Gyrotonics

Fitness buffs getting bored with StairMaster are discovering a new twist in exercise machines, the Gyrotonic Expansion System (GXS). Popular in Europe and used in some 150 exercise and dance studios in the U.S., the machine looks like a cross between a postmodern sculpture and a medieval torture rack. There are two parts--a 7-ft. pulley tower with leather straps for hands and feet and a movable bench with two rotating disks attached to its edge. Together they work in synch to stretch, strengthen and increase range of motion. Gyrotonics combines elements of Kundalini yoga, dance and Tai Chi, but it feels closest to synchronized swimming. Instead of linear back-and-forth movements, GXS offers more than a hundred variations, most of them circular and three-dimensional.

GYROTONIC (also known as the Gyrotonic Expansion System or GXS) is an exercise system created by Juliu Horvath, an ethnic Hungarian born in Romania. Horvath, who was trained as a ballet dancer, sought asylum in the United States in the 1960s and developed the Gyrotonic system there, after an injured Achilles tendon brought his dance career to a halt. He began to practice yoga, and developed a system called "Yoga for Dancers", which eventually evolved into GYROKINESIS.

GYROTONIC exercises employ movements found in swimming, yoga, gymnastics, and tai chi, using specialized machines developed by Horvath. The system is intended to improve flexibility and balance as well as muscle strength, and to increase overall flexibility and mobility in joints. It has been compared to and contrasted with Pilates but offers much more flexion.

After starting in New York City, Master Trainers and Trainers have established studios in locations across the globe, including San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, London, and Paris. It is widely used by dancers, athletes, and in rehabilitation facilities, as well as for general conditioning for all walks of life.