Power Ballet Program

English: A ballet dancer doing barre work. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Mike George Fitness System introduces Power Ballet, a new fitness program.

H'mm, Power Ballet? That's catchy. Are there any health benefits from dancing?

Well, Power Ballet does have some significant health benefits regardless of a person's age and dance experience. With proper instruction and practice, muscular strength and stamina is increased. Reflexes are also greatly improved.

All movement in ballet dance is based on proper alignment of the body and the development of strength of one's core muscles. Coordination, balance, agility and the increase in bone density are also documented benefits of the study of ballet.

Well Newbies, the structure of the ballet session focuses on alignment and terminology. Stability movements, proper weight transfer and coordination of compound movements will be emphasized. As the student progresses, more advanced elements will be added and the intensity of the workout program will progress accordingly.

One note on attire. Form fitting clothing is ideal, so that alignment and postural corrections can be easily recognized and applied. Although socks are acceptable, the dancer is encouraged to wear soft ballet shoes. Hair should be off the back of the neck and jewelry kept to a minimum.

Simply stop at the Front Desk to schedule a session.

Summer in the great city of Chicago!

Contributed by Mike George

Summer in the great city of Chicago! Today’s adult athletes fall into one of two categories: there’s the gym enthusiast who rushes out of the office at 5:15 for a grueling two-hour workout and the weekend warrior, who spends dawn to dusk every Saturday and Sunday running or biking along the lake. Both have two things in common: their drive and passion for the physical exercise and the inevitable risk of injury that comes with doing what they love.

First, we need to define and understand the term “weekend warrior”. This is the athlete who participates in little or no exercise during the week, then on the weekend partakes in vigorous activity, for which the individual has not trained properly.

Often, we don’t take the time to physically prepare ourselves for these endeavors, thus resulting in strains, sprains, low back pain, and numerous other injuries. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission approximately one million adults sustain sports related injuries each year. Here are some questions I hear quite often…

Q: Is the saying “no pain, no gain” your best measurement of a good workout?

A: False. If you are experiencing pain during a specific exercise or activity it is essential to stop and evaluate what motion is being performed incorrectly. This can lead to one of the most common injuries, a strain. A strain is an acute trauma to the muscle tissue or the tissue that make up the tendon that connects the muscle to the bone. This may lead to excessive swelling to the area, decreased range of motion, and decreased function.

We need to remember that the body sends out three signals for us: the first is discomfort, and then pain, the last is the resulting injury. Physiologically our body can only increase in muscle strength 4% per week, to push beyond this intensity is setting you up for failure.

Q: Does practice make perfect?

A: False. Vince Lombardi states it best, “PERFECT practice makes perfect”. Incorrect mechanics repeated over and over can lead to poor posture such as rounded shoulders. This can result in instability of the shoulder and lead to injury.

Q: Heavy sweating during activity can lead to injury.

A: True. While losing fluid during exercise, dehydration is always a concern, especially in the humid summer months. A general rule of thumb is if you experience thirst during activity, your body is already dehydrated. Keep ample amounts of fluid with you before, during, and after activity.

In conclusion, prevention of injury is the best medicine. If you do get injured, rehabilitation services can get you back with minimal interruption to your training.

Summer is almost upon us so... What's stopping you?

Contributed by Mike George

Fast-forward one month…you are at Cast Aways with your protective layers of clothing, out of shape and without a tan.

Will you kick yourself for not doing something about it? You’re in control if you want to be; do you want to be? Do you believe that this summer can be different from the others?

You know that regular exercise will help live longer, feel better, and look better naked. So, what is stopping you from doing it?

Time, energy, and desire are three obstacles that you need to overcome. Under the age of 29, your body naturally maintains its levels of lean tissue (muscle, bone, blood, and vital organs). After 29, these tissues begin to deteriorate at about 1% per year.

This “atrophy” results in a lower metabolism, softer feel, weakness, and injury. Luckily, this decline can be decelerated with the right combination of cardio-vascular exercise, weight training, flexibility training and proper nutrition.

If you want to feel and look better by summer, get started now! There is no more time to waste. Starting now should yield a loss of 1-3 inches off your waist and hips, more overall tone, energy, and improved mood. The biggest step is the first one, take it this week – or see little to no improvement by summer 2009.

What should you do? Start with 3 – 5 cardio sessions per week, for 30 – 60 min. each and 2 – 3 sessions of weight bearing exercise like Personal Training or Pilates. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday do 30 min. of cardio followed by 30 min. of weights. Tuesday, and Thursday do additional cardio for 45 – 60min. Do this regularly for six weeks and you should start to see drastic improvement.

The key is consistency, log your workouts into your planner and commit to working out at a time that is realistic. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend going home after work before you go to the gym – the likelihood that you will get off the couch and go to the gym is not high. Perhaps you have a highly stressful job and you’re exhausted once you leave the office, schedule you workout time for lunch or if you’re a morning person go before work.

The most difficult thing is getting there. Psyche yourself by saying, “OK, I’ll only do a 10min work out today.” Chances are you’ll stay and finish the entire workout. Soon, your workouts will develop into a habit, and like any habit, eventually you’ll crave it. Before you know it, it’s mid-July and you’re looking good and feeling fine.