Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 2: June 2014 | Page 27

Mind Body Spirit continued from page 6 create a challenge that strengthens not only my core, but my entire muscular/skeletal body! I have become more flexible and notice a huge difference through my hips. I am also much more attuned with my body and feel much stronger overall. I love, love, love Dina's instruction of the class…it's the perfect blend of her knowledge, challenge, direction, concern and personality that makes her the Best at what she does! Sheryl Dowd Going to the Mat: Fran Capurano, Sheryl Dowd & Kathleen Maiolo me. Well, I have my own mat now and I know the rows and the props, and I am now a Pilates “lifer”. THANKS Dina and Susan xoxo Susan Daniels I have been doing Pilates consistently 3x per week for the past 6 months. I have been a fitness enthusiast most of my life and have been a Personal Trainer, aerobics and Spin instructor. My fitness journey all began with taking aerobic classes over 30 years ago that led to my becoming an instructor and giving classes at a dance studio in Centerport. The two other women I taught classes with discovered a fabulously amazing instructor in Babylon at the Fitness Incentive. I'll never forget how excited they were telling me about their experience. Corinne was the instructor, and I couldn't wait to go take her class after hearing how they raved about her. That was absolutely the greatest class I had ever taken and I have been a fan of Cor's ever since! I ran with Cor for many years as well, although I am glad to be done with that as it is hard on the skeletal body. I became a certified Personal Trainer after years of training, and I became certified to teach Spin after falling in love with the Spin program at Fitness Incentive. I then met the greatest trainer, bar none, Jim Cordova, who guided me with his wealth of knowledge of nutrition, form and muscular development, to the greatest transformation my body has ever known! With his guidance I competed in a fitness competition and took first place in the Novice category at the tender age of 50! I have been at Fitness Incentive from their humble beginnings on Grove Place and am currently enjoying the Spin program with my favorite instructors: Jourdan (who is a powerhouse just like her mom), Mary K (D.J. Queen) and my soul sista Sara…who all contribute to keeping me in great cardiovascular shape. I recently added Pilates to my fitness mix to increase core strength and flexibility. I believe it is important to incorporate all components that increase your fitness level…which has led me to Dina! I decided to give mat Pilates class a try after hearing from Francesca Capuano how fabulous Dina's classes are and seeing the amazing transformation it has had on Fran's body. I tried yoga but was never able to be consistent so that is what ultimately led me to try Pilates. I had my spin and weight training but was looking for something more that would help me with core strength as well as hip opening and flexibility. Pilates is quite a challenging workout, one I never would have imagined, especially after all my years of fitness and training hard and heavy! It is the perfect blend of strength, form, alignment and stretch that has taken my fitness to a new level. It is a challenge without the heavy weights! Pilates has given me a greater understanding of my body's natural alignment which helps me to make the necessary corrections to my form and Summer 2014 FIT to Print I have been a member of Fitness Incentive since 1985. I have been doing Pilates consistently for approximately 3 years. I have always worked out as long as I can remember…Jazzercise, aerobics, weights etc. My mentality has always been “the harder the better”. That worked okay for me through my twenties and part of my thirties. When I reached my 40's, my body started talking to me. With all of the high impact jumping, etc. I ultimately injured my knee and lower back. I started to realize it was time for me to look into other means of staying fit. It took me a while to abolish my “harder the better” mind set. After physical therapy for my knee, I knew I needed to add stretching to my regimen. I tried Yoga, but could never tap into that “yoga head”. I tried Pilates and I really liked the way it made me feel. I always had posture issues and Pilates made me more aware of them. I do not do conventional abdominal exercises any more and my core has never been so strong. My lower back pain is virtually gone. I have learned to enjoy the feeling of not going in and breaking my butt to the point of strain and still getting an amazing workout! I have recently added Pilates jumpboard classes which gives me a great cardio workout without the stress on the joints. In addition to my past injuries, there have been some stressful changes in my life lately Pilates moves works better with the phase my body is in now. I come to Pilates and I leave feeling better…inside, outside and all around. These heartfelt testimonials prove that Pilates works for anyone. People of all backgrounds, all fitness levels and all ages. I want to thank everyone for the kind words, and I also want to note that this particular article features testimonials from females…stay tuned to future Fit to Print Newsletters for testimonials from our Pilates MEN! If you have not tried Pilates yet….don't wait another day! See you in class! Happy Summer! Dina Voigt is a certified Pilates, yoga & spin instructor, as well as a certified Personal Trainer. She manages the Mind, Body & Spirit program at FI. Questions? Contact her at: [email protected] 27