training. Each class will explore a different aspects of spinal motions — lumbar, thoracic, and cervical. The classes still follow the basic sequencing — Awakening of the Senses, Spinal Motions, and either standing or floor work — but the stimulation to the nervous system is more gentle and gradual. GYROKINESIS® Essentials of Spinal Motions Part 1 is perfect for beginner level students and also for experienced people who enjoy deepening the work. Choose to attend one class or join us for all three.

  • WHEN: October 1–3, 2021 at MOVE Wellness Studios
  • WHO: MOVE clients and the greater community
  • COST: $45 per class.
  • SCHEDULE:
    • Lumbar spine: Friday, October 1, 12:00–2:00 p.m.
    • Thoracic spine: Saturday, October 2, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
    • Cervical spine: Sunday, October 3, 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Register for Essentials Classes

Register for Essentials Classes

 

About Alicia Head

Alicia Head Portrait

Alicia Head became a GYROKINESIS® master trainer in 2004. She studied exclusively with Juliu Horvath throughout the entire process and has also taken many continuing education courses with him including Happy Moves, Lotus Blossom #1 and #2, the GYROKINESIS® Breathing Course Intensive, GYROKINESIS® Level 2, the Archway, and the Jumping Stretching Board.  Ms. Head’s mind-body movement journey began as a Pilates student at St. Francis Memorial Hospital’s Dance Medicine division, where her main teachers were Elizabeth Larkam and Nora St. John. Alicia later studied closely with Marie-José Blom at her Long Beach Dance Conditioning studio in Long Beach, CA where the approach to movement was depth-oriented. Great attention was given to the concept of core stabilization involving a dynamic process free of bracing or rigidity. Alicia has taught GYROKINESIS® Level 1 Foundation Teacher Training courses for 14 years and has observed the need for material that explores the principles of the GYROTONIC® method that is accessible to all people. She was delighted to connect with Gina Muensterkoetter and become part of her project to offer new GYROKINESIS® formats to the international community. GYROKINESIS® Essentials — A Journey of Spinal Motions Part 1 was finalized in March 2017 and Alicia is honored to be on the teaching team.

Register Today!

Please contact us with any questions. Online registration is available by clicking the buttons below. You may also register by calling us at 734-224-2560 or in-person at the studio.

Register for Instructor Course

Register for Essentials Classes

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Why you should try a GYROKINESIS® Exercise class

The latest blog from Elaine Economou is now posted on the popular website Sixty and Me.

What is GYROKINESIS® Exercise?

Maybe you’ve heard of Gyrokinesis exercise, but aren’t exactly sure what it entails. You might be wondering what it’s all about and how it might benefit you. Elaine’s blog will cover:

  • What Is Gyrokinesis exercise?
  • The benefits of Gyrokinesis exercise
  • Why try a Gyrokinesis Exercise Class
  • How to access a free Gyrokinesis class trial

Check out this Youtube video to learn more!

Why try a GYROKINESIS® Exercise Class

Read the full blog to learn more about the benefits of this wonderful movement system. Gyrokinesis classes are an efficient, effective, and safe way to increase your flexibility, develop your core, and release tension. Classes can be adapted to people of all ages with a wide range of abilities from fitness enthusiasts to those just starting out.

You CAN Start Now

We offer in-studio Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic Tower classes. Click the button below to see the schedule and sign up!

See the class schedule

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7 Reasons to Choose MOVE Livestream Classes

Why Try MOVE Livestream Classes

Whether you’re local to Ann Arbor or across the country, you can now join our high-quality, interactive livestream classes from the comfort of your home. Livestream classes offer new content each session with the energy of a live instructor to motivate and guide you in real time. You’ll have access to our expert team to answer your personal questions—something you won’t find with pre-recorded workouts. Choose from Pilates, GYROKINESIS®, Barre, Yoga, HIIT, and more. Our weekly class schedule includes over 30 classes. All you need is a device for streaming and space to move. Find frequently asked questions about livestream classes at MOVE here.

But really, we know there’s free content all over the internet. We also know you can subscribe to some really big brands for a lot less. So what sets our program apart and why are we worth a look? Why are 30 LIVE classes better than 3000 on demand classes? Here are 7 reasons to choose MOVE livestream. But don’t just take our word for it, give us a try and see for yourself with our 14-day free trial.

