Trying Pilates

Our fitness guinea pig samples a Pilates class at M Cycle Gym in South Miami and learns to love low-impact muscle building.

Mastering Pilates at South Miami's M Cycle Gym. Photo: Donna E. Natale Planas/Miami.com staff

By Howard Cohen

You keep hearing about Pilates. It seems to be the catch-all fixer-upper, especially at this time of year when family gatherings promise beaucoup food. "I can have that pumpkin pie. I'm doing Pilates!"

Yet Pilates, a series of movements centering on the core muscles to help maintain balance, breathing and support for the spine, isn't new. It was started by fitness enthusiast Joseph Pilates during World War I when British authorities interned him in a camp with fellow Germans. Pilates designed exercises that wouldn't require much room to perform in his cramped confines. He eventually brought his method to the United States where, in 1920s New York, his studio became popular with the performing arts community.

Estimates now suggest more than 11 million Americans are taking Pilates from some 14,000 instructors.

I may have found my favorite of these teachers in Gina Murray, a former art teacher for the Miami-Dade County School System.

Granted, I've taken Pilates with just a few instructors over the years and still have, oh, 13,995 left to evaluate, but right now, on a bright morning at South Miami's M Cycle Gym, Murray's tops.

Her goal, she says, is to make her students "more familiar with their body and more aware of posture." She does this by incorporating stretching before leading us into exercises aimed at those deep abdominal muscles. Most are done sans props, although we do use the "Magic Circle" ring, which looks like a steering wheel, and it works by stressing the chest muscles as you squeeze the elastic orb.

You won't forget the Hundreds, a movement in which your legs and upper body are raised -- one of the many positions you'll find yourself in every time Murray utters the familiar "Engage the core" command. It's called the Hundreds because you pump your straightened arms 100 times at your sides while in the elevated position. Pilates is ideal for beginners because its moves are easy to grasp, unlike some pretzel-oriented yoga postures, but they are demanding because they work those abs.

The personable Murray is superb because she constantly offers concise instruction and hands-on adjustments for those who need some help.

The best part? Murray's all-too-brief oil massage to the back of the neck at class' conclusion. Now that's worth a hearty thanks giving.

IF YOU GO

Pilates with Gina Murray
Where: M Cycle Gym, 6114 S. Dixie Hwy, South Miami; 305-665-1618

When: 10:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Duration/description: 60-minute Pilates clas

Price: $14 per class

(Murray also teaches Pilates at Body & Soul Fitness in Coral Gables in 90-minute sessions at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday for $16 per class)