One of the options in our industry is called TheShu. TheShu is a lightweight and comfortable slipper-like foot covering that is made in the Philippines. It is geared toward indoor sports to help with performance while maintaining a barefoot feeling. Their Athletic design, made of Lycra® or other similar fabrics, has a skid resistant sole. They also have an eco-friendly option, which uses Bamboo or Cotton and Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) for the non skid sole.

There are two styles, Athletic or Ballet. The Athletic is higher cut with a tapered sole, while the Ballet style has a lower neck and full-cut sole. For those who like more than basic black, both styles come in a fun, designer line featuring several different designs and colors.

TheShu is priced from $26 to $36. They are certainly worth a try if you are looking for something to cover your feet during Pilates or Yoga. Definitely check out the many options www.anabelfitness.com.

Kries is a second generation instructor and teacher trainer and has studied with Romana Kryzanowska, Ron Fletcher and Eve Gentry. She has vast experience in dance, yoga and exercise and she is the owner/founder of the Hot Body Cool Mind studio in the Philadelphia area.  Kries is a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor and has studied other yoga disciplines as well. She has several other DVD titles as well some of which blend yoga, Pilates and other mind-body disciplines such as Chi Gong.

Kries has a very relaxed and confident teaching style. She clearly knows the material and presents viewers excellent cueing techniques. Kries offers succinct cueing options while also offering excellent tactile cues for instructors to use in guiding clients. The model for the series is Kim Reis who flawlessly demonstrates the exercises.

The Master Trainer Series is a great resource for new instructors but can benefit veteran instructors as well. Each of the DVDs addresses beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises. The Master Trainer Series DVDs can be purchased individually for $79.95 or $99 (plus shipping) or as a collection for $399 (plus shipping). This is on the higher end of the cost spectrum for instructional DVDs which may be cost prohibitive for some but the DVDs are an excellent resource for Studios to keep on hand in their libraries.

“Zobha” is a Sanskrit word meaning grace, beauty and brilliance. As stated by the founders of Zobha, “Zobha was born from a desire to create superior performance yoga and fitness apparel with a distinctive design aesthetic and a brand that inspires and fosters the grace that lives within each human heart.”

Zobha’s line is simple, stylish, functional and fashionable. The attention to detail is shown in each piece with a shelf bra liner for added support, size and care information is screen printed to avoid the scratchiness of labels, seams are designed to minimize itching and not only does the line look good but each piece performs exceptionally well. The designs and fabric are made for the movements of yoga, Pilates and fitness. The styles and colors are warm and comfortable. In addition, there is a maternity line that is made to feel and look just as good. Enjoy the full line of Zobha apparel at www.zobha.com.

The books are nearly identical with the newer edition offering photographs in color. Photographs in the older version are black and white. Comparing the two, photographs in the new book are much clearer and in some cases, the view is slightly different which better demonstrates the exercises.

There are clear and concise instructions for 60 exercises. Defined with each exercise are Purpose, Fundamentals, Muscles, Position, Movement and Breath, Cues, what to “Watch for” and Variations. Exercises are broken down in chapters defined by position on the apparatus; Supine and Prone, Seated, Kneeling, and Standing. Also included are three workouts; the Essentials workout consists of 16 exercises moving in all positions; the Fluidity workout is 18 exercises featuring flow; and the Energetic workout is a more challenging sequence featuring position change between exercises.

This book is a must have resource for studios with Chairs, particularly MVe chairs but many of the exercises can be done on the original Wunda chair. The Chair Encyclopedia is available through The PhysicalMind Institute’s website. It retails for $39.95 plus shipping but is available with a $10 discount through May 15.

At first glance, GYROTONIC® bears some resemblance to Pilates. They both build strength and flexibility. They both have equipment and non-equipment based exercises. Just as Joe Pilates inspiration came out of his own childhood rickets and asthma, Romanian-born dancer Juliu Horvath devised the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® to help rehabilitate his back and Achilles tendon injuries. Both methods are a culmination of other exercise philosophies, as well as, innovations in movement and the healing arts. With Pilates it is reflexology during footwork and the use of movement to “massage” the internal organs, where in Julius’ work, he draws upon the acupuncture meridians and QiQong.

