Dancers are elite athletes physically and mentally and require extensive training in and out of the studio.

Here’s how gyrotonics for dancers can support dancers’ physically and mentally:  

1. Injury Prevention 

GYROTONIC® dance exercise is a fantastic way to improve the outcomes from forcing turnout, tucking and hyperextension – often the first warning signs to serious injuries, while continuing vigorous class and rehearsal schedules. 

2. Increases your range of Motion 

GYROTONIC® dance exercises simultaneously strengthen and stretch each muscle group in a way that is identical to the range of motion needed in dance class, increasing flexibility in a practical way.

3. Proper Alignment 

Through the GYROTONIC® Method each dancer will learn how to find their perfect alignment to set them up for success, remembering alignment is everything and is the balance of strength between muscle groups. 

4. Better Balance

Whether you’re a contemporary dancer or a prima ballerina on pointe moving from one balance to another, you need to have perfect balance which comes down to alignment and strength. The GYROTONIC® Method specialised equipment and trainer will be able to highlight any inconsistencies in your body which are preventing the best balance and aid in correction

5. Increases your Strength

A GYROTONIC® Method session is designed to strengthen the joint and muscles in its 3 dimensional realm and create strength at every level of movement. It focuses on the importance of a connected body – shoulder girdle and pelvis working together to achieve the perfect structural balance. 

6. No Gripping 

The GYROTONIC® Method will simply and correctly teach you to use the best muscle groups to lift your leg rather than ‘gripping’ – the habit of using hip flexors and quads. Gyrotonic ballet dancers report less to no gripping. 

7. Better Control 

GYROTONIC® Method exercise will teach you different breaths to achieve the maximum strength, extension, and connection through the whole body. Instantly increasing your body’s capability and control.

8. Gyrotonics for Dancers,  created by a Dancer

Julio Horvath was a professional dancer and suffered injuries that were not being fully helped by any specific training method so he created his own system that incorporated all the best practices into one. GYROTONIC® ballet dancers notice the difference. 

Learn more about the GYROTONIC® Method for dancers with this gyrotonic YouTube video.

Contact Stephanie to learn more about a group and private gyrotonic workout class in Sydney.

Differences in the principles of Gyrotonics vs Pilates

Pilates has 6 traditional principles: 

1. Centering 
2. Concentration
3. Control
4. Precision
5. Flow 
6. Breath

Together these principles help strengthen core muscles, improve awareness and reduce tension throughout the body, helping you become more controlled and aligned.

The GYROTONIC® Method has four principles: 

1. Intention
2. Stabilisation
3. Decompression 
4. Coordination

The method focuses on improving mobility and strength by releasing and exploring your limits through circular movements within a controlled range of motion.

The differences in Focus

Pilates focuses on key alignment issues – using your muscular, skeletal and nervous system to re-educate movement patterns within the body. 

GYROTONIC® Method focuses on muscle, fascia, skeletal and nervous systems as well as your energetic body bringing a more holistic feel to the practice as the physical integrates with the emotional and mental.

The differences in Equipment

Pilates uses a variety of equipment within the studio – reformer bed, chair, ladder barrel and trapeze table (cadillac). Springs are used to create resistance or assistance, so that you can achieve the maximum benefit from the exercise..

GYROTONIC® Method also employs specialised equipment -main one being the pulley tower which uses various pulleys and weights that apply constant resistance. This eliminates any jarring at the beginning or end of an exercise, which is when many injuries occur. Weights and resistance can be adjusted to suit your needs and strength.

The differences in Movement

Pilates’ movements work on specific muscles with repetition of exercises to achieve the ultimate form and involve a lot of focus and control. The movements are generally linear or two dimensional.

GYROTONIC® Method works in circular and spiraling movements so the patterns become multi-directional and three dimensional, working through larger ranges of motion. You can perform these exercises with continuous flow from movement to movement with changes in tempo, breath and repetition to create variation.

Overall

Both will increase core control, strength, flexibility and stamina and can be done by anyone. You can use both for injury prevention or rehabilitation and both will enhance any other sports activity.

It’s important to note that neither one is better than the other as different things suit different people. 

Learn more about Gyrotonics Pilates.

Contact Stephanie to learn more about group and private GYROTONIC® Method classes available in Sydney.

Back & Shoulder Pain

Did you know that between 70 and 80% of the population are estimated to have experienced lower back pain? Chronic back pain afflicts people from all walks of life, many of whom struggle for years to cope with debilitating symptoms. Sitting, standing, laying, walking, lifting – every move we make during the day requires a strong and healthy back.

Sometimes back pain is generalised and difficult to diagnose – on occasions where nothing shows on a scan or x-ray it may be that while you are experiencing pain in your back, particularly your lower back, the source of the problem is actually elsewhere in your body. 

If your spine is not properly aligned, your posture is not correct, and/or your muscles are tensing it can create havoc, discomfort or pain throughout the rest of your body. 