Pilates trainer starting a Move livestream class.
  1. Built-in accountability when you register for a live class
    Admit it. There’s just something special about scheduling something and putting it in your calendar that makes you more likely to follow through. It’s so easy to get caught up in our busy schedules and “forget” to make time for ourselves. But if you’ve signed up for a class with a live instructor, you’re much more likely to make the time and hold yourself accountable. The sense of commitment increases when we find a class we love and incorporate it into our weekly routine. 
A MOVE livestream class trainer doing an inspiring Pilates teaser.
  1. Motivating energy of live instruction to keep you moving
    We’ve done plenty of pre-recorded workouts. There’s lots of enthusiasm, but not much spontaneity. An instructor truly enjoying teaching clients in realtime and the ability to adapt the pace or content of a class based on the participants’ needs is irreplaceable. It feels like we’re all a part of one community moving together.
Laptop displaying a MOVE Livestream class in someone's living room.
  1. Convenience and comfort of working out in your own home
    Just rolling out of bed and feeling like taking a class in your pajamas? No problem. We’ve been there and done that, too. While our instructors love to see you moving, there’s no judgement on those days you turn your camera off and move with no one watching. Another perk of livestream classes is that there’s no commute to factor in. Join us on the fly when your 11:00 o’clock meeting gets cancelled. Don’t want to go out in the cold rain? Stay cozy in your very own living room.
Trainer explaining something in a MOVE Livestream class.
  1. Expert support you need to meet your personal goals
    We may be connecting on Zoom, but there’s a whole team of experts behind the screen ready to answer your questions and make sure we’re meeting your needs. We’re always happy to recommend classes, talk through your goals and set a schedule for you, or answer questions about any specific issues or modifications you may need.
Trainer teaching a MOVE Livestream Class in a recording studio.
  1. Variety of fresh class content each session to stave off boredom
    Did you love your class today? Awesome. Do you want to do that exact same class over and over again? Maybe not. (Ok, maybe once or twice.) With livestream classes, trainers are able to progress a group and move you through a repertoire week after week. We promise to keep you on your toes!
Man and woman taking a MOVE Livestream class together
  1. Connection to a wellness-focused community of peers and professionals
    We’ve all found our way to MOVE Wellness for a reason (or reasons). Our community is a group of people who seek to improve our well-being through movement, nutrition, education, and other holistic methods. We all find joy and comfort in traveling on this journey together. MOVE often hosts special community-focused events like our MOVE Book Club, unique-topic Member Workshops, MOVE Donation Classes for social justice, and more.
Trainer greeting her MOVE Livestream class
  1. Reliable access to our expert team to answer your questions
    Trainers are available for a quick chat before or after class as well. Something specific going on with your body? Hop into class early or jump into the chat so that your trainer can be sure to throw out custom suggestions and modifications in class. Our concierge team is always standing by to answer any bigger questions and make sure you’re on your best journey.

Your Interactive Livestream Program Starts Here

Let our expert instructors come to you—attend your choice of 30+ professional studio classes from the comfort of your home. Start your free 14-day trial of MOVE Livestream classes today.

Start a FREE 14 Day Trial
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Learn About the GYROTONIC® Method

MOVE Wellness Studios trainer, Suzanne Willets Brooks answers some of your questions about the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® methods.

Describe Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis exercise in one sentence.

The GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® uses specialized equipment to take your whole body through rhythmic, circular spiraling motions, which increases flexibility and core strength while restoring functional health of all joints in the body, especially the spine. Gyrokinesis movement compliments Gyrotonic movement in that it too is a system of harmonizing organic movements such as circular waving and spiraling motions, but without the equipment and usually in a group setting.

How did you get started with the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM®

I began studying Gyrokinesis exercise about eight years ago. I did the entire training to be certified and immediately fell in love with the method. Five years ago, I began my process of getting my certification. What impressed me about both systems was the innate intelligence of the movement. It is functional and rehabilitating. It connects into the many systems in the body. When I practice it feels painless and joyful and I get a great workout.

What do you think is underrated about this movement philosophy?  

Tension is the enemy of movement. Tension wears out our joints and wears down our nervous system. The Gyrotonic philosophy is one of harmonizing. The movement feels so organic, and we are moving functionally in the parasympathetic response system. The Gyrotonic method is a system that you can do forever.

What are the general health benefits of practicing Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis exercises?  

Health benefits of Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic exercises include better joint stability, increased circulation, better spinal mobility, better coordination of the pelvic floor, stronger more resilient core, increased range of motion and an improvement of daily posture.

Specifically, how can the Gyrotonic method assist people recovering from physical injuries?

For people transitioning out of physical therapy, our body systems work in a cooperative fashion. When we injure ourselves it is important to look at how our habits informed our injury or visa versa. The system offers support and correct functional movement connecting whole chains of movement. A knee injury for example can be connected to a faulty bone rhythm in the foot and pelvic chain. Understanding the function and moving in that function improves overall movement. Shoulder injuries can be related to improper scapular humeral rhythms. There is a whole protocol of movement in the Gyrotonic method that improves better joint coordination for shoulder health. It is a dynamic movement process which specifically helps ease people into full functional movement.

If you could give one tip for beginner participants, what would it be?  

I would say this system is a journey. Let it unfold. Find the ease and joy in the movement and trust your body.

Explore the method yourself by scheduling a Gyrotonic private session or drop in to one of our Gyrokinesis group classes.

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