Stretch and tone

Despite resembling a medieval torture contraption, Gyrotonic®, a movement system which combines dance, yoga, swimming and martial arts, is growing in popularity

I first heard about gyrotonic a couple of years ago. It was the latest celebrity fitness fad and the likes of Terri Hatcher, Kim Cattrall and Madonna (is there a workout this woman hasn't tried?) were all said to be enthralled.

It was first created back in the early Eighties by Hungarian dancer Juliu Horvath and the machine has continued to grow in popularity due to its gentle, but effective system of rhythmical exercises and spherical movements.

The gyrotonic room at The Third Space gym is a sort of glass box off the main gym area. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how peaceful it was; no music or grunts of exertion.

Cherie Love, my 'gyro coach' for the hour, was long, lean and toned - a walking advertisement for the machine. I filled in the obligatory medical/health check questionnaire while she explained the system; a resistance workout for all the major muscle groups using hand and foot pulleys and wheelbases with corresponding breathing patterns. It sounded complicated.

However, we started off easily enough by sitting on a stool to practice the Gyrokinesis® spinal motions. You could see the yogic influence from the emphasis placed on working with your breathing and core muscles to bend slowly backwards and forwards in a continuous wave-like pattern - the key to gyrotonic. None of the movements are angular. Everything is organic and flowing, which is why it feels so great. These are the movements your body feels like it should be making.