This is where the GYROTONIC® Method can help with exercise for pain and to alleviate stiffness. Because the GYROTONIC® Method encourages a full range of spinal movement you can strengthen and stretch fully throughout your entire back. It may just be the most comprehensive system of pain relief exercises for lower back pain and stiffness. 

Your trainer can also help with back pain relief exercises at home.

Arthritis Pain

GYROTONIC® Method  can alleviate arthritis.Even though it seems like exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, it’s actually a lack of exercise that makes your joints painful. Range-of-motion and strengthening exercises are particularly important to preserve the use of your joints. GYROTONIC® Method is specifically designed to articulate your joints and strengthen the surrounding muscles.

Neck & Shoulder Pain

The GYROTONIC® Method can assist people with exercise for painful shoulders and necks by teaching you the proper placement of your head and exercise for painful shoulders whilst sitting and standing, as well as in all the dynamic movements of the spine. Alleviating neck and shoulder pain actually starts at the pelvis and lower spine and builds its way up to the upper back and neck. With this approach, the entire spine is relearning and strengthening in the proper postural position. And most importantly, it emphasises this strength and awareness in sitting and teaches one how to open the chest and get the shoulder blades and arms moving.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

A major challenge for people with Parkinson’s is quality of movement. The  GYROTONIC® Method focuses on the mobilisation of the spine and joints to effectively ease pain and eliminate restrictions in the body. Its three-dimensional circular, spiralling and elongated movements stimulate the nervous system to become more aware of increased equilibrium.

Gyrotonic Benefits for people with Parkinson’s include:

• Building and enhancing core and spine strength and mobility
• Increasing flexibility, coordination and balance through neuromuscular reorganisation and integration
• Alleviating poor posture and restoring structural integrity through the application of alignment principles
• Enhancing joint mobility and articulation
• Promoting long, strong and lean muscles with both strength and maximum flexibility
• Restoring proper body function and integration of all systems: muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulatory and nervous

Chronic Pain 

Chronic pain can be linked back to a specific injury, a serious infection – or it may have no known cause at all. Some of the most common types of chronic pain are caused by low-back pain, arthritis, Fibromyalgia, nerve damage, or scoliosis. The  GYROTONIC® Method enables you to open up the joints and the surrounding soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia) to help return the body to a dynamic state of health. 

Post Hip or Knee Replacement

 GYROTONIC® Method restores optimal range of motion. It also creates balance, stability, and strength three-dimensionally around the joint.

Fibromyalgia

The  GYROTONIC® Method system provides gentle movement practice helping restore the natural flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Exercises help calm and regulate the nervous system.

Scoliosis

Movement starts from the spine outwards so muscles that surround the spine are worked to encourage proper alignment. 

Gyrotonic exercise can also give exceptional relief after spinal surgery, a herniated/degenerative disc, and helps with rheumatoid arthritis.

Learn more about the GYROTONIC® Method – pain relief exercises for lower back here 

Contact Stephanie to learn more about group and private gyrotonic workout classes and back pain relief exercises at home.

The GYROTONIC® method offers a low-impact workout program which can be especially beneficial for the elderly. It focuses on strengthening bones and improving posture and flexibility. Many seniors report that after doing GYROTONIC® Method exercises they’ve experienced relief from arthritis and stiff joints, improved strength, stamina and circulation, a straighter posture, more restful sleep, increased concentration and an overall greater sense of well-being.

The GYROTONIC® Method exercise for elderly benefits:

Increases range of motions

This system of movement is known to help with exercise with elderly members of our community – increasing their range of motions. As you grow older, your muscles and joints tend to become stiffer, which makes movement difficult. Some seniors may find that even simple tasks like getting up and sitting down, walking, and reaching out for things with your arms are not so easy for them. The multi-dimensional movements from GYROTONIC®training helps to strengthen joints, improve mobility and is exercise for the elderly for balance.

Increases muscle strength

The GYROTONIC® Method can help the elderly increase muscle strength and improve their agility. The non-linear circular motions in the exercises help to strengthen the body’s core, while the breathing exercises can also contribute to strengthening and stretching muscles. When the elderly have strong muscles, it means that they are less likely to fall and injure themselves -this is exercise for elderly for balance.

Improves blood circulation

The rotating and spiraling-focused exercises help to improve blood circulation. GYROTONIC® exercise with elderly means that every part of the body receives enough oxygen and nutrients, and metabolic waste is efficiently removed from the body as well. 

Helps to improve posture and reduce back pain

GYROTONIC® training involves practicing three-dimensional movements that help to elongate the spine with greater control while allowing the spine to move as a single entity. Not only this, it enables the use of your deep core muscles in such a way that a healthy spine is maintained. All these contribute to improving the posture and reduce back pain in the process.

Helps to improve balance

Body balance is also improved dramatically with GYROTONIC® method movements. The exercises for the elderly for balance are designed in such a way that they can improve core strength, moving all limbs and torso, and relieve muscle and joint stiffness, thus providing improved balance.

