By: Nancy Hawkins Rigg, Founder and owner, Forever Fit Foundation

What are you aware of; right now, right in this moment? Is it a headache; tightness in your left hip; indigestion; or are you not sure? Pilates and the exercise systems called Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® all cultivate awareness: awareness of your body, allowing you to focus only on the task, the challenge and even the joy of the moment. How can that be? After all, we’re talking exercise.

Concentration is one of the key elements of Pilates, an exercise method developed in the late 1920s by a German-born immigrant named Joseph Pilates. When Julieu Horvath developed an exercise system first known as Yoga for Dancers in the late 1980s, he borrowed from Pilates’ principles and techniques, as well as from Qigong, yoga, tai chi and swimming. Today, the mat version of Yoga for Dancers is called Gyrokinesis®; the large apparatus system which is required is known as Gyrotonic®. Sure, you can attend a Pilate’s class and, at the same time, make a mental grocery list or reflect on your personal problems, but if you do, you’re only going through the physical motions. That’s not Pilates. You need to bring your mind to class along with your body.

Joseph Pilates designed his exercise choreography based on concentration. A personal trainer, who has been trained in the classical Pilates system, meaning one that closely abides by the founder’s tenets, will remind you to focus, and to concentrate on the details.

You may be asked to focus on your breath and on your body, creating awareness of the mind and of exactly what your body is doing. Doing just that will improve the effectiveness of any workout or training session, but concentration itself demands training.

For most of us, true concentration is easier said than done. You must first quiet your mind, bringing your mind to your body at all times, and most of our minds are very busy, more familiar with multi-tasking than focusing on small muscles. So your first reaction might be: “Hey, I came here for a workout, not this concentration stuff!” Think about it: your trainer will tell you that you will need to focus on specific muscles in order to execute effective exercises. You need your mind to educate your muscles, re-educating them to move precisely, to get the most benefit. You need a focused mind to keep your core centered, and there in lies the heart of the Pilates program. The core, after all, is more than keeping your stomach sucked in. The core of your body is quite complex and includes superficial muscles in both the abdomen and the back, but it also includes many small muscles, the shoulder girdle, and the diaphragm involved in breathing. You’ll learn that you need them working in harmony to achieve the benefits of Pilates, Gyrokinesis® and Gyrotonic® and to do that you need your mind and body to be in sync. Most of us need lots of practice to develop good body awareness, and practicing is a component of the training session or class.

Most people don’t realize that finely tuned mind/body awareness is quite useful outside of the Pilates room: you’ve learned a new skill that equips you to better deal with the challenges life throws your way. What are you aware of?

Nancy Hawkins Rigg is the founder and owner of Forever Fit Foundation, a personal training business specializing in Pilates, Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Yamuna Body Rolling and sport specific training. Forever Fit Foundation accepts clients at three sites: Dover and Lewes and Mendenhall Station, Pa., just over the Delaware line. A certified athletic trainer, she earned her bachelors degree from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree in exercise science and sports medicine from Miami University in Ohio. Please call (302) 423-1816 or (302) 698-5201 to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Publisher’s Note on Forever Fit Foundation:

It has been two years since I started taking Pilate’s with Forever Fit, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with a program. Each session is something new and challenging. My posture and flexibility have improved unbelievably. If you have ever thought of trying Pilate’s, but haven’t, then you owe it to yourself to at least try it once. Because once you do, you will never want to stop.