Other similarities include focus on the body’s core, use of system-specific equipment, joint range of motion and emphasis on the breath. But how each of these areas is approached is what truly differentiates these systems. From a dance perspective, Pilates would be compared to ballet, as GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® is likened to modern dance.

Where Pilates is more linear in terms of range of movement and mostly done lying down, GYROTONIC® is more three-dimensional and generally done seated. In terms of where the movements originate from, Pilates’ “Powerhouse” is a musculature-oriented, where GYROTONIC® s’ “Center” incorporates musculature, as well as, skeletal orientation with the hands, feet, arms, legs, ribcage and pelvis assisting in the exercises. In general terms, Pilates focuses  on stabilization, GYROTONIC® focuses on mobility.

In regards to equipment, Pilates uses springs, where GYROTONIC® uses Pulleys and weights. Both men designed many different pieces of equipment to assist with the foundation of their work, that being matwork in Pilates and GYROKINESIS® in Julius’s system. Breathing is an important part of both. Pilates’ approach is of an “internal shower” and Juliu incorporates three distinct breathing patterns to match different tempos of his movement.

Both systems have proven healing properties with Pilates increasingly accepted by the U.S. medical and rehabilitiaon communities and GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® being heralded in Europe for orthopedic injury recovery. One obvious difference which you have seen through out this article is Juliu’s trademark and codification of his work. This guarantees his interpretation will be protected for future generations.

As with anything, my clients’ response to GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® has been mixed. Some personalities lend themselves better to one method over the other. But for the most part, the approach of using it as cross-training has been good. All my clients find moving three-dimensionally to be a challenge.

From a teaching perspective, I have enjoyed the freedom Juliu gives his teachers with respect to how his work is taught. It is also exciting to be here while Juliu continues to evolve his work, always seeing the layers and possibilities as he continually tweaks his system. Just as I have found in Pilates, the more I practice the work the more insight I get. I have found the experience has made me a better teacher of Pilates, but more importantly, a better teacher of movement.

GYROTONIC®, GYROTONIC® & Logo, GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® and GYROKINESIS® are registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and are used with their permission.

What is Circular Pilates?

Circular Pilates teaches a continuous 25-minute routine of moving through rotational exercises in sitting, kneeling, supine, prone and standing configurations. Some of this sequence incorporates standard Pilates exercises such as Saw, others are new movements. But this is not just choreography; the process of repeated rotation helps individuals to feel the sequencing in their own bodies. As teachers we know that people often injure themselves when they twist doing everyday tasks such as parallel parking or reaching high or low to pick up something. Most people are weak in rotation. They don’t know how to move the upper body off the lower parts. Circular Pilates addresses these issues while building strength and improving coordination and balance. And at the end, you feel and look taller! And there is more . . .

Although we do have isolated rotational exercises in Pilates, it is liberating and informative to move non-stop within these spirals. In our original testing of the exercises, our student testers experienced two other results. One good and one not so good! The first result was an unexpected increase in extension which led us to measure each student’s “before and after” in extension. The working “half” of the upper body allows one to go deeper so that afterwards extension is facilitated. The second and undesired result was a little spaciness! We asked Clinical Advisor, Marika Molnar, PT what to do and she solved the problem.

The Brain Connector Fundamental

Marika determined that we needed an exercise to connect the right and left sides of the brain and soon we had a new Fundamental which we call the Brain Connector Fundamental. It uses specific eye movements to increase connection. This in turn led us to incorporate “eye tracking” into the workout. Then we realized that we could intensify the experience by s-l-o-w-i-n-g down the routine. Now we teach it at regular speed and also in half time, but always moving.

Angela Sundberg, Certified Pilates Teacher and owner of Bodyscapes, explains:

“Circular Pilates makes the body feel alive. The flowing, spiraling movements, fueled by breath, frees the body and the soul. But, most of all, Circular Pilates provides opportunities of movement to many of my students who were restrained by the linear precision of conventional Pilates.”

If this sounds like a lot of material for a one-day workshop, it is. But we are known for not being stingy with information. And in the case of Circular, I felt that a second day would be a brain—not body—overload.

