If you have a crazy busy life and want to be strong, limber and graceful, Then I highly recommend Gyrotonic exercise at Upward Spiral Studio in Cambridge, MA. I use it to stay ready for the ski season in the winter and triathlons in the summer.
I am absolutely hooked on Pilates: My posture is better, my body is stronger and more toned, and I have been pain-free and not needed a chiropractor since I started this method of exercise. I began classes at another studio, but the instruction at Upward Spiral Studio is just plain superior and superb. It changes and progresses and never gets stale or staid.
Doing Pilates with Martha and Paula has been a transformative experience for me, with abundant physical, psychological, and cognitive benefits. They are gifted teachers who put a great deal of thought, care, creativity, patience, energy, and expertise into their lessons. Martha and Paula and Bess create an atmosphere that is friendly and supportive but challenging and stimulating as well.
Decompression is the first word that comes to mind when friends ask what this gyro class I go to is all about. A gradual, natural decompression. Gyrokinesis has a liberating effect on the joints, a feeling of weightless airiness develops when one does these movements consistently. Being a naturally uncoordinated person, I found it challenging to get the hang of gyro, but after a couple of months I no longer felt like the Tin Man in the morning: a stealthy transformation that makes itself felt not in immediate sweat or burn but in greater all-around mobility, even in the vexed (for many of us) lower back and shoulders. I look forward to gyro sessions as my weekly vacation from gravity.
Just wanted to say thanks for the great classes! For 24 hours after this week’s class, the muscle aches somehow made me improve my posture and gave me a consciousness of my hips and stomach. I felt taller and better aligned, and the stiff shoulders that had been bothering me for the previous two weeks went away!
I hesitate to write, as Upward Spiral Studio is a bit of a hidden gem, but have to pay it forward — this is the place! I have not found a group of instructors more knowledgeable and connected to what they do. So many Pilates classes seem to just go through the motions, however the Mat classes at Upward Spiral really challenge you in teaching you about your body and its holding patterns. I’ve taken Mat with Bess, Paula, and Martha, and have been entirely impressed with how all three give individual corrections for each client. You feel as though the class is tailored to your body and its needs. For years, I’ve struggled with chronic back and hip pain, and yet always walk away from class feeling as though my spine has been realigned, and my core strengthened. USS is a cornerstone of my physical practice – highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about their body, for strength and injury prevention!
I started Pilates as a way to avoid a recurrence of nerve pain apparently caused by stenosis of the cervical spine. It worked. I have been pain free for three years. In addition, Pilates has been a wonderful complement to my other physical activities (Scottish country Dancing) in that it focuses mostly on the core, but also on flexibility, posture, lengthening, and upper body strength. Now I can’t imagine NOT doing Pilates. At the end of a session with Martha, Paula, or Bess, I float back to my car with a sense of accomplishment and with body and spirit stretched, strengthened, and refreshed!
When I was 20 years old, I hd lower back surgery to repair a herniated disc. The acute pain disappeared, but I was left with minor lower back pain and decreased flexibility. Although I could function on a day to day basis, I wasn’t able to play sports, take a dance class, or do other physical activities without pain. On the recommendation of a friend, I started taking Pilates classes and the improvement has been incredible.
It didn’t take long until both my flexibility and strength increased, and after 4 months I was able to play softball for the first time in 5 years. I have now been doing Pilates for almost a year and a half, and it is the most important part of my exercise routine. It has been the only thing that significantly helps my back, and I can feel the difference when I don’t go consistently. The type of studio and the quality of the instructors definitely play a part in the whole process, and I would enthusiastically recommend Upward Spiral. I have been to a number of different studios over the last year, and they have been the best by far.
This place is an absolute gem. This is my first review on Yelp — normally I wouldn’t write a review, but this place is absolutely awesome!
First: the studio is incredibly clean and comfortable. The whole atmosphere in the studio is great. It feels like a little family – they know your name and welcome you in warmly. It really feels like a community. This isn’t a fancy for the sake of appearances kind of Pilates studio, which I really appreciate. This leads to point 2.
Second: they know anatomy. All of the instructors are tremendously knowledgable about Pilates and the body and really push you to engage in the movements with proper alignment and technique (something I’ve found difficult to find at most Boston Pilates studios). Ivan will press on the muscles you need to engage to trigger your body to reach further than you thought possible. Totally awesome!
Third: group classes are really small. Each instructor had a really different feel, which keeps it fun, or you can pick which style you want for that week.
Fourth: it’s really competitively priced for Pilates. I like that they have a spectrum of price points. It’s clear that they think Pilates is really important for the body’s health and want to make it accessible to people.
Men love to be strong and tight, until they discover they need to be loose and supple… or else! Gyrotonic exercise is great for this 62-yr-old skier, 3x marathon runner and full court basketball player.
I tried Gyrotonic exercise more or less out of curiosity a bit over a year ago, after I had developed some inhibiting pain in my hip and upper left leg due to a nerve impingement from scoliosis and spinal stenosis. I had already tried many forms of therapy and gotten some relief, but a dramatic change occurred when I started working with Martha at Upward Spiral. She was incredibly informed and insightful about what types of movements were feasible and what would be helpful, using a very hands-on process to guide and cajole me through movements that simultaneously stretched, strengthened and rotated my spine and core muscles — mostly muscles I had been neglecting or had no comparable means of engaging.
After the very first session, I was amazed at having an improved posture that was taller and effortless.To my surprise, it also helped my violin playing — not just by making it more comfortable, but by making it richer in tone quality! I was hooked and have gone once or twice weekly since then, with no material back pain for over a year. All of the staff are fantastic, caring, knowledgeable and attentive coaches. My two college-aged sons have also participated and share my reactions.