Tag: pilates

Zero Gravity Fitness is a personal training studio that specializes in Pilates and personal training. It is located in Ocoee, Florida, which is roughly 13 miles west of Orlando. It is owned by the husband-and-wife team Leo and Sara Acioli who founded the studio eight years ago.

Sara Acioli is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a background in dance. She was a professional dancer who performed all over the world. She became interested in Pilates after undergoing rehabilitation for a serious back injury. She was so impressed by the results that she decided to become an instructor and earned certification as a Stott Pilates instructor and personal trainer. Sara is also certified kettle bell instructor.

Leo Acioli earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science, Exercise Physiology track, from the University of South Florida. He also minored in Health Services Administration. He has been training since 1992 and is a member of both the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).

What is Pilates?

Pilates is an exercise program developed by Joseph Pilates (1883-1967), a German-born athlete and fitness instructor. The program emphasizes strengthening the core or the abdominal, thigh, hip and back muscles. The exercises can also improve flexibility, balance and posture and reduce back pain. Pilates resembles calisthenics to a degree in the sense that it involves simple exercises and many repetitions.

A modified form of this exercise program is offered to pregnant women. People with conditions like osteoporosis, a herniated disk, or unstable blood pressure need to talk to a staff member before taking a class, for they may also need modified exercises.

Other services offered by Zero Gravity Fitness

Zero Gravity Fitness offers both personal and group training. The staff can also help athletes playing a specific sport tailor their exercise regimen to fit the demands of that sport. In addition to a Pilates studio, Zero Gravity Fitness has a gym with strength training equipment and SuperFlex wall stations.

Other classes provided by Zero Gravity include the following:

• Body Shock Training
• Yoga
• Kettlebells
• Group Reformer

Body Shock Training is a personalized program designed for experienced athletes who have been doing the same workouts for a long time and have consequently reached a plateau. It includes cardiovascular training and free weights.

Learn More at Zero Gravity Fitness

If you are looking to improve your physical fitness, Pilates at Zero Gravity Fitness is one of the best ways to do it. Contact our office in Orlando to learn more!

Joseph Pilates created an effective, cross-training workout in the early part of the past century that will add a completely new level to your cardio and weight-lifting routine. Pilates can be tailored to your individual needs. It is great for men and women of any age because it can be as easy or strenuous as you want. This type of exercise has become synonymous with a fit and toned body, so it is no wonder the benefits are considered miraculous. There are various benefits that you stand to gain if you start a regular routine of Pilates.

1. Improve flexibility – When you stretch your muscles, they become elongated, which increases your range of motion. As you continue to practice Pilates, you will become more flexible. If you do other workouts, you may find that your performance improves too.

2. Improve breathing – Since you pay careful attention to breathing while doing Pilates, your breathing patterns improve along with your blood circulation. When you are breathing properly, your bloodstream is better able to deliver oxygen to your muscles and organs while removing toxins. This may also help muscles recover faster after a workout.

3. Improve your posture – After doing Pilates for a few weeks, you will notice how you stand because you will be focusing on good spinal alignment during the exercise, and this will change your awareness at other times of the day.

4. Improve bone density – Bones respond to resistance exercises just as muscles do. During Pilates workouts, you may use resistance bands and springs to create stronger bones.

5. Improves back pain – It strengthens the core support to the back and stretches and strengthens the back muscles that may be out of alignment due to poor posture and overuse.

6. Strengthens abdominal muscles – You will contract your abdominal muscles with every exercise. In addition, the deep abdominal muscles are targeted.

7. Provides a cross-training workout – You can avoid overuse injuries when you want to up your performance by adding some Pilates sessions into your regular routine.

8. Provides aerobic benefits – The aerobic benefits vary depending on the intensity of the workout. Some advanced moves will raise your heart rate while seated or prone moves may lower it. Moving quickly between the two gives the best workout.

9. Strengthens joints – With elongated and strong muscles, you may have more joint mobility. This helps ward off arthritis because there is less risk of stiff or weak joints.

10. Improves digestion – When your blood is circulating properly, toxins are removed from your body faster. This helps the digestive system.

Along with these benefits, you will also experience increased energy, body-mind awareness and reduced stress levels. Pilates offers many more benefits, which is why it is the most popular fitness method all over the world. It is recommended by many health and fitness professionals and incorporated into different kinds of workouts.

When you talk to our specialist at Zero Gravity Fitness, you may learn about beginner or advanced Pilates sessions, depending on your situation. Contact us today to schedule an appointment at our office in Ocoee.

According to the CDC, arthritis, or inflammation of the joints, affects 49.7 percent of people over the age of 65. That means nearly half of us will experience pain and discomfort in the joints during our “retirement years.” The good news is, a new study shows that it doesn’t take much to improve and maintain good physical function. Professor of Rheumatology and Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School, Dorothy Dunlap and her team have determined that just 45 minutes of moderate exercise per week is enough to help arthritic patients better control their condition.

Here at Zero Gravity, we have found that the trick is to find forms of exercise that don’t intimidate our senior population. Over the past ten years, we have helped older adults exercise in a way that helps them feel better, not beat up. Exercise can be intimidating for people who live with arthritis pain. We help people recognize their limitations and then design programs that fit those limitations. At Zero Gravity, what we find is that over time clients eventually feel better and do more. When they exceed expectations, they also gain confidence.

