by Alexandra Williams, MA
About 30 years ago, the first wave of
group fitness instructors (known then as aerobics teachers) got their start in
an industry yet to be defined. Many of those people are still teaching and
training, yet as the industry grows and changes, continuing to shape itself,
the need for a steady influx of teachers is evident. Since the world of fitness
is radically differ...
According to industry definitions, “multipurpose” health clubs have fitness facilities and racquet courts. “Fitness-only” health clubs have fitness (group exercise and/or a fitness center with equipment), but no racquet courts. Either type of club may have a swimming pool or a gymnasium.
Respondents wer...
by Joy Keller
Members at 12th Street Gym in Philadelphia can play their favorite (or not so favorite) childhood game whenever they want with Drop-In Dodgeball. The class is held on the facility’s basketball court and closely resembles the recess game where participants try to avoid a thrown ball by dodging, ducking, dipping and diving.Fitness 4000 in Wallingford, Connecticut, ...
by Joy Keller
To help people learn better ways to run, IDEA member Mindy Solkin created a sports and conditioning class she calls Runditioning™ at The Running Center LLC, in New York City. Using functional training equipment and participants’own body weight, the class uses running-specific movements to teach good form and how to reduce injuries. “In running, the physiology is just half of th...
by Alexandra Williams, MA
Many people might say that group fitness became part of our culture back in the early 1970s, when Judi Sheppard Missett introduced Jazzercise® and Jacki Sorensen launched Aerobic Dancing. Others might argue that our awareness of group “aerobics” began when Jamie Lee Curtis showed her Perfect body in the 1985 movie. And there is no denying the impact Richa...
by Joy Keller
Isis Yoga in Burnsville, Minnesota, offers Wise Woman Yoga to its clientele. The class is for “those fabulous women, 40 and over, who are so busy they might not take time for themselves.” The session is for all levels and body types and is focused on learning the basics, gaining flexibility and increasing energy level.
IDEA member Barbara Wintroub,
director of...
by Joy Keller
Although those who offer classes that
fuse yoga or Pilates with other
modalities expect these types
of sessions to grow, so far
they have not taken off.
Pilates and yoga remain
independent activities.
This section of the article is still in the process of conversion to the web....
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Melissa Michalak, a dancer and fitness professional based in New York City, has created BellyCore, a combination of Middle Eastern dance and Pilates exercises. Michalak’s program, offered
in a Cardio Bellydance DVD, starts with a Pilates-based warm-up and then incorporates belly dance moves to provide a cardio workout. The goal is to enjoy the flexibility and spinal mobi...
by Joy Keller
Pilates Your Way in Madison, Wisconsin, combines Pilates principles with cardiovascular training in its Piladio class. “We have a number of combinations,” says owner Mike Head. “The two favorites are kickboxing and hip-hop. We also offer a boot camp option and basically any kind of cardio our clients want to mix with Pilates.” The cardio portion is performed...
by Joy Keller
To help its members unwind during the 2006 holiday season, Neighborhood Pilates NYC introduced DeStress December. According to IDEA member Lauren Rosenfeld, the class taught basic breathing and relaxation techniques. In addition, participants learned how to use aromatherapy, music and visualization to help calm themselves and center their bodies.
On a s...
