Joseph is the Man

Joseph Pilates was of course the founder of the most amazing exercise system known to man...the Pilates Method! There are Pilates classes that are set on machines called Reformers but these machines cost thousands of dollars and take up lots of space. I teach Pilates Matwork classes...all you need is a Pilates/Yoga mat. Matwork classes were the favorite of Mr. Pilates.

"Matwork teaches us that the Body is the finest and ONLY tool necessary for achieving physical fitness."
-Brooke Styler

So come and reawaken your body through movement and your mind through conscious thought!

Artisan Park Clubhouse Pilates Schedule

My Pilates classes at the Artisan Park Clubhouse in Celebration are open to all residents of Artisan Park and their guests. Classes are only $5 and you must bring a mat or towel. These classes are open to people of ALL ages and fitness levels. Please join us with classes for 2008 starting Wednesday, January 9th at 7 pm and then the regular schedule continues!

Saturday
10 am

Wednesday
7-8 pm

Contact me with any questions!

svigue@Mr-Fitness.org

The Dance Experience in Celebration, FL Schedule

The Dance Experience (321-939-3213) is located in downtown Celebration, Florida behind On a Roll deli. Classes last one hour, mats are provided and they are open to people of ALL ages and fitness levels. Classes are $10 each or 12 for $100. Here is the schedule:

Monday
Pilates noon-1 pm
Yoga 7-8 pm

Tuesday
Yogalates 7-8 pm

Wednesday
Pilates noon-1 pm

Friday
Pilates 4-5 pm

Saturday
Pilates noon-1 pm

www.thedanceexperience.zoomshare.com

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Greetings!

Thank you all for making my company, Mr. Fitness LLC, such a HUGE success in 2007! I have had the absolute pleasure of teaching Pilates, Yoga, Yogalates and Spinning classes all over Central Florida with over 800 classes for the year. Being able to teach at so many diverse places and work with thousands of energetic and inspiring folks is what keeps it so much fun...and fun is what my classes are!

My promise in 2008 is to add to all the great work we have done and continue to inspire and transform your lives though these classes. Improving physically, mentally and spiritually, we can all change our lives for the better with each and every movement in class.

See you all in 2008!

Sean Vigue (currently in Wisconsin snowshoeing)

Almost chilly here!

Hello my friends!

I will be blogging here much more frequently starting tonight! Topics will range from whatever pops into my head be it fitness related or about wild buffalo.

This is the first almost chilly evening we have had here in Florida! I walked downtown Celebration to our October festival and watched a polka band. It doesn't get much better then that. Such a wonderful town I live in (-:

Until next time...

Sean

Yogalates at The Dance Experience!

I just added a Yogalates class to my schedule at The Dance Experience studio in downtown Celebration! The class will be every Tuesday from 7-8 pm and is a fusion of Pilates and yoga. Expect lots of yoga poses with plenty of core strengthening Pilates exercises added in for good measure and you will leave feeling refreshed and renewed

Hope to see you in class!!

Sean Vigue
Owner/Operator Mr. Fitness LLC

The funny art of Zen

ZEN SARCASM

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!

9. If at first you don't succeed, sky diving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like 'The Force.' It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time.

On staff at Gold's Gym Orlando

I am now on staff at Gold's Gym located on Turkey Lake Road in Orlando. It is a magnificent, 10,000 + member gym and I will be teaching their Tuesday, 10:30 am Pilates Matwork class starting July 10, 2007. Come by and check out the gym and the class!

I hope to also teach a Spinning class there in the near future.

Stay healthy!

Sean Vigue

Summer Schedule at The Dance Experience!

Here is my summer schedule of Pilates and Yoga classes at The Dance Experience located in downtown Celebration right behind On a Roll Deli.

Monday
noon-1 pm Pilates
7-8 pm Yoga

Wednesday
noon-1 pm Pilates

Friday
4-5 pm Pilates

Saturday
noon-1 pm Pilates

Classes are $10 or buy 12 for only $100. Mats are provided!

Also teaching at the Artisan Park Clubhouse located in the Celebration neighborhood of Artisan Park. The Clubhouse is on Celebration Ave. as you drive into Artisan Park (located on the right). Classes are only $5. You must be a resident of Artisan Park or a guest of one. You may also come as my guest if you let me know.

Saturday 10-11 am Pilates
Wednesday 7-8 pm Pilates

I will see you in class!!