The Process

The well-known saying, “By your students you’ll be taught,” is intensified when you attempt to create a new exercise or sequence or product. Any Pilates teacher can experiment and who knows where it will lead. With Standing Pilates, we began with the need to make the mat work more weight bearing and ultimately we found that our technique needed to evolve too. The result was greater emphasis on the breath and attention to more real estate, from the arch of the feet moving up through the pelvic floor, the diaphragm and then the dome inside our mouths. With the Pilates Chair, now called the MVe, I started with the goal of making the spring changes easier and the box lighter but more stable. I never thought that my thinking “outside of the box” would lead to a new Chair that has twice the range of motion; allows one to position the body closer to the apparatus; a fluid ride since the springs move as a unit; and more exercise variations resulting from the open frame.

Getting Started

In our field, most innovations start with observing clients and determining what they need. Once you have an idea to explore, find yourself a partner or two! Working alone is lonely and harder. For Circular, in addition to Marika Molnar, I worked with Kristin Hapke, a very creative person, also certified in Pilates and Bartenieff, a dancer and a choreographer. Her point of view and experience greatly amplified my ideas. Innovating is fun, but whatever your motivation, know that you personally will benefit from the exploration.

For more information about course registrations see www.themethodpilates.com.

There is a modern ballet rhythmic warm-up, a Pilates-inspired mat workout with 2lb weights and a standing ballet and Pilates fusion using a band for added resistance. Anyone with a background in dance would enjoy the fusion of ballet barre work, Pilates and added resistance. It is a nice combination for a new and challenging workout. I showed some of my instructors that are also dancers and they loved it. We are always looking for more standing options for our Pilates clients and this was a great resource.

Bernadette’s background includes Pilates, personal training, Black Belt, group instructor, former dancer, TV fitness expert and mom. Check out her website, Just b Method, for more information and other DVD’s. The Ballet Pilates Fusion DVD can be purchased at Amazon.com

It was actually one of my teachers who dragged me over to the Pilatesstick expo booth to try it out. She was trying to explain to me what it was on the way there, telling me that I could do most of the Cadillac work on it… the roll back bar with elastic tubing that could double for leg springs… and all I could think of was “huh? Not another flimsy knockoff.” But after trying it for myself, I stood in line behind all the other excited Pilates teachers and placed my own order for 20 Pilatessticks to be installed in my studios, and 20 more for my retail store.

What is the Pilatesstick?

The Pilatesstick is actually a kit made up of an exercise bar like the Cadillac’s Roll Back bar, a pair of foot loops, a long exercise tubing (slastix) with carbiner clips attached at either end and encased in a protective fabric overcoat, a yoga mat, and a mat bag to hold it all. The tubing attaches in such a way to the bag that it forms a sling enabling the owner to throw it over their shoulder pretty comfortably while on the go. Also included in the kit is a door attachment, which you simply close inside a door at whatever height you wish (the higher it is, the more resistance, just like on the Cadillac). There is also an attachment for ballet bars (or it can be attached to eye hooks that you put into a stud in the wall, as I did at my studios). You will receive a handy poster with some pictures of beginner exercises and a beginner DVD.

How the Pilatesstick has helped us

In my studios we use the Pilatesstick in both group classes and personal sessions. Our students love the classes, which we offer at a much more affordable price than our other equipment-based classes. We have not decreased the number of students taking our equipment-based classes but we have increased the total number of students in our group programming overall as a direct result of the Pilatesstick classes. The students feel that they are getting a great workout, and are excited to get a “taste” of Pilates equipment in an economical way. These are students who wouldn’t otherwise take an equipment class because the price is just not in their budgets. We also get students who will take a more expensive Reformer class one day a week, and then will get a second workout in a week by taking the more economical Pilatesstick class on another day.

I have sold Pilatessticks to my clients for home-use as well. At first I was concerned that I would be cutting into my personal training business by providing students with a cheap alternative way to get their “Pilates fix”. That has not happened at all. To the contrary, my clients see it as a customer service that I provide for their health and wellbeing!

For Pilates instructors that do private in-home training and travel to their clients, this Pilates tool is a great asset to their business. I have a friend who brings her Pilatesstick with her on in-house sessions, and her clients are now getting the benefits of Pilates resistance training as they never could before. She reports that the Pilatesstick is so portable and easy to install in each home that it is the first piece of equipment into her car in the morning. She also says that the concept of spinal articulation is one of the greatest benefits of the Pilatesstick.

