Integrated Movement - San Luis Obispo, California

The F.

Review of Integrated Movement Dec 13, 2023
I've been doing Gyrotonic [Gyro] for nearly 15 years now and folks who know me will corroborate the fact that, if I don't see results from something, I won't keep doing it.

So what results do I see? My body is much more flexible than it used to be, and several other instructors in different modalities (e.g. gym, Pilates) have told be that for a guy my age (don't ask), I'm really flexible. I can feel the flexibility in my movements.

Gyro also keeps me slowly building strength in all my muscles and makes me aware of movement and how to move correctly. There is also a focus on body balance--useful at any age.

Victoria is a Master Trainer (meaning she trains other Gyro instructors) and really knows her stuff. There's a plastic skeleton hanging in the studio for reference and a thick anatomy book if you have detailed muscle questions. She listens to your comments and adjusts the program to take into account your current set of body limitations.

When she travels to teach other instructors, she always finds talented and friendly instructors from various countries of the world to substitute for her. I find this a real plus to be able to interact with people from different cultures and styles of teaching.

The equipment is beautifully designed and helps guide your movements under Victoria's watchful eye. I doubt the Gyrotonic organization would say it this way, but I see Gyro as way to do some yoga movements guided by the knowledge built in to the machines.

After all these years I'm still refining my movements in Gyro.

Garrett P.

First of all, Victoria is an awesome instructor! She’s knowledgeable and intuitive, kind yet direct, and is always giving helpful suggestions for how to get the most out of whatever exercise you’re doing. She also travels internationally to teach other Gyro instructors and it’s clear she is incredibly good at what she does.

Honestly, it’s kind of hard to explain what gyrotonics is and to understand it until you actually do it. But think of it as a low/no impact modality that uses both strengthening and stretching, with an emphasis on fluidity of motion to retrain your body to work as it was designed.

What the heck does that actually mean in practice? Well, I have pretty bad scoliosis (an S curve with angles about 50 degrees each) and because of that, my body has learned to compensate for this curve by over strenghtnening some muscles, shortening others, and making my body think it’s doing things in alignment when, well, it definitely isn’t lol. What Victoria has helped me do is first to understand how my body is compensating, how it looks different in my upper back vs. lower back vs. hips, etc. and then gives me exercises to retrain my nervous system so it can start to reverse those compensations.

What I particularly love is how she emphasizes seemingly subtle movements - things I thought initially were too small to make a difference - but she knew what she was doing. My MO is to try and force things, to “push so hard” to try and reverse the scoliosis that I would simply overcompensate in a different way and cause myself more pain. By helping me see that “less is more”, my body is actually integrating what I’m learning rather than rejecting it because I’m pushing it too damn hard (and again, overcompensating).

If you’ve tried different therapies and are still looking for how to reduce your pain, definitely try Gyrotonics. At worst you’ll learn small, helpful ways to move in the world that will stop your issues from getting worse. And at best, you’ll find yourself forgetting that you had pain in these areas you’ve been struggling with for so long.

My scoliosis isn’t going to go away with gyrotonics, but it’s helped me to minimize nerve pain, play pickleball without being sore for days afterward, and believe again that I can live a happy life with this challenge rather than questioning how the hell I’m going to do anything I love in 20 years (when I’m 60), which is how I was feeling when I started.