Sean Vigue
svigue@Mr-Fitness.org
www.Mr-Fitness.org LLC

Teaching at The Dance Experience Studio

I am now an instructor at The Dance Experience (321-939-3213) in Celebration, Florida. They are a relatively new studio in town that has been offering many fun and exciting classes and now they have Pilates and Yoga care of MOI! They are located behind On a Role Deli off of Market Street.

Here is the schedule:

Monday 7-8 pm (Yoga)
Wednesday noon-1 pm (Pilates)
Friday 4-5 pm (Pilates)
Saturday noon-1 pm (Yogalates)

If you live in the area check them out....if you don't just dream about the fun we would have in their 2 spacious studios. http://www.thedanceexperience.zoomshare.com/

Yoga to help computer users

Yet another benefit of practicing yoga!

Yoga Aids Computer Users
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA

Yoga instructors may want to incorporate traditional vision exercises into classes in order to benefit participants who work daily at computer screens. Computer workers who practiced yoga for 60 days improved visual comfort and reduced “dry eye,” according to a study published in Head & Face Medicine (2006; 2 [46]; www.head-face-med.com/content/2/1/46).
Since yoga practices are known to reduce eye strain among people with progressive nearsightedness, researchers at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation in Bangalore, India, conducted a study with employees of a local software development company to determine whether yogic practices could assist professional computer users.

Two hundred and ninety-one male and female employees participated in the trial. An office assistant randomly assigned individuals to either the yoga group or the wait list control group. Members of the yoga group practiced yoga for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week. Practice consisted of 15 minutes of asanas, 10 minutes of pranayama, 10 minutes of joint exercises, 10 minutes of trataka or visual cleansing exercises and 15 minutes of guided relaxation. The trataka included two sets of eye exercises: (1) shifting the eyes in eight directions, while moving an extended thumb to direct the gaze; and (2) looking at a flame at eye level without blinking, while focusing and defocusing their eyes. Control group participants spent an equivalent amount of time engaging in their usual recreational activities.

After 60 days, members of the yoga group reported reduced visual discomfort. Study authors suggested that these improvements were the result of an improved ability to focus while remaining relaxed, which may have increased the blink rate that provides more eye lubrication. Previous studies have shown that individuals blink more when relaxed. Researchers noted that a limitation of this study was that improvements in comfort were based on self-reporting, rather than on well-recognized objective indicators of visual discomfort. More study was recommended, since yoga could provide a safe, beneficial, nonpharmacological treatment for a prevalent problem among office workers.

Funny article about Yoga from The Onion.com

Report: One In Five Women Training To Be Yoga Instructors
October 19, 2005 Issue 41•42

WASHINGTON, DC—According to a Department of Labor report on job retraining, 21 percent of American women are training to be yoga instructors, marking the highest level of female interest in the flexibility-and-spirituality-expansion industry since 1971. "One particular indicator is striking: All but 32 women in New York and San Francisco are now certified yoga instructors, specializing in either hatha, bikram, or ashtanga yoga," Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said. The report notes that the rising interest in yoga instruction has caused a commensurate depletion in the ranks of massage therapists and board-certified realtors.

Pilates and Spinning/Indoor Cycling

We all know that Pilates can help tremendously with a person's form no matter the sport or activity. Your core muscles as they relate to Cycling are all about form.

The 'proper' cycling position from the head down is as follows:

Head & Neck: Relaxed, neutral, looking forward

Upper Body: Relaxed with very little movement - 'Be still my upper body'

Arms / Hands: Relaxed, light on the handlebars (Are you getting an idea of relaxation yet?)

Knees: In close to the top tube or pointing forward, moving directly up & down (not side to side) A tight lower back can force your knees to stick out away from the body - Call for Pilates! Apparently women are the reverse, when they're tight they develop a 'knock knee' position.

Posture: Weight on the saddle, towards the back, chest up and breastbone forward, think long abs, stomach in. This posture allows you to lengthen and relax your lower back (Pilates anyone!) while remaining comfortable. If your hands are relaxed on the handlebars and can be easily lifted without shifting your weight, you're on the way. Neutral Spine plays a role here. Don't flatten the back and don't round it over, maintain the natural curves of your spine (Pilates again)

A Pilates regimen can help the cyclist with flexibility and core strength.