Lowers risk of dementia

Dementia is a common illness that affects many seniors. With the GYROTONIC® Method, seniors have a lower risk of dementia as both the left and right brain are simultaneously used through coordinating movements. This helps to keep the brain active, which means that the elderly are more mentally alert when they engage in GYROTONIC® Method movements and exercises. When the brain is regularly active, and cognition, focus, and memory are challenged, it can help to lower the risk of dementia.

Improves sleep

Another GYROTONIC® exercise for elderly for benefits is that when the body gets enough physical activity, and enough energy is spent during the day, sleep quality will be dramatically improved. Older adults can fall asleep faster and sleep better at night as their bodies have engaged in beneficial physical exercises.

Helps alleviate mood

When the body engages in physical activities, the level of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, increases. This is why many older adults who practice the GYROTONIC® Method report experiencing an improved mood.

Learn more about the GYROTONIC® Method exercises for the elderly with this GYROTONIC® YouTube video.

Contact Stephanie to learn more about GYROTONIC® Sydney group and private classes available.

Like moving in water 

The GYROTONIC® Method is a unique movement method which targets the entire body. It creates and improves functional strength, suppleness and decompression of the joints, and increases range of movement/motion while stimulating the entire nervous system and opening up energy pathways.. 

A series of exercises performed in rhythmic repetitions of circular movements with corresponding breath patterns, the GYROTONIC® Method is specifically designed to flow seamlessly. Each movement continues from the last in perfect harmony, allowing the natural pattern of motion for your joints.

Specially designed machines support transitions between movements so they remain free from jarring. Thoughtfully crafted repetitive sequences strengthen the body making it more balanced, efficient and flexible at the same time. 

Some clients of GYROTONIC® Australia have described the practice as ‘like moving in water’...

Classes 

GYROTONIC® classes are practiced in group or private settings under the instruction of a qualified GYROTONIC® Trainer. 

Contact Stephanie to learn more about group and private GYROTONIC® classes available in Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast. Contact us.

The beginning…

Invented in 1977 by the Hungarian dancer Juliu Horvath, who was particularly interested in human physiology, the method was originally called Yoga for Dancers, then White Cloud. Now known as the GYROTONIC® Method  to highlight its goal of improving the body’s circulation and tone.

GYROTONIC® Method exercises are designed to encourage creativity; playfulness and feeling at home in one’s own body

“I want music and poetry in my body.
I want to be skillful without struggle.”
– Juliu Horvath

Gyrotonic Benefits 

• Uses your body’s natural spiraling and spherical movement patterns to strengthen and decompress your entire spine
• The workout consists of progressively challenging exercise modules which promote joint mobility
• The multi-directional, circular movements make you less vulnerable to injuries, stress and micro-traumas by increasing your spinal column’s functional ability
• The principles offer similar benefits to martial arts, swimming, dance and yoga
• The ability to complete multiple joint movements without compression gives the body extraordinary flexibility and capability
• With endurance and speed variations you can create an actual simulation of sport activity
• The program uses undulating and rhythmical exercises to work systematically and softly on joints and muscles, building core and lean muscle strength, while nourishing the body with focused breathwork
• With every exercise synchronised with a specific type of breathing pattern, you will build breathing endurance
• Advanced programs utilise both vigorous and delicate cardiovascular and aerobic rhythms
• Gyrotonic weight loss is possible since weight loss is the result of a properly balanced diet combined with regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training and gyrotonic exercise can satisfy the strength training component of this trinity.
• Focusing on toning, lengthening, strengthening, injury reduction, and postural alignment will increase performance and power both within classes and other activities, allowing you to continue to see and feel results more efficiently and lasting longer – so gyrotonic weight loss is achievable.

In addition, at the heart of the GYROTONIC® Method is seven spinal movement principles which stimulate the nervous system, creating a sense of balance in the upright body: 

1. Bending forward
2. Extending backward
3. Side-bending to the right
4. Side-bending to the left 
5. Rotating to the right
6. Rotating to the left
7. Articulated, circular motion

About Stephanie Hancox – your GYROTONIC® Method Trainer

Stephanie was lucky to discover the GYROTONIC® Method early in her career, while traveling in Berlin she was recommended by another dancer as the exercise method to help achieve that long and lean look ballet dancers must have. Stephanie has practiced the GYROTONIC® Method religiously since that first session back in 2003.

In 2012 Stephanie embarked on her teacher training in order to deepen her understanding of the practice and the human body. Stephanie believes that practicing GYROTONIC® method was a key factor for her low injury rate during her long career of 17 years and that GYROTONIC® method was instrumental in the improvement of her technique, the maintenance of her professional dancing standard and shaping and sculpting of her muscle structure.

Through teacher training Stephanie has discovered a whole new understanding of the body and how it is designed to move and the benefits of moving the body in a holistic way. This has also influenced her approach to Dance and Ballet instruction greatly.

Stephanie has been instructing dancers and non dancers in GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS^® since 2012, in Munich, Germany, Monte Carlo, Monaco and Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast. She now welcomes you to GYROTONIC® Australia. 

Contact Stephanie to learn more about group and private GYROTONIC® Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast classes available.