The Pilatesstick has also proven to be a successful, and lucrative, addition to my retail store. My first order sold pretty quickly to my teachers and teacher training students as it was December, and they used the Pilatessticks as holiday gifts. (I suspect that some of those “gifts” were given to themselves.) Since then, the ‘Sticks have proven to be a quick seller, and Charles now recognizes my voice when I call him for another order. The customer service at Pilatesstick is outstanding, with any problems being corrected quickly and efficiently, usually by the owner himself.

Based on my own experience in my studios, I would recommend the Pilatesstick to anyone. Whether it is for personal use, group class use, or resale, the Pilatesstick will be a sure hit in any capacity.

For more information on the Pilatesstick, the Pilatesstick Alliance, classes in your area, or teacher trainings, please see the Pilatesstick website.

Connie Borho has over 20 years experience in the fitness industry, holding certifications through Peak Pilates, PhysicalMind, AFAA, ACE, and Yoga Alliance RYT-500. Affiliated with Sunshine Fitness Resources, Connie is a Peak Pilates National Teacher Trainer dedicated to teaching mind-body fitness. Her studios, Balance Pilates & Yoga Centers, are located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. For more information on Connie, her workshops and teacher trainings, or her studios, please see www.BalancePilatesAndYoga.com.

In the DVD that accompanies the discs, Total Body Basics, Mindy takes Maureen Hagen and Jeff Howard through an intense full body workout. It features exercises in which the Gliding discs are used for both strength and stability work for the upper and lower body.

In this particular DVD, the standing lower body segment features back and side lunges that require huge amounts of stability. The core is working quite hard while the legs and glutes are being challenged. The upper body segment features push-ups with the hands on the gliding discs as well as pikes and leg slides out to the side. Make no mistake about it, Gliding can be very challenging!

Other Gliding DVDs available feature fitness instructors with whom you may be familiar:

• Rob Glick—Dynamic Step
• Gay Gaspar—Step and Strength Intervals
• Laurence Biscontini—Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi
• Jeff Howard—Latin Dance
• Maureen Hagan—Core & Flexibility

So, you may be wondering how this applies to Pilates? There are many variations of exercises in the Pilates repertoire that can be modified to use the Gliding discs. You are only limited by your imagination! The discs can be useful in teaching the leg slide fundamental —they help ease the sliding away from the heel but there are many ways to make them work if you are a Pilates instructor. Any core work done with awareness to the principles of Pilates is a valuable tool for work with your clients. Try the Gliding discs and see what you think—they are fun and they make you work!

For more information you can purchase the Gliding Discs on Amazon.com.

There are five 10 minute routines that you can do alone or link together:

(1) Pilates for Abs
(2) Lower Body Pilates
(3) Upper Body Pilates
(4) Total Body Pilates
(5) Pilates for Flexibility.

Each 10 minute routine has 7-10 unique exercises with the ball that are based on the original Pilates method. I thought of many people who would enjoy this routine. If you don’t already have a ball at home, this DVD is a good reason to purchase one. Some of the exercises are challenging for beginners, but you can work up to them. I would recommend a mat for the routines, because I was slipping during some of the side lying exercises on my carpet.

Lara is a PMA Gold Certified Instructor and owns Mercury Fitness Pilates Center in San Francisco, California. There is a whole series of 10 Minute Solutions from Starz Home Entertainment and I can’t wait to check out another one. The 10 Minute Solution: Pilates on the Ball can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Peak Pilates

The MVe Definition Reformer DVD is a beginner workout on the reformer combining Pilates mat exercises, squats, lunges and handheld weights for upper body strength. The program has a nice pace, shows modifications and keeps you moving on and off the reformer for a good total body workout. Master Trainer, Zoey Trapp does a good job of cueing her two participants and keeps them flowing for 50 minutes on the MVe Fitness Reformer.

Master Trainer, Sonia Rodriguez, adds some Latin spice to her workout in the MVe Latin Dance Fusion Chair DVD. This is an intermediate workout that will get your heart pumping on the MVe Chair and on the floor with Merengue dance steps. Both DVD’s take time for a good warm-up and cool down, which is important for all fitness levels. If you have already experienced the MVe Chair and want to add some flavor to your routine, this 50 minute DVD is for you!