Source: allaboutpilates.com

Pilates in everyday life

Everyday Life

No matter what you do during the day, washing, ironing, picking up the kids, working at a computer, running, feeding the pets etc etc. All of these activities can be enhanced by bringing Pilates into your daily life, and we don't just mean working out. The basic principles of Pilates, like neutral spine, shoulder stability, using your abs to support your spine and upperbody will help you to strengthen while at the same time ease some of those aches and pains caused by under or over-use of muscles.

So many of my clients share stories of performing normal tasks around the house that used to be uncomfortable or even painful but now that they practice Pilates those pains are gone! It is always exciting when my clients take their new "Pilates Bodies" out into the world and feel, see and know the difference that they have made.

10 Foods for a Good Night's Sleep

10 Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep

Want a good night’s sleep? Put down the pill bottle and head to the kitchen. Some foods help relax your body and quiet your mind while others stimulate the production of sleep-inducing melatonin and serotonin. Choose from this list of foods to help send you to dreamland.

Bananas.
Bananas contain magnesium to relax muscles, and also melatonin and serotonin as well. Warm milk. Mom was right — the amino-acid tryptophan found in milk acts like a sedative, and the calcium helps the body use it.

Potatoes.
Potatoes cancel out the acids that can interfere with snooze-inducing tryptophan.

Chamomile tea.
A long-time staple of teas formulated for drinking before bedtime, chamomile acts as a mild sedative. Oatmeal. Oats are rich in melatonin — and are filling, so as to tide you over during your journey through the land of Nod.

Cheddar cheese.
A wedge of cheddar cheese is also rich in tryptophan.

Honey.
A bit of honey to sweeten tea or warm milk will help your brain switch off orexin, a neurotransmitter that helps keep you alert.

Whole-wheat bread.
Add a piece of toast to tea that’s sweetened with honey, and insulin will help convert tryptophan to serotonin.

Almonds.
Heart-healthy almonds also contain tryptophan and magnesium.

Turkey.
Loaded with tryptophan, a couple of slices of turkey on whole-wheat bread will help bring a restful night’s sleep.

Source: Newsmax.com

Smart eating choices

It can be difficult to know which foods are the most beneficial to you and when and how often should you eat them. Here is a short and informative list of some dos and don'ts of eating. Try to eat at least 5 small meals a day and you will keep your metabolism burning all through the day. Wherever you go bring these healthy snacks along in a tupperware container and eat on the go!

In order to eat healthy, what foods should you always have in the house?
Eggs, yogurt, skim milk, veggies, your favorite lean proteins (such as fish, tofu and lean cuts of chicken and beef), brown rice, olive oil, herbs and spices.

What are some healthy on-the-go snacks to keep in your purse?
Nuts (especially almonds, which have mostly heart-healthy fats), raisins, dried fruits and rice cakes. Keep a list of your favorite healthy foods in your purse, too, so when you're hungry and stop by the store, it is easy to make a smart food choice.

What foods should you avoid?
Fried food, soda, white bread, preservatives, bacon and mayonnaise. Also avoid adding extra sugar, salt or butter when you're cooking. But at the same time, don't be afraid to eat the things you really enjoy, as long as it is just a handful every now and then.

What happens if you mess up and eat more than just a handful........say, a pint of ice cream?
Forgive yourself. It's hard to go from eating anything and everything to eating totally healthy. Just move on and keep trying your best. Changing your lifestyle is a process, sometimes a lengthy one. The important thing is that you're on your way.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Pilates on Disney Property

I have recently become the Pilates Instructor on Disney property with classes beginning on January 22nd in the Animation Building at MGM Studios! The classes will be Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm and filled-up within a couple days. I believe there is a hunger out there for Pilates Matwork classes and all the benefits they have to offer. I hope to teach additional classes on property and will keep everyone posted.

I will also start working for Orange Lake Resort as their Yoga and Pilates Instructor with two classes a week starting at the end of January. Orange Lakes is a 5000 room time-share resort located about 10 minutes from Celebration off of 192. It is a very impressive facility and they have never offered these classes to guests before so I am very proud to do so. I have a large studio where classes will be held but we have also discussed doing them by the pool. Now that is the life!

Have a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone!

Sean
Mr. Fitness

Mr. Fitness Journal

I will be posting here much more frequently now and be discussing all topics health, fitness and life. Think of it as a fitness journal.

So keep stopping by and see what I have. If you have questions or concerns please let me know.

Sean Vigue
Mr. Fitness LLC
www.Mr-Fitness.org