YOGA: it's about tranquility and kindness |
HAVE A YEN
TO TRY YOGA? |
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It’s rare to find something ancient
that still works today. After thousands of years, yoga continues
to be utilized worldwide. Here in the lower Columbia region there are
a number of dedicated yoga teachers who bring that ancient fitness regimen
to people seeking strength, body tone and balance. |
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| Want
to make a splash? Just dive in by Jean Bruner |
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Don’t we all want to avoid getting Alzheimer’s
disease ----------------------------------------------------- |
If you find a pool appealing |
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| The world of spinning...for the body, mind and soul by Joan Tolby |
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Visualize yourself cycling through
a picturesque landscape of rolling hills in Italy. Your heart is pulsating
as the blood reaches every muscle. You strain to conquer the crest of
the hill. The exhilaration of your triumph is rewarded by the cooling
breeze of the downhill. You have just entered the world of ‘spinning’— an
indoor exercise program for the body, mind and soul.  Spinning, the brainchild of Johnny Goldberg (also known as Johnny G), a
California black belt martial artist, personal trainer, ultra-endurance
cyclist and world-class athlete, ignited an exercise movement in 1989 that
has swept the country. Spinning is a low-impact program that uses mind
imagery and a special stationary bicycle to condition and strengthen the
cardiovascular system and muscles, while building endurance.Spinning is a programmatic approach to cardiovascular conditioning, explained Richard Haight, 33, of Kelso, a certified spinning instructor at Longview’s Three Rivers Athletic Club. “We try to get away from the word ‘workout.’” “People are drawn to bikes and those who try spinning come back,” he said. “Almost everyone had a bike as a kid. You get hooked!” Haight said spinning is a program that benefits people of all fitness levels. Participants can personalize their machinery and design the intensity of their experience, while sharing a common goal with classmates. Enthusiasts say spinning, designed to mimic an outdoor experience, eliminates the boredom of sweating it out on a stationary bike. Instead, spinners use a bike built with a 40-pound flywheel and chain to emulate a road bike. There is no coasting on this bike, they say. You stand, you jump, you push your limits! The seat, height, and handlebars are adjustable, including a turn knob to regulate resistance to the individual’s physical fitness level or expectation. “Spinning appeals to people over 30,” Haight said, “who have reached a point in their life where they would like to nurture a healthy lifestyle.” Some will use it to train for competition and some to keep in shape. Another large plus is the 500-calorie burn in a 40-minute session, depending on intensity. And there is a social element. “The group dynamic is a definite motivating factor,” Haight said. Kelso resident Sue Kirkland, a vivacious ‘50-something’ lab technician, has been spinning for three years. “It’s the best cardio interval training program I have found,” she said. Beginning spinner Valre Bales, 44, of Kelso, said she attends class twice a week to, “sweat and burn the calories.” Regardless of an individual’s physical fitness, the combination of music, camaraderie, and motivating instructors brings pizzazz to a trip to the gym. Take the ride of your life and transport your mind and body on a healthy ‘spin’ around the gym, letting your imagination carry you to the places of your dreams. |
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| Please pass the pilates Popular fitness program promotes posture and balance through core muscle strengthening by Chrissy Hammond |
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| If you are like me, you
probably think you need to be pounding the pavement 2-5 miles per day
or you carry the guilty feeling until the “lost
miles” are made up. And then we try to make up for them by
pumping iron at the local gym or jumping our heads off in an aerobics class.
