Styles of Fitness
Before you take a look at our classes and services, you can familiarize yourself with the different styles of fitness we offer by reading through these helpful descriptions:
WHAT IS PILATES?
Pilates is a system of movement and exercise created and developed by German-born athlete and physical therapy pioneer, Joseph Hubertus Pilates. This innovative method educates, re-patterns, realigns, and balances your body.
While shaping your body, this form of fitness:
- alleviates tension and fatigue
- strengthens and stretches
- frees you from poor postural habits
- increases flexibility, coordination and stamina
- decompresses your joints and improves circulation
- helps heal neck, back and other joint problems
Doctors, physical therapists, dancers, and athletes have long revered Pilates as a powerful healing and educational physical training system.
WHAT IS YOGA?
Yoga originates from ancient India and comes from the Sanskrit word yukti which means “union”. The name is fitting because yoga is a system of: breathing practices, physical exercises, postures, and meditation, all intended to create a union or balance between the body, mind, and spirit.
There are six major branches of yoga:
- Hatha (including the form of Ashtanga)
- Raja
- Karma
- Bhakti
- Jnana
- Tantra
Hatha yoga and the branch of Hatha yoga known as Ashtanga will be offered through our studio.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HATHA & ASHTANGA YOGA?
Hatha is a very traditional style of yoga that focuses primarily on Asana (Yoga Postures) and Pranayama (Breath Work). This type of yoga practice tones the body, quiets the mind and provides an opportunity for self-reflection.
Ashtanga takes traditional Hatha yoga and steps it up a notch. Referred to as the yoga of eight parts (‘ashta’ meaning eight and ‘anga’ meaning limbs), each stage requires you to synchronize your breathing with a series of postures that then paves the way for the higher levels.
Each pose is linked to the next through a series of connecting movements called Vinyasa. These movements allow the body to create heat and increase flexibility. Smooth, deep breathing (Ujjayi), gaze (Dristi) and locks (Bandhas) are synchronized with the movements. This dynamic form of yoga purifies and realigns the body while cultivating a feeling of inner peace.
WHAT IS FUSION BELLY DANCE?
Fusion Belly Dance is a modern fusion of many dance forms that allows the dancer to think outside the box. Learning foundational moves from belly dance, the dancer learns exercises that rely on using muscles rather than the skeleton.
Unlike sit ups or push ups, this dance fusion is more of a gentle way to build muscle and the stretching exercises incorporated work to increase flexibility. It’s also great way to get some quality cardiovascular exercise into your fitness regime.
If you want to have fun belly dancing and tone at the same time, this form of fitness is for you!
WHAT IS ACCESS CONSCIOUSNESS?
Access Consciousness is a verbal session which uses a set of verbal tools that are applied to everyday life to facilitate ease with the body, mind and spirit. These tools help us to become more in tune with our bodies and can help change our ways of being and living.
Access Consciousness will be an optional exercise that will be offered to those who sign up for Fusion Belly Dance classes.
WHAT IS URBAN POLING?
Urban Poling is also known as Nordic Walking. It originated in Finland, where, in the early 1930s, cross-country skiers began using poles to positive effect during their summer training. In the 1980s, clinical studies correlated the use of trekking poles with fitness levels. Subsequent studies in the 1990s demonstrated that this simple, efficient exercise of walking with the use of poles increased cardiovascular activity, significantly enhanced muscular and aerobic fitness, and improved overall vitality.
Urban Poling can be done year round in any climate and anywhere a person of any age or ability might otherwise walk without poles. It combines simplicity and accessibility of walking with simultaneous core and upper body conditioning similar to Nordic skiing. The result is a full-body walking workout that can burn significantly more calories without a change in perceived exertion or having to walk faster.
‘Normal walking’ utilizes only 70% of muscle mass with full impact on the joints of the legs and feet. Urban Poling produces up to a 46% increase in energy consumption compared to walking without poles. It can also increase upper body muscle endurance by 38% in just twelve weeks.