When working with an older population, it helps to have all of the Pilates equipment available. This specialized equipment is particularly beneficial to those who find it difficult to get up and down off the floor. It allows people to use the equipment for strength and stretching without putting them in an uncomfortable and often embarrassing position. Supporting our clients through some light cardio in addition to this type of work is usually enough to get them feeling better. At Zero Gravity we have seen amazing results. It’s nice to see that research confirms this approach is working.

There is no need to put off getting started on a program. If you are suffering with arthritis, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today. We can guide you through that 45 minutes of exercise that will help you manage your pain, and improve function. Get started on the path to a better you.

Sara Acioli
Owner
Zero Gravity Fitness

* Doctor Dunlap’s study can be found in the journal Arthritis Care & Research

Pilates is a collection of exercises somewhat reminiscent of yoga. It was developed in the 1920s by the gymnast Joseph Pilates, who originally devised the exercises as physical therapy for injured dancers. Many of the movements were patterned after those of animals like big cats, seals and swans.

What Does Pilates Involve?

Pilates emphasizes strengthening the body’s core or the muscles in the body’s mid-section. The core includes the lower back, abdomen and thighs. This is a low-impact form of exercise that emphasizes correct form over “feeling the burn.” It is, therefore, less likely to cause injury than other types of exercises.

There are over 600 exercises, and they range from easy to difficult. “The 100” involves laying on one’s back with the legs and head raised. The person pumps their arms up and down while keeping them straight. The exercise both strengthens the stomach muscles and teaches breath control.

“Rolling like a ball” also strengthens the stomach muscles and massages the person’s back. The individual sits down with their legs drawn up and then rocks back and forth.

“The saw” is another beginner’s exercise. The person sits with their legs straight and spread wide. With their arms straight out to the side, the person twists to one side to touch their toes. They pulse back and forth over the foot three times and then return to the starting position. They then twist to the other side and repeat the exercise.

What are the Benefits?

Pilates strengthens the body’s core, and that has multiple benefits. It reduces the chances of injury; a person with a strong core is less likely to hurt their back while lifting a heavy object than somebody with a weak core.

This form of exercise can also improve balance, coordination and flexibility. The emphasis on correct form not only reduces the chance of injury, but it also helps the athlete improve their posture. Pilates itself is also flexible. There are hundreds of exercises, so the person is unlikely to get bored.

What is the Pilates Reformer?

This is a piece of exercise equipment that was invented by Joseph Pilates himself. It has a frame about the size and shape of a bed. The frame has a foot bar at one end and a set of springs at the other. A wheeled platform or carriage lies within the frame. The carriage has shoulder blocks that keep the athlete from slipping off. It is also attached to the springs at one end, and the apparatus can be adjusted to provide different levels of resistance.

Many exercises can be performed on the Reformer. A person can sit, stand or lie down. Many of the exercises involve pushing or pulling the carriage, while others involve holding it in place during a routine.

At Zero Gravity Fitness in Ocoee, we are proud to offer a wide range of Pilates classes that are led by our experienced trainers. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to learn more about your options!

Pilates is a form of exercise that emphasizes strengthening the core. Most of the exercises, therefore, involve the abdominal muscles, lower back, thighs and hips. This form of exercise has often been compared to calisthenics and yoga. It is named after its developer, Joseph Pilates.

Who Was Joseph Pilates?

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in 1883 in Monchengladbach, Germany. He was a sickly child afflicted with asthma, and he badly wanted to grow stronger. He, therefore, turned to exercise and athletics and studied a variety of exercise regimens. He became fascinated by the classical Greek ideal of man being balanced in spirit, mind and body. As he grew older, his health improved, and he became a gymnast, boxer, skier and diver.

Joseph moved to England in 1912, where he trained Scotland Yard detectives in self-defense. He interned as an “enemy alien” during World War I, but during this time, he still continued his studies of exercise. He also taught his methods to some of his fellow captives. He attached springs to hospital beds so the patients could perform resistance exercises, an innovation he later incorporated in his equipment designs. When a flu epidemic struck England and killed thousands, all of Joseph’s students survived.

After the War, Joseph returned to Germany, where his exercise methods caught the attention of professional dancers. He then left Germany for good in 1926, when he immigrated to the United States.

Joseph met and fell in love with a woman named Clara Zeuner during the journey, and they eventually married. After arriving in New York, the Pilates opened a fitness studio near the New York City Ballet. Again, Joseph’s exercises became popular with dancers. He called his exercises “Contrology;” people did not start calling them “Pilates” until after he’d died. Joseph continued training people until his death at the age of 83 in 1967.

Gaining in Popularity

Pilates was popular with dancers in New York City and eventually spread throughout the United States. The exercises could be used to train people or to help them recover from injury. Some of Joseph’s students, including Bob Seed and Carola Trier, became Pilates instructors themselves and opened their own studios. Another former student, Eve Gentry, established a studio in Santa Fe, Mexico. In 1970, one of Joseph’s former students, Ron Fletcher, opened a studio in Los Angeles. Many Hollywood stars became clients. Fletcher also added his own innovations to the original exercises.

Fletcher’s studio, with its Hollywood connections, arguably contributed the most to the spread of Pilates. The media eventually took note of the stars’ love for the exercises and covered it extensively in the late 80s. The coverage led to a boom in Pilates, and it ceased to be the province of dancers. Elite athletes associated with the Olympics, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB began and continue to practice this form of exercise. Today, over 10 million Americans practice it.

Experience the Benefits for Yourself

At Zero Gravity Fitness in Ocoee, we have a fully-equipped Pilates studio where we host private classes for those who want to build strength while creating a sleek and toned physique. Contact us today to schedule your appointment to learn more, or to start a program.