But there are other approaches. A trend towards more balanced, less rigorous health and wellness programs has gained momentum in the past years. I’ve been a runner since high school, competed in college and am still running. I was also a gymnast, worked out in a l  ocal gym and am still a “gym rat.” I add
the flowing movements of Pilates to my gym workout when possible and I
plan to enroll in an aerobic class this summer. I love it all and hope
to be able to do these activities all my life. Pilates (pronounced: puh-lah-teez) is a body conditioning method that builds flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination without adding muscle bulk. It’s appropriate for any age and fitness level, said Maria Mankin, who operates Body Balance Pilates Studio in Longview. Pilates routines stretch, strengthen and tone muscles of the “core” — the abdominal, pelvic and lower and upper back regions. “When you don’t have your core working, that’s when your back goes out,” said Mankin. “Pilates came in because we are not hunters and gatherers.” “When we are born, we are perfect,” she explained. Our primitive ancestors were physically ultra-fit, due to the variety of physical activities their lives required for survival – stretching, running on uneven surfaces, reaching, bending and squatting. Modern man doesn’t use the body in the same way and, instead, relies mostly on machines, often sitting for long periods and limiting movements to repetitive ones, like using a computer mouse or running a cash register all day. “Some muscles get strong, while others recede,” Mankin said. This causes imbalance. Pilates focuses on strengthening the deepest muscles in the body – those responsible for stabilization and posture. Jolee Ford, 50, of Longview, rode in Cycle Oregon (a 482-mile biking excursion) last summer and has run in marathons. But since beginning Pilates about 3 years ago, she said, “I have the best awareness of my posture I have ever had.” She attributes it to strengthening her body’s core muscles. “It’s so subtle, it’s hard to appreciate.” Terry Clary, 54, also of Longview, chose Pilates because of its gentle approach. Compared to weight-training in a gym, she said, “It wasn’t such a rigorous workout. Before you know it, you have strength in a gradual, easy way.” German-born Joseph Pilates, who founded the exercise method in the early 1900’s, was a gymnast interested in lifelong body conditioning. Believing that physical and mental health are intertwined, he worked with dancers and designed his program around principles of concentration, precision, control, breathing, and gentle, flowing movements. In Pilates, most people start with basic mat exercises and progress to more advanced routines and positioning. Individualized sessions with spring-based machines are often part of the program. Of course, before you begin any exercise program, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor. Pilates teaches ways to breathe in conjunction with body movements, with the goal of uniting the mind and body to relieve stress and anxiety. Pilates avoids high impact and heavy muscular and skeletal loading and is not designed to be a complete physical fitness program. There are “aerobic opportunities,” but, generally, Pilates does not supply effective cardiovascular training. Most exercise programs have a 50 percent dropout rate in the first 6 months, said Mankin. To make Pilates interesting and fun, she equips her studio with stretch bands, balance discs and many different sizes of stability balls. “You can do all kinds of different exercies using all these toys,” she said. Pilates has something for everyone, and enough variety to allow for a continually-evolving and challenging program. |
Want to try Pilates? Body Balance, 1329 Broadway, Suite 209, Longview 360-423-4950. Full schedule of classes; private and semi-private sessions. Studio facilities include Pilates machines. Forever Fit 1211 – 18th, Longview, 360-425-5611 “Express Pilates” 15-min sessions 9 am and 12:15 pm M, T, W, F. Three Rivers Athletic Club 1946-8th Ave., Longview. 360-636-5589. Beginners’ classes occur in 6-week cycles. Other levels ongoing. Scappoose Fitness Center, 52206 SE 2nd Scappoose, Ore 503-543-2256 T, Th 5:45–6:45 pm Beginning Classes |
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Performing Arts and, in his
spare time, teaches hatha yoga, the familiar style of yoga that involves
putting the body into various poses or positions, called “asanas.” He
is certified to teach hatha yoga in the Iyengar style, brought to the
west by Indian yogi B.K.S. Iyengar. Since the publication of his landmark
yoga book “Light on Yoga” in the mid-1960s, Iyengar yoga
has become one of the most popular yoga styles in the world. Its
emphasis on holding positions and alignment sets it apart from other
styles that practice flowing from one position to another. Iyengar is
now 85 years old and still practices yoga at his home in India. 
calmly
with slow rhythmic breathing, followed by a number of yoga postures.
Dan demonstrated the correct way to do each posture and then made the
rounds, helping us with positioning and alignment. The session
concluded with an exercise in calming.
? According to Annals of Internal Medicine, a recent study may give
a hint how.
Mary Jepson, 53, of St. Helens, swims an hour each morning, four days a
week at Eisenschmidt’s, St. Helens’ only public swimming
pool. And she’s got plenty of company.