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		BodyPower: Pilates! Suzi Lonergan, B.F.A., Certified Pilates Instructor "Since working with Suzi, my posture has gotten better, my muscles have gotten longer and more toned, and I'm more graceful and flexible. I've learned to connect into my body's strength and really understand what it takes to move with power. And most importantly, my spirit has been lifted." Shannon Lee Actress In these times of mega-busy schedules, where every minute of every hour becomes jammed with family and career obligations, it's nearly impossible to find ANY time to take care of your body. Information overload on fitness confuses people, making it difficult to choose an exercise program. Today, many people choose Pilates. It gives fast results, making them feel strong, flexible, healthy and energized. It improves posture, balance, and coordination, stimulating the immune system and relieving stress, assuring better, more restful sleep. Pilates is a system of dynamic exercises done on several pieces of spring equipped apparatus, and on the floor with a cushioned mat. It is a non-aggressive, non-competitive series of exercises, concentrating on precision, not repetition; where movement, breath and rhythm work together from the body's center, what we call, "The Powerhouse." All movement in Pilates is generated from the Powerhouse, and is simple enough for someone who has never exercised before, yet challenging enough for world class athletes and performers. History of Pilates Joseph Pilates developed these exercises. To give a brief history, Joseph Pilates worked as a boxer, circus performer, dancer, student of yoga and Zen meditation, and a self-defense trainer for English detectives. His invention of the Pilates technique began in the 1910's. At a British internment camp during World War I, Pilates rehabilitated other internees using hospital bedsprings and his evolving exercises. Interestingly, none of those patients caught the influenza that was sweeping Europe at the time. The doctors attributed this phenomenon to the stimulation of the immune system by Pilates exercises. On a ship to America he met his future wife, Clara, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and was wheelchair bound. He promised to make her walk again, and she did. Together, they founded a studio in New York City, on 8th Avenue, where Martha Graham studied, and where George Balanchine sent his injured dancers. Over the years, Pilates created more than 500 movements—each one designed to stretch and strengthen muscles without putting stress on joints and ligaments. This approach combined with deep, coordinated breathing, created a legacy of mind-body fitness that has lasted for 75 years. Suzi's Experience When I was first introduced to Pilates, by my teacher, Romana Kryzanowska (the living protégé of Joseph Pilates), I felt my body change. What I didn't know is that Pilates would also change my life. I had been a professional dancer and fitness trainer in the entertainment industry and was getting bored. Pilates inspired both my dancing and my teaching. Taking away the competition factor of dance and athleticism, while learning something physically demanding and FUN, allowed my own process of growth to develop without judging it. I have passed on this awareness to my students who, in turn, have learned to stop judging their bodies and start enjoying the process of creating a strong, flexible and healthy body through the joy of movement. How cool is that! The video Pilates Total Training brings Pilates into your own living room. It consists of the Basic and Intermediate levels of the floor mat series on one tape. It instructs the viewer with precise movement, breath and rhythm, which serve as the foundation for the Pilates system. There are four variations for every exercise: one for a normal healthy body, and modifications for students with compromised backs, necks, and knees. This continuous illustration of modified movements will allow for optimum safety. It is my goal to pass on the knowledge that has inspired and made a difference in my life. "When you work with a personal trainer, you get special attention and support that is incredibly hard to duplicate in a video for the masses. That's not a problem here. This is a very personal tape. Suzi Lonergan clearly gets how you might not be as up to the task as she is. She brings you through her workout without making you feel like you have to chase her to keep up. The workout is challenging, but presented in a way that allows you to find your own level. Bottom line, she takes care of you. In fact she educates you about how to safely train. If you have a bad back, you still get to play. If you want to increase the challenge, she shows you how. Lonergan's experience shows. She obviously knows the difference between just working up a sweat and working on your health. I would recommend this tape for people at all levels." Jeffrey Vahanian Certified Financial Planner