Our young clients have been making big strides!

We've had the pleasure of sharing Alison Stroming's successes in previous blogs. Last month she performed with ABT II at The Kennedy Center! We wish her many great performances as she tours as a guest with the company this year.

Daphne Fernberger recently shot a music video and appeared on a well-known televion series. It's little wonder that Spiegel Culture Online Magazine interviewed and filmed her for a January post. The article gives a glimpse of her life as a Juilliard student.

Gyrotonic sessions are an important part of the these ladies' rigorous schedules. They know firsthand the benefits of a regular Gyrotonic practice whether alone or in conjunction with another training program. We work individually with our clients to find the best way to help you reach your goals. Come on in, we'll be sharing your successes in no time!

Our Clients are En Pointe!

The new year is barely underway and already our clients are soaring successes. In these pages we have shared with you Skylar Brandt's steps on her road to a dance career. Today we'd like to announce her grande jete into a professional career as one of the newest members of American Ballet Theater! ABT is an internationally recognized ambassador of some of the best in American ballet. They travel the world and all 50 states showcasing a repertoire that includes works by choreographic heavy hitters as well as shining new talents.

We invite you to join us as we congratulate Skylar on this exciting new venture. Life as a professional dancer will provide a wonder of opportunities and challenges; and the staff at Fluid Fitness will be here to cheer her on and keep her instrument in tip top shape.

Need some fine-tuning yourself? Whether you are looking to fly across the stage or just complete an extra flight of stairs, we're here to help you. Come on in!

Drop and Give Me 20...

How many push-ups can you do?

We don't often use conventional fitness exercises at Fluid Fitness the way you perform them in a gym, but we do encourage any activity that helps you stay strong and fit. So we sat up and noticed when a New York Times article reported that, "[b]ased on national averages, a 40-year-old woman should be able to do 16 push-ups and a man the same age should be able to do 27."

Why is the push-up considered an important marker of physical fitness? The idea is that although we naturally lose muscle strength as we age, continuing to strengthen muscles helps us fend off that decline. Developing upper body strength helps us carry those shoulder and spine-crunching bags we love to tote and that strength helps us brace ourselves in case of falls that may require long recovery time.

Challenge yourself to see if you are up to snuff:

• 1. Find a secure plank position: toes on the walk, heels reaching away from the calves, inner thighs kissing, tailbone reaching toward the heels, abdomen engaged, scapulae hugging the ribs, neck long and eyes gazing down at splayed palms that are angled slightly toward each other and directly under your chest. Of course, you can find the same strong, long position with the knees bent. Either way, you should be in one long line like, well... a plank - with no sags or bumps.


• 2. Lower yourself down by bending the elbows up to 90 degrees.


• 3. Exhale as you straighten the arms, returning to that secure plank position. You could even utter "1" as you exhale.


• 4. Continue with steps 1-3, counting as you go.

How many can you do without losing the integrity of your starting position?
How many can you do with varying arm positions?

• elbows out and palms angled toward each other under the chest


• elbows out and palms angled toward each other under the shoulders


• elbows out with palms close enough so that thumbs and first fingers form a triangle


• elbows hugging the ribs with palms under the shoulders, palms parallel to each other

Feel how the different positions affect your muscles? Maybe you want to try them on a stair, chair, counter or wall. Test your strength and stamina. Test the integrity of your form. The important thing is to try them; test yourself.

Want help? Not sure about form? You can always ask a trainer here at Fluid Fitness. There are lots of exercises you can do at the studio to improve your upper-body fitness, including the trusty ol' push-up.

Don't worry - we're not suggesting you give Jack Palance a run for his money, our interest is a strong healthy you - however you express it. And if you have the opportunity to show-off with an acceptance speech for all your hard work - we'll cheer you on!

New Year Changes at Fluid Fitness

The new year is a time of renewal and reassessment, an opportunity to make changes that will get you closer to your goals.

Starting January 1, Fluid Fitness will implement some changes of our own. GYROTONIC prices will increase slightly and Private Power Plate sessions will be greatly reduced. We've also created some new packages for our clients: there will be a special rate for students, seniors and union members, new combination packages, and a yearly plan that involves all the services we offer with the convenience of a once-yearly payment.

We know it can be difficult to keep a regular workout schedule during the hectic holiday season; and though I am sure all our students are faithfully practicing the homework series when they can't take a session..., the month of January will present a great opportunity to dive back with a new attitude.

Want to step up your game or try a different approach? While you're ringing in the New Year, think how every opportunity to do something nice for your body is to be celebrated. Our well and continually-trained staff is always ready to help you. Let us help craft the new you you've imagined for the new year. Besides, you know how much we love to celebrate our clients!

Happy New Year!

Teacher Trainings at Fluid Fitness

Our usual blog focus is on the accomplishments of our clients and we have to admit, they're pretty awesome. But you may wonder how our instructors stay on top of their game. Our instructors update themselves regularly on what is current in GYROTONIC®, learn to use specialty equipment and take courses that allow them to best serve the needs of our clients.

Last month, for example, our very own Hilary Cartwright, Master Trainer, taught a special course on the needs of clients before and after undergoing hip-replacement surgery. There are many other teacher trainings going on at the studio over the next several months, including a winter workshop focusing on applications for osteoporotic clients.

We at Fluid Fitness are always looking for ways to better educate ourselves and our clients. In fact, we have upcoming pre-training and foundation courses in both GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®. For the ambitious among you, this is a great opportunity to deepen your practice and eventually get more out of your private sessions.

If a pre-training doesn't fit your schedule but you want to learn more outside of a session with one of our excellent trainers, check out the library at the studio. We aim to keep our clients fit from the inside out so we collect and share published articles on GYROTONC® and its benefits and applications.

Come join us at the studio; we'll be more than happy to answer your questions or give you an excellent workout! See you soon!

Dance 212 features Fluid Fitness!

We're all about GYROTONIC® here, and we like any opportunity to share its benefits and the successes of our instructors and clients. Many of you know we also like dance; so in celebrating things we like we're directing your attention to Dance (212), a website that follows the lives of 5 dancers from 5 of New York City's most prestigious Second Companies. You can watch video episodes, interviews with the dancers and explore educational links.

One of the dancers featured there is Skylar Brandt of ABT II. Of course, our favorite episode is one that was filmed right here at Fluid Fitness! Skylar, a regular client, and Hilary Cartwright, one of our Master Instructors, talk about GYROTONIC® as an important tool for dancers. Click here to watch Hilary guiding Skylar through a typical session on our machines.

If you have news of how GYROTONIC® or Fluid Fitness is helping people find balance, please share it with us. Want to experience it for yourself? Give us a call, we'll be glad to help!

Fluid Fitness CLient Leaps to Success!

Alison Stroming, Miss New York's Oustanding Teen 2010, has returned to us with outstanding news! She proudly represented New York in the National Miss America's Outstanding Teen Competition. Not only was she a top 10 finalist, but won the prize for best in talent!

Miss America's Outstanding Teen is a scholarship-based program offering accomplished teens the opportunity to be awarded funds for college. The program promotes scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens. For more information, please visit Miss America's Outstanding Teen at www.maoteen.org.

Congratulations, Alison!