FITNESS
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in recent years, as high-profile celebrities,
athletes and models have helped to spread
the trend. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the
1920s as a way to strengthen bodies and improve
health, Pilates combines a sequence of
movements that work with body and mind
in harmony.
According to Barbara Shugre, Pilates
program director at Christi’s Fitness in Vero
Beach, “Pilates teaches people to move in
a more mindful way with more awareness
of their body and of the alignment of their
body and their spine. It teaches you to use
your body with more efficiency and control.”
In Pilates, the instructor takes the class
through a set of mind/body exercises that
train the core muscle group of the torso:
abdominal, chest, back, shoulders and hips.
From there, you learn to effectively move
your arms, legs and head. The program
tones the entire body in a pattern of controlled
and precise movements.
Charlie Tooch, Gold’s Gym’s Pilates specialist,
says Pilates “gives you the tools to
continue whatever type of fitness you desire.
It’s the glue that keeps you together. It’s sad
to say that some people take better care of
their cars than their bodies.”
Why we love it: The lessons you learn in
Pilates, understanding and feeling the move-
Charlie Tooch offers her Pilates class personal instruction at Gold’s Gym in St. Lucie West. >>