In the Introduction section Isacowitz explains that the book is geared towards Pilates professionals and serious students of the Pilates method with emphasis of further understanding Pilates and its benefits. He goes on to note that although the Pilates method has evolved since Joseph and Clara Pilates first developed Contrology, Isacowitz himself strives to maintain the essence of the original Pilates’ work while still being open to what he refers to as the “evolutionary process.”

Isacowitz studied with Kathy Grant, a first-generation Pilates teacher in the early 1990s but had, by that time, practiced Pilates for over 10 years. He has since developed Body Arts and Science International (BASI) a well-known and respected organization that teaches Pilates to professionals.

The book is well organized and is easy to follow. The first three chapters discuss Pilates principles, the mind-body connection, the body itself, alignment and posture. Chapters 4-11 are broken down by work based on which piece of equipment (Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Step and Ladder Barrels, Ped-a-pul, Arm Chair) or small apparatus (Magic Circle) is discussed. Within each chapter, exercises are given with notation on level of difficulty, which muscle group(s) is the focus, the objectives of the exercise, imagery as well as a brief description of benefits and modifications. As an example of imagery, in the Supine Spine Twist exercise (p47) it says:

“Imagine the pelvis turning like a doorknob, with the pelvis, knees, and feet as one unit rotating fluidly from side to side.”

The imagery is nice and the descriptions can help instructors with cueing techniques. Additionally, the pictures are helpful and do provide the reader with enough visuals to assist in fully comprehending the exercise.

Chapter 12 offers Sample exercise routines. This chapter discusses how to sequence the exercises as well as adapting exercises to special populations.

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of Pilates and it is an invaluable tool for Pilates professionals. Rael Isacowitz’s book, Pilates, can be purchased at Amazon.com.

The actual workout segment is 36 minutes long. Ms. Merrithew takes two students (Natalia and Chris) through the workout, giving each of them modifications as necessary. They make excellent use of the golf club during the session so that avid golfers will feel as though they are making an actual impact on their golf game. Traditional exercises are altered slightly so that a golf club can be used but the essence of the exercises remains. Merrithew talks about the golf swing during the segment and ties the importance of the exercises to specifics about the swing. She is very clear in saying that she is not a golf instructor nor is she trying to be such. She understands the movement of the exercises and how they can affect movements in the golf swing.

The DVD is shot in a beautiful studio-type setting. There are several different camera angles which give the viewer a good look at the exercises so they are easy to understand. The pace of the exercises is relaxed; it doesn’t move too slow or too fast and there is sufficient time to move from one exercise to another without feeling rushed.This particular DVD is rated by STOTT as a level 2 (out of 5) for difficulty. The exercises don’t seem particularly difficult but Merrithew does offer progressions and modifications to make them more or less difficult in case someone is new to Pilates and may be struggling.

It is a great DVD to introduce golfers to Pilates. STOTT PILATES ®: Pilates on the Green Level 1 DVD can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Tracey Mallett’s 3 in 1 Pregnancy System DVD is a nice combination of Pilates, Yoga, Sculpting and Stretching. It is a pleasant video to watch because of the mood, music and Tracey’s personality. She is in her third trimester and seems to be feeling great. She gives great modifications for the exercises while her partner does the exercises without the modifications. She makes great use of props including pillows, towels, a chair and weights.

The program is very balanced and is divided into four sections with Upper Body, Core Conditioning, Lower Body and Stretching. Compared to other DVD’s, this program is different combining disciplines that are essential to feeling good regardless of if you are pregnant. She uses her husband for partner stretching in the last segment, which is a great way to involve him in the pregnancy.

After being pregnant myself, I can see where these moves feel good, help with your posture and keep you strong. She reminds the viewers of breathing and her cueing is helpful for the new exerciser. I would highly recommend this DVD, just remember to always first discuss your exercise program with your doctor before, after and during your pregnancy.

Tracey has an extensive background in dance and Pilates. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of American (AFAA) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). She is a Master Pilates Instructor for Rael Isacowitz (Body Arts and Science) and is certified through the Pilates Physical Mind Institute in Santa Fe. She is a member of IDEA and the Pilates Method Alliance. In addition, Tracey is a certified Gyrotonic instructor.

Tracey Mallett’s 3 in 1 Pregnancy System DVD can be purchased at Amazon.com and you can find more information at www.traceymallett.com.