MikeusingGyro

Gyrotonic: The Cure for Desk Jobs

Looking for a way to grow taller (or just improve your posture)? Look to your nearest Gyrotonic studio. “When I first started doing Gyrotonic, my roommate swore I grew 3 inches,” says Sharecare fitness expert Michael Luque (pictured above), who has been teaching Gyrotonic since 1999.

Watch someone doing Gyrotonic and they look a little like they’re doing ballet—reaching, spiraling, bending and twisting in fluid motions—with a piece of exercise equipment as their partner.  The ultimate aim: to help you stretch and strengthen your muscles and connective tissue and increase your flexibility.

Luque had been working as a massage therapist when he agreed to trade sessions with a Gyrotonic instructor pal; by the fourth or fifth session, he was hooked. “I was doing lots of circles and spirals with my legs, for a really long time,” Luque remembers. “Afterwards, I felt like I had springs in my hip joints—it was something I’d never felt before.”

There are five different pieces of Gyrotonic equipment, all of which use pulleys to provide smooth and constant resistance. There’s the Pulley Tower, the Leg Extension Unit, and the Jumping Stretching Board, which look a little like Medieval torture devices; the Archway, which resembles a jungle gym; and the Gyrotoner, which could almost pass as a mutant exercise bike.

While some of the moves may look a little complicated, Gyrotronic isn’t just for the elite dancers and other athletes who swear by it. Many of Luque’s clients are over 50, and while many are healthy, it’s not unusual for him to be working with people preparing for knee or hip surgery. Others are simply suffering from the common ailment of having a desk job.

“Many people have terrible posture from sitting at the computer all day,” Luque says. “They end up with tight hip flexors and a weak core, and that puts a lot of pressure on the lower back. Gyrotonic helps teach you to sit more upright, with your core engaged, so everything’s supported and there isn’t a whole bunch of pressure where there shouldn’t be,” says Luque, who now teaches both Gyrotonic and its equipment-less cousin, Gyrokinesis. Without this unnatural pressure, your body moves the way it was intended to, and you feel better throughout your day, even when you’re not planted in front of a monitor

Just how committed is Luque to Gyrotonic? He puts it this way: “This is my #1 passion. I will do this until two weeks before I die—then I might take a break.”

Have you tried Gyrotonic? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

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File under: In the News

Contributor

Su Reid-St. John

Su Reid-St. John is Sharecare's Senior Fitness Editor. Before joining the team, she spent over a decade on Health magazine's editorial team, overseeing all things exercise-related during the majority of her time there. She lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband (Eric), daughter (Zoe), and cat (Lucy), and can be found inline skating, Nordic walking, cycling, doing yoga, and strength training (TRX is her new obsession) whenever time allows.

View my Sharecare profile

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Comments

  1. AnneLouise

    I am sitting at my desk right now thinking that I should be gyro-ing! Is there gyrotonic certification or anything else I should know if I’m looking for an instructor/studio?

    May 22nd, 2012, 5:06 pm
  2. Marianne

    Thanks Mike! As someone with chronic lower back problems, I’m dying to try this. Would it be safe for me? Maybe I’ll check out your studio in Atlanta!

    May 22nd, 2012, 5:13 pm
  3. Kerri Affronti

    Excellent article! THis is so true about sitting at your desk all day! I should know- By working w/ Mike, your lower back will get relief from pressure and your abdominal muscles will begin to be re-educated so they are Active! Thanks Mike

    May 23rd, 2012, 2:07 am
  4. Guy Nicknair

    Thanks Mike!,,I started doing GYROTONIC® here in Denver 10 years ago(I was also weight lifting for over 20 years prior),,thinking I would NEVER give it up. Within six months I was HOOKED on Gyrotonic and GAVE UP weight lifting,,I initilally could not even raise my arms over my head,,I previously had such a pronounced kyphotic curve in my spine and now I am able to raise my arms,,my neck and back ache are gone!,,My hunch back is virtually gone as well!,,thank you GYROTONIC!,,Guy

    May 23rd, 2012, 8:58 am
  5. Joy

    Can this be done at home or does it require a studio visit?

    May 23rd, 2012, 9:52 am
  6. Jane Gotch

    I have been teaching and doing GYROTONIC since 2001. I teach in Kansas City, MO. It is absolutely the best workout I have ever done.
    Before studying GYROTONIC I had chronic neck and shoulder problems, to the point of being recommended surgery. This system taught me how to use my spine and center to support myself and re-pattern the wear and tear of professional dancing.
    This system is for everyone, young and old! No matter where you are with your fitness level, this system will teach you the keys to freeing your body.

    May 23rd, 2012, 4:26 pm
  7. Patti Cawthon

    I work a sit sit sit dayjob, am in my middle years, and have been experiencing gyrotonic for about 5 months. I have been given what I consider remedial body awareness training that should keep me posturallly wise for the rest of my life. Amazing how a sit job at a computer can assist one in forgetting how to move. Although I know I still need to incorporate more aerobic and weight work in my routines, gyrotonic training has straightened out my movement awareness and re-acquaintanced me with my own anatomy, so as I add the other elements back in, I can do so with less injury.

    Also, it’s just damn good, graceful, fun. Much more of a danceing feeling than pilates.

    May 24th, 2012, 12:11 am
  8. Katie

    Joy: GYROTONIC® requires the use of equipment, but GYROKINESIS® incorporates many of the same movements and benefits and can be done with a stool and a mat (if you’re familiar with Pilates, the pulley tower is like the reformer, but there’s still a wealth of mat exercises you can do!). GYROKINESIS® is a separate certification, so it might be trickier to find an instructor or studio that offers both. There are DVD’s available though.

    AnneLouise: There is a very intricate certification process involved in becoming a GYROTONIC® instructor. It’s around 200 hours long, and includes an apprenticeship where instructors do practice teaching hours; if you can find a teaching studio in your area, you might be able to work with an apprentice at for a discounted rate. Additionally, instructors are required to do an update course every 2 years to keep their license active. Check the website to find licensed instructors in your area: http://www.gyrotonic.com/Studios.aspx

    May 24th, 2012, 12:29 am

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