2008 is off to a great start!

Numbers are way up in my classes so far this year! Once someone attends my class there is about a 94% chance that they will return to participate in further classes. I am very proud and thankful that these numbers are so. It shows just how effective and enjoyable our one-hour blocks are.

So check-out any one of my exciting classes: Pilates, Yoga, Yogalates, Chair Yoga and Spinning/Indoor Cycling. You will be glad you did!

Sean

New Yoga class at The Artisan Park Clubhouse!

Hello to all interested in making their lives extraordinary...

I will be starting a Yoga class on Tuesday evenings at 7:10 pm at the Artisan Park Clubhouse starting Tuesday, January 29th! This class has been in the works for quite some time and I am very excited to bring it to all of you. Class will be held in the large room which will be perfect to create a soothing and calm space. Classes will go to 8:05 pm and cost only $5. A mat or towel will be required as well.

What is Yoga?
~Yoga balances mind and body via physical exercises/postures (asanas), controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Yoga joins or yokes all parts of the human being and creates harmony at every level.

Benefits include: toning of all the muscles, increased flexibility, detoxes the body, greatly reduces stress, massages all organs of the body, improved focus, and brings the disparate aspects of the body, mind, and personality into balance.

Like all the other classes I teach yoga is open to people of ALL ages and fitness levels. I will make sure that everyone progresses at their own, individual level.

When the emotional and physical bodies become balanced, the result is real power and happiness. Class will begin with a warm-up, then progress into postures/poses and finish with a 10 minute meditation to calm and relax your entire being.

Sean Vigue
Owner/Operator Mr. Fitness LLC
svigue@mr-fitness.org
(321)443-4411
www.Mr-Fitness.org
"Changing the world one body at a time!"
"Trainer to Thousands!"
"The guy with the curly blonde hair!"
"Make sure you breathe!"

Sean is back in Central Florida!

I flew back into Orlando today so my classes are back and better then ever for 2008! No 2 classes are ever the same and they are open to people of ALL ages and fitness levels.

Keep checking back for news to vastly improve your life!

Sean Vigue

Keep striving

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

-Frank A. Clark

Happy Saturday!

Sean Vigue

Guitar Hero!

Mr. Fitness is HOOKED on this game! Great for the brain and great cardio if you jump around like I do during a loud, rockin' song!

That is all...

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